Thilo Womelsdorf

Dr. Womelsdorf studies how neural circuits learn and control attentional allocation in nonhuman primates and humans. His laboratory uses • Attention and learning paradigms utilizing 3D virtual reality renderingto understand complex behaviors during reinforcement learning. • Multi-area electrophysiological recordings to understand cell-to-network activity dynamics subserving learning behaviors. • Behavioral reinforcement learning modelling to formally grasp the fundamental principles of behavioral control. • Neuromodulation approaches such as electrical micorstimulation and pharmacological challenges to test causal hypotheses about cell and circuit motifs implementing attentional control and learning functions.

Treuting RL, Banaie Boroujeni K, Gerrity CG, Neumann A, Tiesinga P & Womelsdorf T (2025) Adaptive Reinforcement Learning is causally supported by Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Striatum. Neuron; 113, 1–16. Wen X, Neumann A, Dhungana S, & Womelsdorf T (2025) Non-human primates can flexibly learn serial sequences and reorder context-dependent object sequences.PLoS Biology; 23(6): e3003255. Hassani SA, Tiesinga P, Womelsdorf T (2024) Noradrenergic alpha-2a Receptor Stimulation Enhances Prediction Error Signaling and Updating of Attention Sets in Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Striatum. Nature Communication. 15:9905. Boroujeni, K. B., & Womelsdorf, T. (2023). Routing states transition during oscillatory bursts and attentional selection.Neuron,111(18), 2929-2944. Hassani SA, Neumann A, Russel