Prof. Dr. Simone Vossel

Current Positions

since 2021 | W2 Professor for Cognitive Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Cologne, Germany

since 2021 | Research Group Leader "Attention & Prediction" Group, Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany

Previous Positions

2016 – 2021 | W1 Professor for Cognitive Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Cologne, Germany

2014 – 2021 | Junior Group Leader of the BMBF-funded research group “Attentional expectancies in the human brain”, INM-3, Forschungszentrum Jülich

2008 – 2014 | Postdoctoral Researcher, INM-3, Forschungszentrum Jülich (suspended from 2011-2013 during the stay abroad)

2011 – 2013 | Honorary Research Fellow, University College London (UCL), Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG)

2005 – 2008 | PhD Student, INM-3, Forschungszentrum Jülich

Education

2005 – 2008 | PhD, INM-3, Forschungszentrum Jülich & Biological Psychology, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Germany

1999 – 2004 | Study of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany

2025

Schüller, T.*, Mengotti, P.*, Zabicki, A., Huys, D., Barbe, M. T., Fink, G. R., Visser-Vandewalle, V., Vossel, S.* & Baldermann, J. C.* (2025). Alterations of sensorimotor predictive processes and their electrophysiological signatures in Tourette syndrome. Brain Communications, 7(6), fcaf458. https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcaf458 _{PubMed link}

Orbe, U., Hogendoorn, H., Bode, S., Fink, G. R., Weidner, R.* & Vossel, S.* (2025). Load-dependent processing of prediction violations in task-irrelevant space. Journal of Vision, 25(14), 6. https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.25.14.6 _{PubMed link} *equal contribution

Esser, F., Paul, T., Rizor, E., Binder, E., Hensel, L., Rehme, A. K., Ringmaier, C., Schönberger, A., Tscherpel, C., Vossel, S., Garcea, F. E., Grefkes, C., Fink, G. R., Grafton, S. T. & Volz, L. J. (2025). Distinct disconnection patterns explain task-specific motor impairment and outcome after stroke. Stroke, 56(8), 2210–2221. https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.125.050929 _{PubMed link}

Vossel, S., Käsbauer, A.-S., Mengotti, P., Schmidt, C.C., Saliger, J., Karbe, H. & Fink, G.R. (2025). Neglect symptoms are related to a prediction-hypersensitivity in ipsilesional space. Cortex, 184, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2024.12.007 _{PubMed link}

2024

Sauter, A., Zabicki, A., Schüller, T., Baldermann, J.C., Fink, G.R., Mengotti, P. & Vossel, S. (2024). Response and conflict expectations shape motor responses interactively. Experimental Brain Research, 242, 2599-2612. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-024-06920-w _{PubMed link}

Yook, J., Hogendoorn, H., Fink, G.R., Vossel, S.* & Weidner, R.* (2024). When attention is divided in the flash-lag effect. Journal of Vision, 24(9), 17. *equal contribution https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.24.9.17 _{PubMed link}

2023

Vossel, S., Mengotti, P. & Fink, G.R. (2023). From local match/mismatch signals to updating of task-relevant beliefs: The temporo-parietal junction and its embedment in cortical networks: Comment on "Left and right temporal-parietal junctions (TPJs) as "match/mismatch" hedonic machines: A unifying account of TPJ function" by Doricchi et al. Physics of Life Reviews, 44, 184-186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plrev.2023.01.016 _{PubMed link}

2022

Latarnik, S., Stahl. J., Vossel, S., Grefkes, C., Fink, G.R. & Weiss, P.H. (2022). The impact of apraxia and neglect on early rehabilitation outcome after stroke. Neurological Research and Practice, 4, 46. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42466-022-00211-x _{PubMed link}

Mengotti, P., Käsbauer, A.-S., Fink, G.R. & Vossel, S. (2022). Combined TMS-fMRI reveals behavior-dependent network effects of right temporoparietal junction neurostimulation in an attentional belief updating task. Cerebral Cortex, 32, 4698-4714. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhab511 _{PubMed link}

