Team
Project lead
Tania Singer, Prof. Dr.
Scientific Head, Social Neuroscience Research Group, Max Planck Society
Tania investigates human social behavior, social cohesion, cooperation, and social emotions, including empathy and compassion. She also explores the plasticity of the social brain and led the ReSource project, an extensive, long-term study on the impact of mental training on brain plasticity, mental health, stress reduction, and the enhancement of resilience, prosocial behavior, and cooperation.
Scientific Cooperations
Manuel Voelkle, Prof. Dr.
Methods and Statistical Modeling, Professor of Psychological Methodology at the Institute of Psychology at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Manuel’s research interests focus on the design and analysis of multivariate empirical studies with an emphasis on longitudinal research. A large part of his methodological work deals with continuous-time dynamic models.
Scientific Staff
Lisa Johnson, Ph.D.
Post-Doc, Social Neuroscience Research Group, Max Planck Society
Ph.D. Psychology, University UC Davis, USA
Yael Malin, Ph.D.
Associated Researcher, Social Neuroscience Research Group, Max Planck Society
Ph.D. Education, Hebrew University Jerusalem, Israel
Mille Doessing, M.Sc.
PhD Candidate, Social Neuroscience Research Group, Max Planck Society
M.Sc. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Free University Berlin, Germany
Rémi Thériault (Ph.D. Candidate)
Ph.D. Intern, Social Neuroscience Research Group, Max-Planck-Society
M.Sc. Psychology, Ph.D. Candidate at the Université du Québec in Montréal, CDN
Rémi’s research interests include investigating how contemplative practices (e.g., meditation, mindfulness) can boost prosociality. Overall, he is passionate about putting social-psychological research to use to increase people’s well-being and intrinsic motivation to help one another.
Project Coordination and Management
Juliane Domke, Ph.D.
Lab Manager, Social Neuroscience Research Group, Max Planck Society
Ph.D. in General Linguistics, Humboldt University of Berlin, GER
As Lab Manager, Juliane is responsible for the successful organisation of the Social Neuroscience Lab’s research projects with regard to administrative and organisational tasks.
Luise Bauerecker, M.A.
Project Coordination, Social Neuroscience Research Group, Max Planck Society
M.A. Sports Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, GER
With a background in sports science, Luise’s interests lie in health-related issues. Among other things, she has been involved in the MeTAzeit study, which investigated students’ cognitive abilities, emotions and well-being in the context of mindfulness interventions. Her role at Edu:Social School includes the coordination and organisation of the project, with particular responsibility for issues related to the study app.
Lena Andreeßen, PhD
Project Coordination, Social Neuroscience Research Group, Max Planck Society
PhD in Medical Computer Science, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, GER
Lena has an interdisciplinary academic background in human-computer interaction, human factors, neurophysiology and neuroadaptive technologies, as well as practical experience in the field of user experience research, in which she investigated various aspects of the use of the digital health app “MindDoc” for the individualized recording and improvement of mental health. In her role at Edu:Social School, she is responsible for the coordination and organization of the project.
Anja Pelzer-Brennholt (M.Sc.)
Project Coordination, Social Neuroscience Research Group, Max Planck Society
MSc Positive Psychology, Life University, USA
MA Humanitarian Assistance, Universität Bochum; GER
First and Second State Examinations in Law, Universität Hamburg, GER
Since 2016 Anja has been involved in the implementation and teaching of research-based programmes for compassionate integrity, social, emotional, ethical learning and resilience. She is particularly intrigued by the power of compassion and the systemic impact. Her role at Edu:Social School includes the coordination and organisation of the project
Lea Mertens (M.Sc.)
Project Coordination, Social Neuroscience Research Group, Max-Planck-Society
M.Sc. Health and Social Psychology, Maastricht University, NL
- Tel.: +49 30 2360-81511
- Email: school@edusocial-projekt.de
Lea has extensive experience in the development of evidence-based intervention apps and has led an evaluation study on the effectiveness of the screen time app “Wellspent”. In her role at Edu:Social School, she will coordinate and organize the project together with Luise.
Support
Ava Eliane Iro (Student)
Student Assistant
Psychology at Freie Universität Berlin, GER
Ava is currently completing her Bachelor of Science in psychology. At Edu:Social School, she supports the team in research and organizational matters. Ava is broadly interested in systems that children grow up in, and how disruptions and changes in these systems affect early development. Her experience with schools stems from, among other things, coordinating a volunteering project working with students on destigmatizing mental health issues.
Mert Karaterzi (Student)
Student Assistant
Psychology, Hochschule Fresenius, GER
Mert supports the Edu:Social School team in organizing and maintaining the study app.
He is interested in questions of resilience and psychological strength and the factors that influence them.
