Susanne Hoffmann

Susanne Hoffmann is a Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence since 2024. Her work focuses on neural mechanisms underlying natural vocal communication in songbirds and echolocating bats, pioneering extracellular neurophysiology in field research.

• 2016–2024: Research Scientist, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology (now Biological Intelligence)
• 2013–2015: PostDoc, Chair of Zoology, TU München
• 2009–2011: PostDoc, Division of Neurobiology, LMU München

Her research integrates in-vivo neurophysiology, bioacoustics, and behavioral observation to study how animals process communication signals in dynamic social environments. Key projects include analyzing duet singing coordination, alarm calling neural circuits, and echolocation dynamics. Publications span journals like Nature Ecology & Evolution and Journal of Neurophysiology.

Current advisees include PhD students Amira Sophia Syed Peer Mohamed, Lorenzo Micolucci, and Lisa Livancic. Collaborative work with Markus Abels, Sandra Kollmansperger, and Andries Ter Maat highlights her team's contributions to understanding interindividual motor control and neural feedback loops in social species.