The new center will conduct interdisciplinary research into the neuronal mechanisms of cognition, develop artificial and hybrid cognitive systems, and investigate the interaction between humans and technical systems in the working world of the future and in neurorehabilitation. The key features of THINK are facilitate novel research paradigms, which includes two-fold integration and focus on behavior, provide state-of-the-art with shared laboratories and equipment, foster interdisciplinary communication and collaboration, promote excellent junior research groups and drive knowledge transfer.
There are many different research areas in THINK. Most notably, spatial behavior, especially navigation and the body/self in space, is explored, as well as the manipulation of objects with the creation and control of object-oriented movements, body extension, and affordances. Problem solving and decisions also form a large part of the research area. It is mainly concerned with anticipation and prediction, the processes of decision making, and inference. Within affective interactions, communication, emotions, and affective disorders are explored.
Knowledge transfer takes place in the research areas of optimization of learning processes, support of work processes, everyday skills in old age, mental disorders and neurorehabilitation/neuroprostheses.

The Center for Theoretical and Integrative Neuroscience and Cognitive Science is being built on Mark 51°7. The new entire building has a total area of 3890 m2, of which 2198 m2 is used as laboratory space. The total cost of the building are 89.21 million euros. Major research equipment includes the 3T MRI for humans, the 9.4T MRI for animals, numerous microscopes for multiphoton and Live-Cell imaging, and a high-performance computer cluster, valued at 11.27 million euros.

THINK is supported by the Faculty of Psychology, the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, the Institute of Neural Computing, the Faculty of Electrical and Information Engineering, the Faculty of Philosophy and Educational Sciences, the Faculty of Medicine and the university hospitals, including LWL, Bergmannsheil and Knappschaftskrankenhaus, while Gemeinsame Wissenschaftskonferenz – GWK funds THINK.

You are welcome to take a closer look at the entire site and the individual buildings here:

• Mark 51°7
• O-Werk Campus
• Round trip September 2021