RainerGoebel

After his study of psychology and computer science in Marburg, Germany, (1983-1988), Rainer Goebel has worked on artificial neural networks of visual processing. He did his PhD at the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany, (1990-1994) under Prof. Dr. Dirk Vorberg developing a large-scale oscillatory neural network model of scene segmentation, selective attention, and shape recognition. In 1993 he received the Heinz Maier Leibnitz Advancement award in Cognitive Science sponsored by the German minister of science and education for a publication on the binding problem and in 1994 he received the Heinz Billing award from the Max Planck society for developing a software package for the creation and simulation of neural network models. From 1995-1999 he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt/Main in the Department of Neurophysiology under Prof. Dr. Wolf Singer where he founded the functional neuroimaging group. In 1997/1998 he was a fellow at the Berlin Institute for Advanced Studies (“Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin”). Since January 2000, he is a full professor for Cognitive Neuroscience in the psychology department of Maastricht University. He is also a member of the board of governors of the F.C. Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging in Nijmegen, Netherlands.

Rainer Goebel received several grants including a Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) grant together with Dae-Shik Kim (principal investigator) and Susumu Mori for the project "In Vivo Visualization of Axonal connectivity and Functional Activity Using Diffusion Tensor MRI”, several grants from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), and European grants (6th framework). Awarded funding from Maastricht University ("Breedte Strategie") allowed him and his colleagues to establish the Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (M-BIC).

Rainer Goebel’s research activities currently include:

• Artificial neural networks of visual processing
• Neural correlates of visual attention, mental imagery and awareness
• Structural and functional imaging of the human brain
• Development of new analysis methods for structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data
• Integration of spatially (fMRI) and temporally resolved (EEG/MEG) imaging methods
• Data-driven brain imaging analysis tools (Independent Component Analysis, ICA; Granger Causality Mapping, GCM)
• Advanced methods for cortex-based statistics and brain normalization
• Tracking of white matter fiber bundles using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)
• Investigating effects of temporary, virtual, lesions using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
• Analysis of directed interactions between brain areas in sensory-motor paradigms
• Real-time fMRI, neurofeedback, brain-brain interactions, social fMRI (simultaneous scanning of two or more subjects)

For details, check out this list of publications from Rainer Goebel and his colleagues.

Rainer Goebel is a passionate programmer doing most of the coding for the software package BrainVoyager himself (see his BV Blog). Besides writing scientific papers and working with a group of intelligent young scientists, he views solving intricate problems through programming as the most challenging and rewarding activity in his scientific life. He is convinced that one of the most important activities of human beings is the creation of tools. The tools he enjoys creating are computer programs, such as BrainVoyager, which help many people to do better scientific and clinical research. His view on cross-platform development can be found in a press release by Trolltech. He also enjoys developing free teaching software to help students learn about the human brain. His "BrainVoyager Brain Tutor" program recently won the runner-up prize for programming the "Best Original Commercial Qt Application".

Rainer Goebel is also proud that an image created with BrainVoyager had been selected for inclusion in the famous OpenGL “red book” (see image on the right). This book is the definitive guide for learning 3D OpenGL programming. After learning OpenGL with the second edition of this book, it is a pleasure for him to see the fruits of his OpenGL coding efforts appearing in the third and fourth edition.