I obtained master degrees in philosophy and psychology, and received my PhD in 1995 at the Free University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Currently I am associate professor and principal investigator (Theoretical Cognitive Science) at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, at the Radboud University Nijmegen.
My research focuses on the implications of Cognitive neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence for human self-understanding. I investigate the ethical and societal implications of research in, and the ensuing technologies of, CNS and AI, such as Robotics, Brain-Computer Interfacing, and Deep Brain Stimulation. I am particularly interested in the integration of empirical work (i.e. experimentation, computational modeling, and robotics) with philosophical issues regarding knowledge, identity, agency, responsibility and intelligent behavior.
I have published in journals such as American Journal of Bioethics, Neuroethics, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience and Journal of Social Robotics. I am vice-president of the European Association for Neuroscience and Law, and vice-chair of the Radboud University Advisory Board on Scientific Integrity.
I teach in bachelor and master programs of Artificial Intelligence Cognitive Neuroscience, and Psychology (e.g. Introduction to Robotics, Philosophy of Cognitive Science, Neurophilosophy, Conscious and Unconscious Processes). I have often given courses abroad (e.g. University of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and University of Trento, Italy).
Regularly I give presentations to general, non-scientific, audiences on a variety of topics within Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Neuroscience (e.g. on free will, neuroscience and law, consciousness, implications of robotics, ethics, neurotechnology, etc.).
