Natalie Sebanz

Natalie Sebanz is a Professor of Cognitive Science at Central European University (CEU), serving as Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Cognitive Science, Co-Director of the Social Mind Center, and Principal Investigator at the Center for Belief Update and Debiasing (DEBIAS). She holds appointments at CEU and has previously worked at Rutgers University, University of Birmingham, and Radboud University. Her research focuses on the cognitive and neural basis of social interaction, particularly joint action coordination, learning through joint activities, and the effects of observation on social behavior. Key interests include how individuals coordinate actions, learn collaboratively, and infer intentions from others' movements.

Sebanz earned her PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research in Munich. She has received prestigious awards such as the European Science Foundation’s Young Investigator Award and the Young Mind and Brain Prize. Her work is funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant exploring learning via joint actions. She also investigates perspective-taking, social monitoring, and the role of synchrony in cooperation.

Her research bridges experimental psychology, neuroscience, and interdisciplinary collaborations. She leads teams at CEU’s Social Mind Center and DEBIAS, exploring topics like shared intentions, joint action efficiency, and the social transfer of learning. Sebanz’s studies often involve collaborations across disciplines, addressing questions of embodied cognition and collective behavior.