How do we understand others?

What are the neural bases of our emotions?

How is our social behavior shaped by the brain?

 

These are just some of the questions the SCAN-Unit (Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience Unit) has been investigating since its formation in 2010. We are a group of international researchers who combine psychological theory with cutting edge neuroscientific methodology to study the biological basis of human's social and emotional life.

Our special research focus lies on the neuroscience of empathy. We have made and continue to make essential contributions to our understanding of how people share the feelings of others and take their point of view. This research enterprise is complemented by research activities in the fields of decision making, moral behavior, and mental health.

Further information on the research we do.

Information on our lab mission. 

 News

29.05.2026
 

We celebrated Max' return to the SCAN-Unit after he stayed at home for a while when his second daughter was born...
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 Media

09.05.2026
 

“A collaboration of several SCAN Unit members with colleagues at the University of Birmingham on the study ‘Psychological interventions that decrease...
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 Faculty News

15.06.2026
 

In ihrer neuen Rolle als Tenure-Track-Professorin für Soziale Kognition
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29.05.2026
 

This month we took the SCAN-Unit to a new kind of challenge to play Escape Room games...
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09.05.2026
 

Our lab's research on the effects of nature on self-reported and neural measures of pain has been covered in El País, Spain's leading newspaper. The...
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08.06.2026
 

Robert Böhm und Julia Holzer für hervorragende Lehrveranstaltungen ausgezeichnet
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09.05.2026
 

Brains, behavior, and our place in nature — the SCAN-Unit team brought science to life at the Long Night of Research.
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17.04.2026
 

In the article “Humpback Whale Timmy: Why This Animal Touches Us So Deeply”
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01.06.2026
 

Diversität als Grundwert der Universität und unserer Fakultät
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