Intervention Trainer
Urte Thoelke
Senior Trainer
Certified Mindfulness Teacher and Coach
Urte Thölke is a trainer and mentor for mindfulness and self-compassion. She teaches in large corporations as well as in educational institutions, parents’ groups and public organizations. Her heart beats for the practice of mindfulness as well as the scientific background in order to reconnect people with themselves and others, especially in today’s world.Based on her experiences, this opens up a space to perceive individual intuition and confidence and to actively shape personal interaction and the future of our planet.
Katharina Schacht
Senior Trainer
Trainer and coach for mindfulness and compassion (MBSR/MBCT/MBCL teacher), proprietor of MBSR-Eppendorf, Hamburg
As a trainer and coach, she supports people in sustainably strengthening their mental health and well-being. She teaches mindfulness according to the scientifically approved MBSR method (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) by Prof. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and the compassion practice MBCL (Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living) following Dr. Erik van der Brink and Fritz Koster. Her mode of operation includes practical exercises in combination with impulse-speeches and reflection units, thus enabling a holistic understanding of the contents and a lasting learning experience.
Oliver Kirchhof
Senior Trainer
MBSR mindfulness trainer, management consultant, and systemic coach
In his work, he focuses on creating living and working environments in which joy, efficacy, and connectedness are not contradicting one another, but go hand in hand. In order to practice and strengthen the necessary (self-)leadership, communication, and conflict skills Oliver relies on the principles and methods of mindfulness and agility.
Julia Darbinjan
Trainer
MBSR teacher, systemic therapist (SG), EFT couples therapist, qualified art therapist (FH)
As a certified MBSR teacher, Julia regularly leads mindfulness courses, gives trainings and teaches prospective systemic therapists in mindfulness and therapeutic presence.
She also works as a couples therapist and counselor in her own practice. She supports people in exploring their own and interpersonal processes and being in good relationships with themselves and others.
Sonja Noss
Trainer
Trainer and Coach for Resilience and Human Skills, founder of Sonja Noss – Training & Coaching
A certified MBSR facilitator and Systemic Coach, Sonja specialises in resilience and mindfulness-based stress-management training for top-tier international scientific and corporate environments. She also provides one-on-one coaching to support professionals in career orientation, leadership, and stress-related issues. Her goal is to equip modern-day workers with tools to handle competitive pressures at work, stay focused and creative, connect well with others, and to maintain physical and mental health.
Jacomo Fritzsche
Trainer
Certified MBSR Trainer and Coach
For more than ten years, Jacomo has been helping people to cope better with stress and strengthen their resilience through scientifically based mindfulness training. As part of the development and implementation of mindfulness-based curricula, he has explored the potential of mindfulness in the context of sustainable consumption, gender and inclusion. He shares the care work for their daughter with his wife.
Annette Inzelmann
Trainer
Certified mindfulness teacher and therapist with many years of experience (MBSR, MBCT, mindfulness for children and adolescents)
Annette Inzelmann offers mindfulness courses and individual coaching in her own psychotherapeutic practice. She provides people with long-term support in shaping their lives in a self-effective way, developing their potential and finding a fulfilling life – even in difficult times. The attitude of mindfulness is an essential foundation for her work as a mentor for value-oriented personal development based on Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy (“meaning-centered therapy”). In this way, she would also like to contribute to more (self-) compassion and connectedness in our world.
Mascha Blankschyn
Trainer
Certified mindfulness teacher
Mascha Blankschyn is a trained MBSR and MSC teacher, high school teacher and has been practicing Vipassana meditation for 10 years. She is the founder of “Monkeymind” and gives regular meditation and mindfulness courses and coaching sessions in Berlin and online.
The principles of mindfulness and self-love are a suitable antidote to inner and outer turmoil and, for Mascha Blankschyn, are like a guide to a good life: a stable inner self can withstand the waves of turbulent everyday life more easily and leads to a compassionate approach to oneself and others. Mascha is involved in various projects at schools and universities. More information: http://www.monkeymind.love
Anno Mauel
Trainer
Certified mindfulness teacher
Anno is a Music and English teacher at a grammar school and an MBSR teacher. In the school context, he works with various mindfulness-based formats (.b and .b Foundations of the Mindfulness in Schools Project, Mindful Schools Curriculum, AISCHU, Mind the Music, etc.) with students, teachers and staff. He is particularly interested in the implementation of mindfulness in teacher training and further education.
Annette Gieß
Trainer
MBSR and MSC teacher and speaker for mindfulness-based teacher training (AVE)
Annette Gieß has been a teacher for over 25 years. She has a long-standing mindfulness and meditation practice and is deeply and wholeheartedly involved in teaching mindfulness-based methods in the context of education and beyond. Her particular focus is on mental health and skills such as empathy and compassion. As a teacher, it is important to her to enable young people to shape their lives in a mindful and self-effective way and to promote social interaction. In her work within teacher training on the topics of “mindfulness” and “self-care”, Annette wants to support educators in their (self-)effectiveness. In her opinion, the embodied resilient and caring attitude of teachers forms the basis for a mindful teaching and learning culture that is characterized by mutual appreciation and lived integrity.