Yook, J., Lee, L., Vossel, S., Weidner, R. & Hogendoorn, H. (2022). Motion extrapolation in the flash-lag effect depends on perceived, rather than physical speed. Vision Research, 193, 107978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2021.107978 _{PubMed link}

Wiesing, M., Steinkönig, H.W., Vossel, S., Fink, G.R. & Weidner, R. (preprint). Transferring paradigms from physical to virtual reality: Can reaction time effects be replicated in a virtual setting? PsyArXiv, https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/kmsnz

Steinkamp, S.R., Fink, G.R., Vossel, S.* & Weidner, R.* (2022). Simultaneous modeling of reaction times and brain dynamics in a spatial cueing task. Human Brain Mapping, 43, 1850-1867. *equal contribution https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25758 _{PubMed link}

2020

Mengotti, P., Käsbauer, A.-S., Fink, G.R. & Vossel, S. (2020). Lateralization, functional specialization, and dysfunction of attentional networks. Cortex, 132, 206-222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2020.08.022 _{PubMed link}

Steinkamp, S.R., Vossel, S., Fink, G.R. & Weidner, R. (2020). Attentional reorientation along the meridians of the visual field: are there different neural mechanisms at play? Human Brain Mapping, 41, 3765-3780. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25086 _{PubMed link}

Käsbauer, A.-S., Mengotti, P., Fink, G.R. & Vossel S. (2020). Resting-state functional connectivity of the right temporoparietal junction relates to belief updating and reorienting during spatial attention. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 32, 1130-1141. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_01543 _{PubMed link}

Wiesing, M., Fink, G.R., Weidner, R.* & Vossel S.* (2020). Combined expectancies – the role of expectations for the coding of salient bottom-up signals. Experimental Brain Research, 238, 381-393. *equal contribution https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-019-05710-z _{PubMed link}

Ubben, S.D., Fink, G.R. Käsberg, S., Kalbe, E., Kessler, J., Vossel, S. & Weiss, P.H. (2020). Deficient allo-centric visuospatial processing contributes to apraxic deficits in sub-acute right hemisphere stroke. Journal of Neuropsychology, 14, 242-259. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnp.12191 _{PubMed link}

Mengotti, P., Kuhns, A.B., Fink, G.R. & Vossel, S. (2020). Age-related changes in Bayesian belief updating during attentional deployment and motor intention. Psychological Research, 84, 1387-1399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-019-01154-w _{PubMed link}

2018

Schmidt, C.C., Timpert, D.C., Arend, I., Vossel, S., Dovern, A., Saliger, J., Karbe, H., Fink, G.R., Henik, A. & Weiss, P.H. (2018). Preserved but less efficient control of response interference after unilateral lesions of the striatum. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 414. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00414 _{PubMed link}

Kusch, M.*, Mevis, S.*, Saliger, J., Karbe, H., Binder, E., Fink, G.R., Vossel, S.* & Weiss, P.H.* (2018). Reduced awareness for apraxic deficits in left hemisphere stroke. Neuropsychology, 32, 509-515. *equal contribution https://doi.org/10.1037/neu0000451 _{PubMed link}

Mengotti, P., Boers, F., Dombert, P.L., Fink, G.R. & Vossel, S. (2018). Integrating modality-specific expectancies for the deployment of spatial attention. Scientific Reports, 8, 1210. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-19593-7
_{PubMed link}

2017

Kuhns, A.B., Dombert, P.L., Mengotti, P., Fink, G.R. & Vossel, S. (2017). Spatial attention, motor intention, and Bayesian cue predictability in the human brain. Journal of Neuroscience, 37, 5334-5344. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3255-16.2017 _{PubMed link}

Mengotti, P., Dombert, P.L., Fink, G.R. & Vossel, S. (2017). Disruption of the right temporoparietal junction impairs probabilistic belief updating. Journal of Neuroscience, 37, 5419-5428. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3683-16.2017
_{PubMed link}

