Maximilian Scheuplein

Cognitive Neuroscientist

How did I become the person I am today? Since high school I have been curious about the various factors that influence and shape an individual’s self-concept. Wanting to learn about what makes an individual unique from others I decided to study psychology at Goethe University Frankfurt. At the beginning of my undergraduate studies, whilst working on a case study of Phineas Gage, I became fascinated by how the brain impacts on personality expression, decision-making and social interaction. After completing my psychology degree I moved to London to study for my master’s degree in cognitive neuroscience. At University College London I explored the development of social cognition during human adolescents. Currently, I am a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Oxford researching how brain development impacts learning and decision-making. I hope that my research will help to shed light on why young people tend to make more risky decisions, which in turn could have important implications for policies.

As a lab we are passionate about science engagement and greatly enjoyed sharing our science at last year’s iF Oxford Science and Ideas Festival (Link: https://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/news/researchers-share-their-science-with-the-if-science-and-ideas-festival).