Thomas Goschke

Thomas Goschke is a Professor of General Psychology at the Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden since 2002. He is the Director of the Institute of General Psychology, Biopsychology and Methods of Psychology, and Acting Director of the Neuroimaging Center. His academic journey includes a Dr. phil. from Ruhr-Universität Bochum (1992) and habilitation from Universität Osnabrück (1999). He has held leadership roles including Head of Department (2004–2009) and Faculty Board member since 2003.

Research focuses on cognitive control, volition, decision-making, and addiction neuroscience. Key themes include self-regulation mechanisms, neural correlates of goal-directed behavior, and interplay between emotion and decision-making. His work combines experimental psychology with neuroimaging, examining pathways in anorexia nervosa, substance use disorders, and stress effects.

Notable contributions include the ReCoDe addiction consortium and studies on frontoparietal control in self-control. He spearheads interdisciplinary projects like the Volkswagen-Foundation-funded 'Control and responsibility' initiative. His research has advanced understanding of how brain networks like the salience network predict self-controlled decisions.

• Education:
  • 1999 Habilitation (Psychology), Universität Osnabrück
  • 1992 Dr. phil. (summa cum laude), Universität Osnabrück
  • 1987 Diploma in Psychology (with distinction), Ruhr-Universität Bochum
• Key Roles:
  • Principal Investigator at CILS, Humboldt University Berlin (since 2010)
  • Member of ESADD Scientific Advisory Board (since 2009)

Grant leadership includes coordinating large-scale projects on volition dysfunction and executive functioning. His lab integrates fMRI, EEG, and ecological momentary assessment to study real-world self-control dynamics. Current work explores neural mechanisms underlying decision-making under stress and the role of dopamine in impulsivity.