I recently watched the dinosaur documentary on Netflix. I realized why I never had a “dino phase”: they remind me to ask why are exist? Sometimes I am afraid of existence itself: being here, and at the same time getting old and dying. I feel that we are so small and fragile.

I’m currently redesigning my Body–Brain–Emotion seminar for our General Psychology MSc students. Last year, we covered the spectrum from basic sensory processes to perception (e.g., cardiac effects), as well as breathing and sleep, gut-brain interaction.

Two days ago, my PhD supervisor, visited Freiburg to give a talk on heart-brain interaction (to the public audience). Beyond the excellent/provocative talk and research, what I saw was that almost everyone after a PhD left academia. Such great names. It is hard to survive, especially in Germany.

Teaching Neuropsychology of Aging this semester was a really great experience. We covered everything from neural dedifferentiation to biomarkers (sex, BP, sleep) and dementia, but what stuck with students surprised me. One wrote down just one word: EDEKA.

Female scientists have to wait longer for their articles to be reviewed than their male colleagues. An analysis of 36.5 million papers in the life sciences shows that for females it took 115 days to reach a decision, compared to 101 days for men journals.plos.org/plosbiology/... @plosbiology.org

Another night, and I am again doing accounting for all running scientific projects, where to relocate, which HiWi needs to be where, and when to apply for what… 😅📊 And also a general ORGA! I think I enjoy the management of "something". If I wasnot doing science, I’d probably end up in management. 🤔

Postdocs in Baden-Württemberg: I can really recommend applying! It’s much more than funding, you get to meet people from different disciplines, build a strong network, and gain insight into how science policy and decision-making work. Bonus: my German will definitely improve along the way 😊

Finally I am looking for a motivated student assistant (HiWi, 80 hours/month) at Uni Freiburg (Neuropsychology) 🧠 Project on sleep, EEG, heart–brain dynamics & memory. MATLAB/Python a plus. 📩 deniz.kumral at psychologie.uni-freiburg.de

Okay, I’m back 🌤️ After being quiet on social media for quite a while. The past year was a real roller-coaster 🎢 — challenging, exhausting, but also shaping: 🦠 Being sick during Kita (Kindergarden) times 🚫 No Kita for a whole month 📝 Applying for grants… and getting rejected ✨

*13th MindBrainBody Symposium* 📆 Mar 9-11, 2026 🏠 #Berlin & virtual (deadline: Jan 8, 2026) Keynotes: - @ulrikebingel.bsky.social - Karl Friston (online) - @tinalonsdorf.bsky.social - Sonja Kotz - Julian Thayer ...& so much more: prizes, posters, talks, food, drinks, encounters. Let's meet!

The @dreamteamicm.bsky.social has launched an online survey about the things you experience when you fall asleep! Everyone is different, so we need you to tell us! It will take only 20 minutes, but it will mean a lot to dream researchers like us! redcap.link/DriftingMinds Please, share! 🧠💤

The beta release of SPM-Python is out now! Amazing work by Johan Medrano @johmedr.bsky.social , Yael Balbastre, Yulia Bezsudnova @ybezs.bsky.social and other members of their team. A new era for SPM! #OHBM2025

If you are at #PuG2025, @denizkumral.bsky.social will be giving a talk on the “Temporal dynamics of microstructural plasticity in the human brain” as part of the Emergence and Transfer of Memory Representations Symposium in room 0.004 Z6 at 14.30! 🧠

At #PuG2025? Into memory? We've got just the symposium for you. "The emergence and transformation of memory representations in the human brain". Co-chaired with @rolandbenoit.bsky.social and featuring @denizkumral.bsky.social, Anne Bierbrauer, and @mgarvert.bsky.social. Today, 2:30pm in 0.004 Z6.

Teaching a seminar this semester called Body-Brain-Emotions—same name as the research group from my PhD days. My work has shifted since then, but the idea that the brain works in isolation? Still not me. 🫀🧠

Oh, there's an English version as well! DW reports about misconduct at Max Planck Institutes: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5nE...

🕒 less than 24h until the doors to the 12th #MindBrainBody Symposium will open. Safe travels and very much looking forward to seeing you there! Please check out day 1 below and find all details at mindbrainbody.de

WHERE WILL YOU BE ON MARCH 7TH!? Head to www.standupforscience2025.org/local-event-information/ or the link in our bio to find your closest event—or add one if you're hosting one! #standupforscience2025

Big news! Starting today, GSO will stand for #Guidance, #Skills & #Opportunities for #Researchers. For over 20 years, we’ve supported postdocs in-now, with an expanded focus, we’re evolving, too. Our mission stays the same: help researchers shape careers while bridging research, industry & policy.

New preprint from the lab! 🧠 💤 🚨 Roüast et al. Random auditory stimulation disturbs traveling slow waves and declarative memory. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

New preprint from our lab on memory incorporation into dreams! 🧠 💭 💤 Palmieri et al. Incorporation of complex narratives into dreaming doi.org/10.1101/2025...

Keeping Up With the Boost Fellows, Freiburg We visited cognitive neuroscientist and Boost fellow @denizkumral.bsky.social in Freiburg. Deniz moved there from the @mpicbs.bsky.social in Leipzig to the Imaging Memory and Consolidation Lab of Monika Schönauer at @uni-freiburg.de.

You are cordially invited to the next talk in the #BrAInWorldsLectureSeries by Athena Akrami from @sainsburywellcome.bsky.social. Hear all about learning and exploiting sensory statistical structures with and without feedback on Feb. 12th at 12:30! @ilka-diester.bsky.social @mschoenauer.bsky.social

I dont know whether it is true. But he was one of my fav.director. With whom, I started to watch ‘cinema’ — i was even following his lucky number youtube channel everyday. So sad.

Today, I took a day off just for myself and did absolutely nothing. After an 8-hour Harry Potter marathon, I wondered about Andrey Zvyagintsev, one of my favorite directors (#Leviathan). Turns out, he was hospitalized for a while due to a COVID-induced coma. Wasn't expecting that news at all.

Delighted to share that I’ve been selected for the Eliteprogramm für Postdoktorandinnen und Postdoktoranden by Baden-Württemberg Stiftung. I pushed my limits—from writing a 20-30 page German document to having an interview in German. Grateful for this opportunity and network.

Today is the day! I am really excited to be part of “The Future of Academia: Hands-On Ideas and What Can Be Done Today” Feel free to Join 1000+ participants at the tbh conference by #GSO gsonet.org/tbh-conferen...

My 1st message: “hello world” My 2nd message: JOB ALERT- please share❗ We are looking for 1 PhD candidate If you are interested in #sleep and #memory reprocesing in aging, please get in touch!