Hey there!

My name is Rebecca, and I am currently pursuing my PhD in Clinical Neuroscience at the Bingel Laboratory at the University Hospital Essen in Germany.

I have a background in psychology and completed both my bachelor's and master's degrees in my lovely home country, Austria, at the University of Vienna. The master's program I chose focused on the mind & brain (aka neuroscience). I made so many great memories during my time at the University of Vienna and had the opportunity to work in both developmental and biological psychology labs. These two subject areas have fascinated me since the beginning of my bachelor's and continue to guide and influence my path as a researcher. They shape the topics I investigate and how I choose to spend my time outside of my main duties as a PhD student.

Currently, under the guidance of Prof. Ulrike Bingel and Dr. Helena Hartmann, I work on projects that investigate how personal experiences of pain influence our affective and cognitive processes. Specifically, I focus on how pain and expectations affect our ability to empathize, our social behaviors, and the processing of affective stimuli. Continuing to build on the knowledge basis I was able to build both during my work as a research assistant in a project investigating the role of opioids in social cognition as well as in my own master's thesis on “Empathic concern and prosocial behavior in 18-month-old toddlers”.

Outside the lab, I love to unwind with a good book and a cup of coffee. I'm a big fan of Fantasy & Sci-Fi genres, but I've recently ventured into horror as well. Video games are another passion of mine; I enjoy playing them both solo and with friends. Additionally, I cherish coffee walks with friends, where we share stories and enjoy the outdoors.

Curious to learn more about my adventures as a PhD student and what I'm up to? Check out my Academic Adventures page.

Research Experience

• 10/23 – present

  PhD Candidate
  Bingellab - Translational Pain Research Unit, University Hospital Essen (Germany)
  Responsibilities include:

  • Planning multiple projects to investigate how pain and expectations influence affective and cognitive processes and behaviors both on the behavioral and neuronal level

  Supervisors: Prof Ulrike Bingel, Dr Helena Hartmann, Dr Katharina Schmidt

• 05/23 – 09/23

  Student Research Assistant

  04/22 – 04/23

  & Research Intern
  SCAN-Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna (Austria)
  Responsibilities included:

  • Assisting in the research project: op:cog22 - “Investigating the role of opioids in social cognition”
  • Collecting data using various methods (Opioids, Constant current stimulator, ECG, Dynamometer)
  • Conducting psychological health screenings using the M.I.N.I German Version 5.0.0 (Mini international neuropsychiatric interview) and CTQ (Childhood trauma questionnaire)
  • Recruiting for and organizing of testing’s
  • Training of new master students and interns

  Supervisors: Prof Claus Lamm, Dr Markus Rütgen, Julia Braunstein MSc

• 05/22 – 09/23

  Student Research Assistant

  12/21 – 09/23

  & MSc Project

  10/21 – 04/22

  & Research Intern
  Children's Studies in Vienna, Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Vienna (Austria)
  As student research assistant responsibilities included:

  • Assisting in the research project: “Laughing Together. The Influence of laughter on cooperation in the context of bio-behavioural synchrony”
  • Collecting data using various neuroscientific methods (fNIRS, ECG)
  • Tech trouble shooting (fNIRS and other technical equipment)
  • Recruiting for and organizing of testing’s
  • Training of new interns and master students writing their master thesis
  • Coding of laughter (ELAN)

  Supervisors: Prof Stefanie Höhl, Dr Carolina Pletti, Verena Schäfer MSc
  For MSc project responsibilities included:

  • Master’s thesis in the project: “InteroSens – Interoceptive sensitivity and social development in infancy”
  • Collecting, micro-/coding, analyzing of data and writing of master's thesis
  • Thesis: “Empathic concern and prosocial behavior in 18-month-old toddlers“

  Supervisors: Prof Stefanie Höhl, Markus Tünte MSc
  As research intern responsibilities included:

  • Assisting in the research projects: “InteroSens – Interoceptive sensitivity and social development in infancy” and „EiToM – Emotional implicit theory of mind and interoception“
  • Conducting literature research
  • Formulating experimental paradigms on social cognitive skills
  • Collecting data using various neuroscientific methods (fNIRS, ECG, Eyetracking)
  • Analyzing physiological data (ECG)
  • Programming experiments using OpenSesame (Python)
  • Writing a Preregistration

  Supervisors: Prof Stefanie Höhl, Markus Tünte MSc

• 09/22 – 01/23

  Research Intern
  Comparative Canine Neuroimaging Unit, University of Vienna (Austria)
  Responsibilities included:

  • Preparation of scanner and training equipment for canine MRI data acquisition and training
  • Assisting with MRI data collection and training with dogs
  • Training of new interns

  Supervisors: Prof Ludwig Huber, Prof Claus Lamm

• 07/22

  Student Assistant
  ESCAN 2022 in Vienna (Austria), European Society for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
  Responsibilities included:

  • Assisting at the conference and the social events
  • Technical help/trouble shooting during keynotes, symposia and oral presentations

  Local organizers: Assoc Prof Giorgia Silani, Prof Claus Lamm

Teaching Experience

• 02/24

  Seminar “Grundlagen experimenteller Forschung am Beispiel Schmerz”
  Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany)
  Responsibilities include:

  • Assisting other members of the Bingel team in a seminar
  • Teaching medical students about research, specifically pain research and how pain can be measured

• 2019 – 2020

  Student Tutor
  Faculty of Psychology, Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Vienna (Austria)
  Course: “Supervised Orientation Tutorium”
  Responsibilities included:

  • Conducting 4 in-person seminar sessions
  • Teaching 8 first-year undergraduate psychology students various study-relevant core competencies (e.g., time and learning management) as well as techniques for reading scientific literature

  Supervisors: Dr Birgit Leidenfrost, Dr Dorothea König

Science Communication

• 04/24

  Girls & Boys Day 2024 “Was man als Wissenschaftler*In so macht & warum nicht nur Ärzt*Innen sich mit Schmerz beschäftigen”
  Bingellab - Translational Pain Research Unit, University Hospital Essen (Germany)
  Responsibilities included:

  • Planning and leading a workshop to give 12-16 year-old teenagers insights into the work of a (neuro-)scientist as part of the University of Duisburg-Essen’s yearly Girls & Boys Day

• 02/24

  Workshop “Was mein Gehirn alles kann”
  Junior-Uni Essen (Germany)
  Responsibilities include:

  • Assisting Dr Helena Hartmann with a workshop for 8–10-year-old children

Academic Scholarships

• 2024 (1,301€)

  Scholarship for excellent academic achievements
  University of Vienna (Austria)

• 2023 (750€)

  Scholarship for excellent academic achievements
  University of Vienna (Austria)

Poster Presentations

Relevant Skills

• Software:

  very good skills in MS Office
  advanced skills in Interact, OpenSesame, SoSci Survey, SPSS, JASP, R, ELAN, Matlab
  basic skills in PsychoPy
• Programming:

  Python for fMRI data (pre-)processing, statistical analysis, programming tasks. MATLAB for fNIRS data preprocessing, EEG data preprocessing, programming tasks
• Research experience:

  fNIRS, fMRI, EEG, Eyetracking (EyeLink 1000), ECG, Opioids, Placebos/Nocebos, Thermal heat stimulator, Constant current stimulator (Digitimer DS5), Dynamometer, Respiration Belt
• Languages:

  German (first language), English (C2), French (A2)