Hi, I’m Joana, a Research Master’s student in Cognitive Neuroscience at Radboud University, specializing in Perception, Action, and Decision-Making. With a bachelor’s degree in Molecular Life Sciences and a minor in Neurobiophysics, I’m now interning in the Verhagen Lab under the supervision of Julian Kosciessa. My thesis explores how the mediodorsal and pulvinar thalamic nuclei help us adapt to perceptual and task uncertainty, using tools like Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation (TUS) and fMRI. I’m fascinated by how these deep brain regions shape our ability to make decisions when our perception of the world is imperfect and the rules of the game keep changing. When I’m not stimulating brains or analysing data, you’ll find me behind a camera capturing cultural events, advocating for social justice, or creating art that merges science, politics, and philosophy to make complex ideas accessible to all. I’m driven by the belief that the most transformative ideas emerge at the intersection of the seemingly disconnected—whether it’s the interplay of brain networks, the give and take between art and science, or the exchange of ideas across communities. Just as the brain learns to integrate diverse inputs so we can navigate uncertainty, it is vital for scientific innovation to include, serve and reflect everyone.

I am Lennart, an integrative neuroscientist, developing ultrasonic neuromodulation tools for basic research and clinical application at the Donders Institute. I chair the international expert group for safety and standards of ultrasonic neuromodulation in humans. I have pioneered the use of low-intensity ultrasound to safely stimulate deep brain structures with high precision in non-human primates, such as the amygdala and medial frontal cortex and together with my wonderful team, we are now translating this approach to humans, modulating excitability in the motor cortex, biasing saccade choice in frontal cortex, and perturbing threat learning in the amygdala.

Hi, I am Julian, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab. My research aims to clarify the brain mechanisms that enable us to flexibly adapt perception, cognition, and action to changing goals and demands. To this end, my research draws on perspectives from cognitive, computational, and systems neuroscience. I am fascinated by the question how we can adequately capture intrinsic brain dynamics in humans, and tune them using targeted interventions. In the Verhagen lab I pursue these interests by combining ultrasound stimulation with multimodal neuroimaging to study the relevance of deep brain regions for complex brain dynamics and cognitive flexibility.

Hi, my name is Carys, I am a postdoctoral researcher with Lennart Verhagen at the DCC and Sven Bestmann at UCL. My research focuses on the human motor system in health and after stroke, and the therapeutic potential of non-invasive neuromodulation. I am particularly interested in how we can maximise the efficacy of neuromodulation through individualised stimulation protocols. In the Verhagen Lab, I will probe the neuromodulatory effects of ultrasound stimulation on the sensorimotor network. My key methods are TMS, tDCS, and TUS.

I'm a postdoctoral researcher (Radboud Excelence Program). My background is in psychology and cognitive neuroscience. During my Ph.D. at TU Dresden, I learned a lot about the neurophysiology of human action control using EEG. Now I am excited to be part of a team at the forefront of safe transcranial neuromodulation here at the Donders Institute in Nijmegen. I am trying to modulate subcortical activity in awake and asleep humans to hopefully reach my ultimate goal, which is to understand how lucid dreaming works.

My name is Benjamin Kop and I am a PhD student here in the Verhagen lab. While I enjoy stimulating my brain with books, music, films, and the like, I am always looking to stimulate other people’s brains in a more literal sense. During my Ph.D., I get to put this passion into practice in my research applying TUS to the motor system. My interest in the brain, neuromodulation and the motor system was sparked during my bachelor’s degree in Psychology. I further pursued these interests in a research master’s of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London. I am excited to be working with ultrasound and TMS to help establish the foundation of ultrasonic neuromodulation in humans, starting with its impact on motor cortical excitability.

Hi, my name is Stein, I am a staff scientist within the Focused Ultrasound Initiative, supporting campus-wide research on Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for neuromodulation. My role ranges from ensuring the quality assurance of equipment to developing a novel metrology system that meets researchers' needs for executing their experiments in a safe and reliable manner.As a medical engineer by training, I have a strong passion for ultrasound applications. In the past, I conducted research on 3D carotid elastography using ultrasound imaging techniques to assess the carotid artery and help classify plaque vulnerability. After gaining experience in a systems engineering role in the industry, I now consider myself one of the lucky ones working alongside an inspiring team of highly motivated individuals, all driven by a single goal: advancing the field of neuromodulation using ultrasound.(Sounds good, right? ... Ultrasound!)

