News Overview

We are happy to announce the talk “Dynamics and control of human cognition and behavior for mental health applications” by Georgia Koppe (IWR & ZI Mannheim) on June 5, 2024, 11:15 am.

Abstract: Understanding and predicting maladaptive human behavior and cognition, which are pertinent to many psychiatric disorders, requires understanding its underlying dynamics and dynamical mechanisms. 
Modifying these behaviors requires control over these dynamics. My re­search group focuses on inferring the dynamics underlying human behavioral and neural time series, utilizing both process-driven and data-driven modeling approaches. Based on these methods, we develop mental health applications where dynamics are used to predict or control future system states or to study their underlying generative mechanisms.
Our applications include: 1) Smartphone apps that assess psychological ratings as proxies for mental health states, forecast changes over time, and use these forecasts to tailor mental health exercises presented on the smartphone. 2) Social exchange games where we create human-like agents that can engage in social interactions and foster positive social experiences. 3) Web-based cognitive experimental platforms in which we specifically tailor experimental paradigms to reliably and validly measure complex decision making behavior. And 4) we develop and apply models for the robust and reliable detection of dynamical systems features predictive of psychiatric dysfunction.

The talk will take place at SR11, INF 205 (Mathematikon) and online via Zoom. More information can be found at:
https://www.mlai.uni-heidelberg.de/de/node/351

The STRUC­TURES STEPS Mentoring Programme is set to kick off a new round of mentor-mentee pairing. Whether you are a first-time participant or have previously been involved, we eagerly anticipate your participation. The programme aims to foster valuable interactions and networking among individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, promoting an atmosphere of openness and mutual learning, while making it easier for participants to engage with others.

Simply apply by filling out the matching form with your preferences and send it via mail to office@structures.uni-heidelberg.de. Any questions? We are happy to help! Find more infos on the STEPS webpage or contact us directly!

The deadline for submission is June 7, 2024.

Further information:

• Application forms: Mentor form | Mentee form
• Handout with more information on the Mentoring Programme
• STRUC­TURES Training and Education Programme for Success (STEPS): Flyer (PDF) | Webpage

Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to help - but didn’t know what to do or what to say? Join us for an interactive training session to become an active bystander! The training sessions are designed to equip you with the tools and knowledge needed to intervene effectively in situations where someone may be at risk of harm or harassment. During this interactive session, you will learn practical strategies for assessing situations, de-escalating conflicts, and providing support to those in need. Experienced facilitators will guide you through real-life scenarios and provide insights on how to overcome common barriers to intervention. By becoming an active bystander, you can play a crucial role in creating safer and more inclusive spaces within our community.

The active bystander training is a joint initiative of the Collaborative Re­search Centre ISOQUANT and the STRUC­TURES Cluster of Excellence. We will be offering tailored training sessions, acknowledging different professional contexts or campus environments and fostering a safe space where everyone can speak out and share experiences without fear. 

Date: Tuesday, 28 May 2024
Time:
Session 1 (for project leaders): 09:30 - 11:00
Session 2 (for young researchers): 11:30 - 13:00
Session 3 (for young researchers): 14:00 - 15:30
All sessions will be held in English.
Location: Golden Box, Physikalisches Institut, INF 226, 69120 Hei­del­berg 

Participation is free of charge, however, prior registration is needed as places are limited. For registration, please send an email to sfb1225@thphys.uni-heidelberg.de, stating your full name, working group/institute and the session you would like to join.

We believe that by working together and empowering each other, we can make a significant difference in promoting safety and well-being for everyone in our community. If you have any questions or require further information, please don't hesitate to contact us. 

We are happy to present the 16th volume of the STRUC­TURES Newsletter, featuring re­search news, background articles and interviews. The topics of this edition are:

1. Sub-Neptune Migration Solves Exoplanet Puzzle
2. Local Discontinuous Galerkin for the Functional Renormalization Group
3. Dominika Wylezalek Re­ceives Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize
4. YRC Elects New Representatives
5. Hubert Klahr Re­ceives ERC Grant to Probe Origins of Solar System's Minor Bodies
6. Innovative Visualization Unveils Biomedical Re­search Landscape

The STRUC­TURES Project Management Office is happy to answer questions.

We congratulate our member Hubert Klahr, head of the theory group in the Planet & Star Formation department at Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) and principal investigator of STRUCTURES' Comprehensive Project 2 (From Dust to Planets), on securing one of the Eu­ro­pean Re­search Council's prestigious Advanced Grants. The prize, endowed with 2.49 million euros funding over the next five years, will support his pioneering project “Turbulence, Pebbles, and Planetesimals: Origin of Minor Bodies in the Solar System (TiPPi).”

The TiPPi project aims to unravel the mysteries surrounding the formation of minor celestial bodies, such as asteroids, comets and dwarf planets in the solar system. Most of these smaller bodies are presumed to be remnants of planetary building blocks known as planetesimals, typically ranging from a few dozen kilometres in diameter. These planetesimals formed through collisions and the accumulation of centimetre-sized chunks, referred to as 'pebbles'. Pebbles typically measure in the centimetre to decimetre range, while planetesimals range from 10 to 100 kilometres in diameter. However, “despite their immense importance for the early history of the Solar System and therefore also for the formation of the Earth, we still don’t know where and when they formed in the ‘solar nebula’,” says Hubert Klahr. “We will therefore develop an innovative numerical experiment that combines three phases of planetesimal formation. We will use special methods to study turbulence, apply ma­chine learning to analyse pebble sizes and dust opacities, and investigate the elasticity and porosity evolution of the forming planetesimals.” The re­search not only promises insights into the early history of our solar system but also offers connections to the diversity of exoplanetary systems. The techniques and tools developed will be beneficial to the broader scientific community.

The ERC Advanced Grant is one of the most esteemed and competitive re­search grants in Europe, awarded to exceptional senior researchers with the potential to catalyze significant scientific advancements. Out of 1829 applications, only 255 outstanding re­search leaders in Europe are selected for this prestigious honour.

Further information:

• Hubert Klahr's Website
• Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
• Eu­ro­pean Re­search Council (ERC)