Viktor Müller

Viktor Müller serves as a Research Scientist at the Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, where he has led the "Interactive Brains, Social Minds" project as Principal Investigator since 2004. His research bridges neuroscience, psychology, and complex systems theory to investigate brain dynamics during social interactions.

His academic foundation includes a PhD (Dr. rer. soc.) in Social Sciences from the University of Tübingen (1996), preceded by research positions at Saarland University's School of Psychology (2002-2004) and the University of Tübingen's Physiological Institute and Institute of Medical Psychology (1993-2002).

Müller's research program centers on behavioral and neuronal plasticity across the lifespan, with pioneering work in intra- and interbrain dynamics. He investigates cortical oscillatory mechanisms, network topology dynamics, and deterministic chaos in complex brain systems, with particular emphasis on genetic and psychophysiological aspects of neuronal plasticity. His innovative approach employs naturalistic paradigms like music performance and choir singing to study hyper-brain networks in ecologically valid social contexts.

Analysis of his 2016-2024 publications reveals consistent focus on social neuroscience methodologies, particularly network analysis of interbrain synchrony during joint musical activities. His work demonstrates how hyper-brain network properties evolve during group interactions, establishing foundational frameworks for understanding neural coordination in real-world social settings.

His scientific recognition includes:

• Visiting Fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis (2008)
• Nordmark Neuropharmaka Award for Behavioral Research in Parkinson's Disease (1994)

As PI of the "Interactive Brains, Social Minds" project, Müller directs a research team developing novel neuroimaging and network analysis techniques to study brain dynamics during social coordination. His laboratory investigates neural mechanisms underlying interpersonal action coordination through multimodal approaches including EEG, physiological monitoring, and behavioral analysis during natural group interactions.