Hi, my name is Margely. I work as an Ultrasound Engineer at the FUS Initiative, supporting research labs such as the VerhagenLab. To advance focused ultrasound stimulation research, technical expertise has been centralized under the FUS Initiative, where engineers serve as the primary point of contact for software and hardware-related support.In my role, I develop (open-source) software in Python and MATLAB for the TUS community. This software is utilized for controlling ultrasound equipment, conducting characterizations, defining software limits, and simulating ultrasound protocols. Additionally, I provide support for specific challenges within TUS, such as simplifying the determination of safety values through the TUS Calculator (https://www.socsci.ru.nl/fusinitiative/tuscalculator/).

My name is Sjoerd Meijer and I’m aPh.D.D student in the lab passionate about circuit-level neuroimaging and neuromodulation. I aim to discover how brain stimulation can alleviate anxiety in humans. I use a combination of state-of-the-art brain stimulation techniques, behavioral tasks, and functional neuroimaging to map causal brain-behavior relationships. I use transcranial ultrasonic stimulation (TUS), which enables us to target the source of anxiety – deep in the brain. Further, I investigate the potential anxiolytic effects of dual-site transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on approach-avoidance behavior in social anxiety. My research could open up new avenues for anxiety disorder therapies.

My name is Soha and I am a Ph.D. student in Lennart Verhagen's Cognitive Neuromodulation lab and Hanneke den Ouden’s Learning & Decision-making lab. I completed my master's in Medical Neurobiology at Radboud University. I had the greatest difficulty choosing between different tracks and courses at the time. Still one of my biggest weaknesses is making decisions. Naturally, I thought it would be a good idea to study this trait in humans. I am interested in understanding how our motivations guide our actions in often seemingly irrational ways. I will focus on unraveling the role of the striatum (a deep brain structure) in motivational decision-making by non-invasively modulating this nucleus with TUS (pretty cool, right?).

My name is Maie Zörner, and I am a PhD student in the lab. My research focuses on how the brain consolidates fear memories and how we can use TUS to investigate this process. I've always been curious about the way stimulating experiences, especially stressful ones can change our minds. Exploring how differential life experiences shape cognition and behavior during my Bachelor�s in Psychology at Leiden University, I became increasingly drawn to their mechanistic and biological underpinnings, leading me to pursue a Master's in Cognitive Neuroscience at the Donders Institute. Now, I am excited to be working with ultrasonic neuromodulation to help establish the foundation of TUS as a method for studying and modulating memory processes in humans. By integrating fundamental neuroscience with clinically meaningful perspectives, I aim to contribute to research that connects mechanistic insights with future personalised health care strategies.

My name is Marwan, and I am a PhD student embedded in Lennart Verhagen's Cognitive Neuromodulation lab and Roshan Cools' Motivation and Cognitive Control lab. I completed my master's internship in Lennart's lab, which really sparked my fascination with neuromodulation techniques. Currently, my research focuses on using transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) to uncover the neural mechanisms and computations underlying learned helplessness, particularly controllability estimation and behavioral strategy selection. Outside the lab, I enjoy being creative through producing electronic music and sound designing, as well as staying active with fitness, traveling, and cooking.

Kenneth van der Zee earned his Research Master's degree in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Maastricht, following his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the same University. His interest in brain stimulation began during his Bachelor's, inspiring him to explore transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation for his Bachelor's thesis. He further developed his expertise during a research internship in the Brain Stimulation and Cognition group under Dr Teresa Schuhmann, where he gathered and analysed behavioural and EEG data for a clinical study. In this study, visuospatial hemineglect patients were treated with dual-site transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to rebalance attention networks and alleviate post-stroke neglect symptoms.Subsequently, Kenneth joined Lennart Verhagen's Cognitive Neuromodulation lab at Radboud University as a research assistant. In this role, he contributed to the development of an acoustic simulation package (PRESTUS), trained colleagues in running simulations, and assisted in data collection for ongoing studies.During his PhD, Kenneth will investigate the interactions/conflicts between individuals adaptive responses to changing environments and their automatic action tendencies. He plans to use Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation to perturb key neural nodes theorised to contribute to these mechanisms, thereby exploring their causal contributions alongside correlational evidence derived from BOLD imaging. He is affiliated with both the Cognitive Neuromodulation, Intention & Action and the Experimental Psychopathology & Affective Neuroscience labs, and his research is supervised by Lennart Verhagen, Ivan Toni, and Karin Roelofs.

My research is rooted in a profound curiosity about the brain's ability to orchestrate its complex dynamics across diverse conditions. By exploring the whole-brain network, I aim to uncover the principles governing its intricate interactions and how these principles support cognitive processes and adaptability. Through computational modeling and the analysis of neurophysiological data, I hope to illuminate the mechanisms that underpin brain function and dysfunction.Central to my work is the development of biophysical models that simulate the behaviour of interconnected neural systems. These models serve as a bridge, connecting theoretical insights with empirical data, to understand the global brain dynamics. I also employ analytical techniques to identify key networks and pathways critical to maintaining healthy brain function.With this approach, I aspire to contribute to a broader understanding of the brain's remarkable complexity and to pave the way for novel strategies that enhance its resilience and adaptability.