2016

Dombert, P.L., Kuhns, A., Mengotti, P., Fink, G.R. & Vossel, S. (2016). Functional mechanisms of probabilistic inference in feature-and space-based attentional systems. Neuroimage, 142, 553-564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.08.010 _{PubMed link}

Vossel, S. & Fink, G.R. (2016). Contralesional distractors enhance ipsilesional target processing after right-hemispheric stroke. Cortex, 78, 115-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2016.02.010 _{PubMed link}

Vossel*, S., Weidner*, R., Moos, K. & Fink, G.R. (2016). Individual attentional selection capacities are reflected in interhemispheric connectivity of the parietal cortex. Neuroimage, 129, 148-158. *equal contribution https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.01.054 _{PubMed link}

Dombert, P.L., Fink, G.R. & Vossel, S. (2016). The impact of probabilistic feature cueing depends on the level of cue abstraction. Experimental Brain Research, 234, 685-694. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-015-4487-2 _{PubMed link}

2015

Timpert*, D.C., Weiss*, P.H., Vossel, S., Dovern, A. & Fink, G.R. (2015). Apraxia and spatial inattention dissociate in left hemisphere stroke. Cortex, 71, 349-358. *equal contribution https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2015.07.023 _{PubMed link}

Vossel, S., Mathys, C., Stephan, K.E. & Friston, K.J. (2015). Cortical coupling reflects Bayesian belief updating in the deployment off spatial attention. Journal of Neuroscience, 35, 11532-11542. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1382-15.2015 _{PubMed link}

2014

Vossel, S., Bauer, M., Mathys, C., Adams, R.A., Dolan, R.J., Stephan, K.E. & Friston, K.J. (2014). Cholinergic stimulation enhances Bayesian belief updating in the deployment of spatial attention. Journal of Neuroscience, 34, 15735-15742. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0091-14.2014 _{PubMed link}

Vossel, S., Geng, J.J. & Fink, G.R. (2014). Dorsal and ventral attention systems: distinct neural circuits with collaborative roles. Neuroscientist, 20, 150-159. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073858413494269 _{PubMed link}

Vossel*, S., Mathys*, C., Daunizeau, J., Bauer, M., Driver, J., Friston, K.J. & Stephan, K.E. (2014). Spatial attention, precision, and Bayesian inference: a study of saccadic response speed. Cerebral Cortex, 24, 1436-1450. *equal contribution https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhs418 _{PubMed link}

Vossel, S., Geng, J.J., Friston, K.J. (2014). Attention, predictions and expectations, and their violation: attentional control in the human brain. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 490. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00490 _{PubMed link}

2013

Vossel, S., Weiss, P.H., Eschenbeck, P. & Fink, G.R. (2013). Anosognosia, neglect, extinction and lesion site predict impairment of daily living after right-hemispheric stroke. Cortex, 49, 1782-1789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2012.12.011 _{PubMed link}

Geng, J.J & Vossel, S. (2013). Re-evaluating the role of TPJ in attentional control: contextual updating? Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 37, 2608-2620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.08.010 _{PubMed link}

2012

Moos, K., Vossel, S., Weidner, R., Sparing, R. & Fink, G.R. (2012). Modulation of top-down control of visual attention by cathodal tDCS over right IPS. Journal of Neuroscience, 32, 16360-16368. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6233-11.2012 _{PubMed link}

Chen, Q., Weidner, R., Vossel, S., Weiss, P.H. & Fink, G.R. (2012). Neural mechanisms of attentional reorienting in three-dimensional space. Journal of Neuroscience, 32, 13352-13362. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1772-12.2012 _{PubMed link}

Vossel S., Weidner, R., Driver, J., Friston, K.J. & Fink, G.R. (2012). Deconstructing the architecture of dorsal and ventral attention systems with dynamic causal modelling. Journal of Neuroscience, 32, 10637-10648. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0414-12.2012 _{PubMed link}

