Ulrik Beierholm is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Durham University, with affiliations in the Biophysical Sciences Institute and the Durham Research Methods Centre. He previously held positions at the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Robotics. His research lies at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and machine learning. His research focuses on how the human brain processes uncertainty in perception, decision-making, and learning. He employs Bayesian inference and reinforcement learning models to understand human behavior, validated through psychophysics , fMRI , and pharmacological methods. Key areas include multisensory integration , causal inference , perceptual clustering , and behavioral vigor . His work often explores developmental and aging effects on perception. His recent publications reveal a strong trend in modeling multisensory perception under uncertainty, with increasing focus on open-source tools (e.g., BCI Toolbox) and educational outreach (e.g., Neuromatch Academy). Themes include reliability-weighted cue integration, dopamine’s role in motivation, and developmental changes in perceptual strategies. Facebook Faculty Award - Virtual Reality (2016) Leverhulme Trust Grant (£250k) for 'Learning to perceive and act under uncertainty' (2017) Tubingen-Durham Joint Seedcorn Fund for 'The effects of mood on effort allocation during uncertainty' (2019) Dr. Beierholm has supervised PhD students and research assistants such as Nathanael Larigaldie, Denise Foresteire, and Laura Bird. He has secured competitive grants from the Leverhulme Trust and joint university funds, supporting projects on uncertainty, effort allocation, and multisensory perception. His collaborative network spans institutions in the UK, Germany, and the US. He co-organizes research workshops including the Probabilistic Brain Workshop and Computational Models of Social Interaction , and is involved in the Biophysical Sciences Institute Executive Board . His lab conducts behavioral experiments on multisensory integration, equipped with a soundproof room, projector, and 17-speaker array.
