Andreas Engel has become known by his work on the so-called "
binding problem". His research focuses on the hypothesis that
temporal synchrony serves for dynamic coordination of signals in the brain. In addition to working on the experimental validation of this hypothesis, Engel pursues research on its cognitive and theoretical implications. As a postdoctoral researcher with Wolf Singer at the Max Planck Institute, Engel was involved in studies that demonstrated the relevance of neural synchrony, in particular of so-called
gamma waves, for processing of perceptual information. In particular, the group provided evidence that temporal correlations can serve for the binding of features into coherent sensory representations. In addition to addressing the relevance of synchrony and
neuronal oscillations in the visual system, the work of Engel's group yielded evidence for a relation between neural synchrony and visual
awareness. In addition, Engel and coworkers contributed to demonstrating a functional role of neural synchrony for
sensorimotor coupling. In the past 15 years, Engel's group has expanded their work to the human brain, using
EEG and
MEG in combination with source modeling techniques. The results of these studies demonstrate the importance of neuronal oscillations and synchrony for perceptual processing, attention, working memory, decision-making and
consciousness. Recent work of the group on the interaction of visual, auditory and tactile systems suggests a role of temporal binding for
multisensory integration. The group has developed novel methods for the electrophysiological analysis of
resting state network activity. Engel's group also applies these approaches for the study of network malfunction in patients with
movement disorders,
multiple sclerosis and
schizophrenia, in studies on
pain, and altered networks after early sensory deprivation. Engel also explores implications of these neurophysiogical results for theories of perception,
cognition and
action. A major focus of his work are the implications of the studies on neural synchrony for understanding the neural correlates of consciousness. Recent papers address links between neural dynamics and
enactive views of cognition, investigating the grounding of cognition in
sensorimotor coupling. == Honors and awards ==