I am Martin, a Research Master’s student in Cognitive Neuroscience and currently interning in the Verhagen Lab. I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Radboud University. I am working on my thesis under the supervision of Julian Kosciessa. We aim to proof the feasibility of transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) engagement of the thalamus, and the effect on decision-making using fMRI and EEG. Besides my position in the Verhagen lab, I like to engage in sport and cooking.

Hey, I'm Sebastian! I did my Bachelors in Psychology in Innsbruck, Austria and am now completing my Masters in Cognitive Neuroscience as an Intern in the Verhagen lab. I work with Carys and Julian on a project where we'll stimulate specific thalamic nuclei and the amygdala to verify the spatial specifity of ultrasound stimulation and explore its effects on resting state networks and sensory processing. What excites me about ultrasound is the possibility of exploring causal relations in the brain. Besides neuroscience, I love alpine sports, all sorts of minigames, philosophy and theoretical physics.

I am Carla, a second-year Cognitive Neuroscience master's student in the Development and Lifelong Plasticity track at Radboud University, where I also completed my Bachelor's degree in Biology with a minor in Neurobiology. I am working alongside Kenneth van der Zee on a project investigating how the Amygdala and the dACC contribute to approach-avoidance conflict in volatile environments, using TUS for precise neuromodulation. By targeting these key brain regions, we aim to gain deeper insights into how individuals process emotional stimuli and integrate them into decision-making.Outside the lab, I enjoy weightlifting and traveling whenever possible.

My name is Lutz, and I am a Research Master's student in Cognitive Neuroscience, currently interning at the Verhagen Lab. Together with Nico Adelhölfer, I am investigating non-invasive neuromodulation of the nucleus basalis, a deep brain region within the basal forebrain, using transcranial ultrasound (TUS). I am fascinated by all forms of neurostimulation and have developed a strong interest in further exploring TUS. When I'm not in the lab, I like to sit down with a book and a cup of tea.

I’m a postdoctoral researcher in the Verhagen Lab and also a staff scientist for the DCC. I am interested in the neurophysiological and behavioural effects of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), with an emphasis on cutting-edge transcranial ultrasonic stimulation techniques. The overarching aim of my research is to improve physical rehabilitation outcomes by using NIBS to make the brain more receptive to the neuroplastic changes we want to drive using exercise and other interventions. When I’m not thinking about stimulating the brain, I love to travel, spend time in nature and meet new people.

As a postdoctoral researcher, I am a part of the Innovative Neurotechnology for Society (INTENSE) consortium where I study mechanisms of affective behavior, focusing on approach/avoidance decision-making. In this project, I will work towards a closed-loop neuro-intervention system aimed to detect the preparation of avoidance actions, and consequently, perturb avoidance behavior using Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation targeted at the amygdala.

I am Solenn, a Research Master’s student in Cognitive Neuroscience and currently interning in Hanneke den Ouden’s lab, in cooperation with the Verhagen Lab. I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Cognitive and Neurobiological Psychology (UU) with a minor in Behavioural Data Science (UvA). I am working on my thesis under the supervision of Soha Farboud. We aim to translate an established online TUS protocol for non-human primates targeting the frontal eye fields into a compatible version for modulating oculomotor behaviour in humans as well as understand the underlying mechanisms of TUS using fMRI and MR Spectroscopy. When I am not in the lab or coding, I enjoy boxing and being creative.

My name is Jesse Lam and I am a master's intern in the lab. Previously, I completed my bachelor's internship in Lennart's lab and also worked as a student assistant. My daily activities involve programming experimental tasks and interfacing software with (ultrasound) hardware in a time-accurate manner. Additionally, I am involved in designing a new experimental paradigm with which we will assess the offline effects of TUS on deep brain regions during both rest, and task-related activation of these regions.

Hi! I am Eleonora, a Neurophysics Master’s student in the Verhagen lab. I did my Bachelor’s in Engineering Physics at Polytechnic University of Turin. I am part of our study about ultrasound stimulation of the amygdala in fear learning. When I am not playing with ultrasound in the lab, I run acoustic simulations to model how the ultrasound wave propagates throughout the skull and brain and I try to optimize our current MR-skull imaging techniques. I’m really excited about the future of focused ultrasounds and I hope to continue my studies with a PhD. I love outdoor sports such as sailing, rowing and skiing and I am always up for a good slice of pizza!