How does a brain network respond when we intervene — and how does that response depend on the person, the target and the moment?
Our research combines transcranial magnetic stimulation with MRI to turn network hypotheses into testable experiments. We develop the methods, apply them to cognition and work with clinical partners to assess their translational value.
TMS-fMRI network mapping
Perturb a cortical target and measure local and remote responses across the brain.
Chronometric TMS-fMRI
Test how the timing of a pulse relative to a cognitive task changes network engagement.
Personalised target engagement
Understand how target, intensity and brain state shape an individual’s response to stimulation.
Language and cognition
Connect stimulation-induced changes in behaviour with responses in language and working-memory networks.
Causal connectomics in epilepsy
Bring perturbation-based network measurements into the EPICONN research programme.
Methods and foundations
Start with the methods guide: TMS, fMRI and network measurements compared →
Research opportunities and collaboration
We welcome enquiries from students and researchers interested in TMS-fMRI, neuroimaging methods and cognitive neuroscience.
Student projects, research interests and collaborations in Vienna →
Collaborative research in maternal mental health
With Anna-Lisa Schuler, Ana Ganho-Ávila and the Riseup-PPD network, we also contribute to research on the neural correlates of peripartum depression. Our shared 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis brings neuroimaging findings together to sharpen questions about the brain systems involved.
Selected projects and research support
TMS target selection
Target regions for transcranial magnetic stimulation · Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). Principal investigator: Martin Tik.
Machine learning for personalised stimulation
ML-based optimisation for personalised brain stimulation · Bavaria California Technology Center. Principal investigator: Martin Tik.
Speech arrest, timing and language networks
What happens across the language network when TMS interrupts speech? Our 2026 study connects individual language mapping with whole-brain responses to stimulation at different moments during object naming.