About me

I work at the intersection of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), computational modelling, machine learning, and clinical translation. My research aims to get more meaningful information about the from using different imaging modalities: from diffusion and functional MRI models that reveal changes in the brain’s architecture, to eye-tracking paradigms that capture cognitive and sensory signatures. I focus on building computational frameworks for large-scale brain activity and digital biomarkers to better detect and monitor brain health across ageing and neurodegeneration.

Currently, I’m affiliated with the University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI).

Research Interests

• MRI analytics (diffusion, fMRI, physiological coupling (e.g. CSF))
• Eye-movement and behaviour modelling
• Neural Mass Models for large-scale models of brain activity
• Translational neuroimaging for ageing and dementia
• Brain temperature and thermometry

Education

• 2023: Dr. biol. hum. (Doctor of Human Biology), Medical Faculty, Ulm University, Germany
• 2012: Diplom-Physikerin (Master of Science in Physics), Dresden University of Technology, Germany

Professional appointments

• 2023 – Present: Computational Neuroimaging Fellow, University of Newcastle, Australia — Systems Neuroscience Group, Supervisor: Prof Michael Breakspear
• 2020 – 2023: Research Assistant, Ulm University Medical Centre, Germany — Neurophysiology Group, Supervisor: Prof Jan Kassubek
• 2019 – 2020: Educational Project Coordinator, Biberach University of Applied Sciences, Germany — Institute for Educational Knowledge Transfer, Supervisor: Dr Jenny Blank
• 2012 – 2012: Research Assistant, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, Dresden, Germany — Institute for Complex Materials, Supervisor: Dr Anja Waske

Funding

• 2025: AU$9,917 — Key Research Area Funding, HMRI Brain Neuromodulation Research Program. “Thermoregulatory and cholinergic neuromodulatory signatures of amyloid burden in older adults”; Lead Chief Investigator (CI)
• 2025: AU$20,000 — Newcastle Permanent Innovation Accelerator Program Finalist Award, HMRI. “Assessing Hearing by Vision”; Sole CI
• 2024: AU$785 — Annual Meeting Care Giver Grant, Organization of Human Brain Mapping (OHBM)
• 2024: AU$7,983 — Fellowship Accelerator, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle. “Integrating senses: Decoding cognitive interplay in closed captioned multimedia consumption”; Sole CI
• 2023: AU$2,500 — Seed Funding, HMRI Brain Neuromodulation Research Program. “Optimisation of eye-tracking data preprocessing pipeline”; Sole CI

Awards and recognition

• 2023: Greater than the sum of our parts Award — awarded to the Imaging Centre team by the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) to recognise collaborative excellence