Image of Michael Tangermann

Junior Research Group Leader

University of Freiburg,
Excellence Cluster BrainLinks-BrainTools, Dept. Computer Science,
Albertstr. 23,
79104 Freiburg,
Germany

(Personal profile)


Email: michael.tangermann (AT) blbt.uni-freiburg.de

Overview

Since July 2013, I am the head of the Brain State Decoding Lab at the University of Freiburg, Germany. The lab is part of the cluster of excellence BrainLinks-BrainTools and most of my projects are funded by the German excellence initiative. Until June 2013, I was member of the Intelligent Data Analysis group at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany and member of the Berlin Brain-Computer Interface group (BBCI).

My research is on machine learning problems, which arise during the single-trial decoding of mental states from neuronal signals. Brain data is specifically challenging due to its low signal-to-noise ratio, high dimensionality, and -- as brain signals change over time -- its non-stationary characteristics. Algorithmically, these challenges can be tackled by the subject-specific optimization of spatial filters, an adaptive classification/decoding strategy capable to track non-stationary distributions of data, and by high-performing yet robust regularized decoding methods.
I study these problems in the context of my application field, non-invasive and invasive Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI). Here I am specifically into BCI paradigms for patients (rehabilitation after stroke, communication, control), new auditory BCI paradigms which allow to tap into single-trial language processing, passive mental state monitoring of workload, listening effort, attentional- and learning processes. These topics usually are studied in real-time applications, which are set up with healthy subjects in our labs, as well as with patients at their bedsides.

My publication list gives a more detailed picture of my research activities. On some research topics you may find short overviews. My contributions for student education are listed on the teaching section.

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