Hector RCD Award for Sebastian Frank
Exploring the Biological Mechanisms Underlying Human Learning and Neuroplasticity
14. Februar 2024
Dr. Sebastian Frank is an Emmy Noether research group leader at the Institute of Psychology at the University of Regensburg. He has now received the Hector Research Career Development Award for his research into the biological mechanisms underlying human learning and neuroplasticity. Since 2020, this prize from the Hector Fellow Academy has been awarded annually to particularly talented early-career researchers from the natural sciences, engineering, medicine, or psychology.
In his research, Sebastian Frank is particularly interested in understanding the biological mechanisms underlying changes in learning over the course of life. "It is often assumed that children learn significantly better than adults because their brains are more plastic. However, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are largely unknown. We want to close this research gap and systematically investigate the mechanisms of learning and plasticity in children of primary school age". explains Sebastian Frank. The researcher's long-term goal is to provide support to children who face learning difficulties and develop training methods tailored to their needs.
Dr. Sebastian Frank. Credit © Sebastian Frank
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The Hector Research Career Development Award is aimed at researchers who have already sharpened their scientific profile and after completing their doctorate are already on the way to a professorship with their own research groups. In addition to a one-time grant of 25,000 euros for their research, those who convince the jury in a highly selective selection process will also receive funding for a doctoral position for up to four years, including 9,500 euros for research funds per year, and will become a member of the Hector Fellow Academy for five years.
About Dr. Sebastian Frank
Sebastian Frank talks about his research in UR’s Podcast „Gasthörer“ (in German)
More about the Emmy Noether Program
