This project explores how subcor­ti­cal struc­tures such as the amygdala, thala­mus, basal ganglia, cerebel­lum and hippocam­pus shape social cogni­tion. Using high-resolu­tion fMRI, diffu­sion MRI and compu­ta­tional model­ing it examines how connec­tions between subcor­tex and cortex support empathy, perspec­tive taking and emotional regulation.

Social cogni­tion allows humans to under­stand others and build relation­ships through cogni­tive processes like perspec­tive taking and emotional processes like empathy. Most research has focused on the neocor­tex, but the subcor­tex with its dense connec­tions remains under­stud­ied. This project aims to clarify how subcor­ti­cal regions includ­ing amygdala, thala­mus, basal ganglia, cerebel­lum and hippocam­pus influ­ence corti­cal networks during social inter­ac­tions. It combines ultra high field task-based fMRI and diffu­sion MRI with histo­log­i­cal mapping to map functional inter­ac­tions and white matter pathways linking subcor­tex and cortex. Compu­ta­tional approaches such as regres­sion dynamic causal model­ing and network control theory simulate how subcor­ti­cal activ­ity drives transi­tions between socio cogni­tive and socio affec­tive brain states. By reveal­ing how these inter­ac­tions shape empathy, perspec­tive taking and emotional regula­tion, the project will deepen our under­stand­ing of the social brain and individ­ual differ­ences in social behaviour.