Much like physical strength, cognitive resources are limited and should thus be allocated strategically to activities that allow us to obtain desired rewards and avoid unwanted consequences. One important aspect to consider before deciding whether to engage in a cognitive task or not lies in its difficulty. My research program is primarilly focussed on identifying and understanding the neural and computational processes by which the brain weighs these task demands against potential outcomes and how the exertion of cognitive effort ultimately affects outcome evaluation both prospectively and retrospectively. 

​

I am also interested in how these processes are changed in clinical conditions, such as apathy and anhedonia, that are characterized by a severe loss of motivation to engage in and to enjoy previously rewarding activities. These syndromes are very common in many patients with psychiatric and neurological disorders, including major depression, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Parkinson's Disease, or Dementia. One potentially critical factor related to the development and maintenance of pathologically reduced motivational drive is the experience of acute and prolonged stress. Thus, my research is also aimed at understanding the biological mechanisms by which stress affects brain networks involved in the evaluation of effort and reward.        

​

To investigate these questions, I employ a broad variety of methods rooted in Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, including behavioral experiments, computational modeling of cogntive processes, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques (tDCS and TMS), and brain imaging (EEG).