Vossel, S., Weiss, P.H., Eschenbeck, P., Saliger, J., Karbe H. & Fink, G.R. (2012). The neural basis of anosognosia for spatial neglect after stroke. Stroke, 43, 1954-1956. https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.112.657288 _{PubMed link}

2011

Warbrick, T., Mobascher, A., Brinkmeyer, J., Musso, F., Stoecker, T., Shah, N.J., Vossel, S. & Winterer, G. (2011). Direction and magnitude of nicotine effects on the fMRI BOLD response are related to nicotine effects on behavioural performance. Psychopharmacology, 215, 333-344. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-010-2145-8 _{PubMed link}

Vossel, S., Eschenbeck, P., Weiss, P.H., Weidner, R., Saliger, J., Karbe, H. & Fink, G.R. (2011). Visual extinction in relation to visuospatial neglect after right-hemispheric stroke: quantitative assessment and statistical lesion-symptom mapping. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 82, 862-868. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.2010.224261 _{PubMed link}

Vossel, S., Warbrick, T., Mobascher, A., Winterer, G. & Fink, G.R. (2011). Spatial and sustained attention in relation to smoking status: behavioural performance and brain activation patterns. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 25, 1485-1495. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881110391830 _{PubMed link}

Vossel, S., Weidner, R. & Fink, G.R. (2011). Dynamic coding of events within the inferior frontal gyrus in a probabilistic selective attention task. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 23, 414-424. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2010.21441 _{PubMed link}

2006 – 2010

Vossel, S., Kukolja, J. & Fink, G.R. (2010). Neurobiology of neglect: implications for new therapeutic strategies. Fortschritte der Neurologie Psychiatrie, 78, 733-745. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0029-1245862 _{PubMed link}

Vossel, S., Eschenbeck, P., Weiss, P.H. & Fink, G.R. (2010). The neural basis of perceptual and response bias in the Landmark task. Neuropsychologia, 48, 3949-3954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.09.022 _{PubMed link}

Eschenbeck, P., Vossel, S., Weiss, P.H., Saliger, J., Karbe, H. & Fink, G.R. (2010). Testing for neglect in right-hemispheric stroke patients using a new assessment battery based upon standardized activities of daily living (ADL). Neuropsychologia, 48, 3488-3496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.07.034 _{PubMed link}

Vossel, S., Kukolja, J., Thimm, M., Thiel, C.M. & Fink, G.R. (2010). The effect of nicotine on visuospatial attention in patients with chronic spatial neglect depends upon lesion location. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 24, 1357-1365. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881109105397 _{PubMed link}

Vossel, S., Weidner, R., Thiel, C.M. & Fink, G.R. (2009). What is ‘odd' in Posner's location-cueing paradigm? Neural responses to unexpected location and feature changes compared. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 21, 30-41. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2009.21003 _{PubMed link}

Vossel, S. & Kukolja, J. (2009). Neglekt. Zeitschrift für Klinische Neurophysiologie, 40, 255-262. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0029-1242761

Vossel, S., Thiel, C.M. & Fink, G.R. (2008). Behavioral and neural effects of nicotine on visuospatial attentional reorienting in non-smoking subjects. Neuropsychopharmacology, 33, 731-738. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1301469 _{PubMed link}

Heim, S., Tschierse, J., Amunts, K., Wilms, M., Vossel, S., Willmes-von-Hinckeldey, K., Grabowska, A. & Huber, W. (2008). Cognitive subtypes of dyslexia. Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis, 68, 73-82. https://doi.org/10.55782/ane-2008-1674_{PubMed link}

Vossel, S., Thiel, C.M. & Fink, G.R. (2006). Cue validity modulates the neural correlates of covert endogenous orienting in parietal and frontal cortex. Neuroimage, 32, 1257-1264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.05.019 _{PubMed link}