Dr. Nils Winter

Nils has a background in psychology with a specialization in cognitive neuroscience and clinical psychology. From an early stage in his academic journey, he developed a fascination with computer science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. As a researcher, he enjoys the interplay between these fields, using statistical modeling and machine learning techniques to explore and address questions related to mental disorders.

His PhD projects revolved around individualized prediction within the context of precision psychiatry. During his PhD, he focused on two main research directions. Firstly, in collaboration with Ramona Leenings, he undertook the task of programming the machine learning software, photonai, with the aim of making machine learning more accessible to fellow researchers. Secondly, he explored informative biomarkers for major depression. Despite numerous studies attempting to unravel the underlying neurobiological factors of MDD, no biomarker has yet emerged that provides meaningful insights at an individual patient level. Using photonai, he conducted a systematic investigation into univariate and multivariate biomarkers for MDD, shedding light on the current translational roadblock faced by psychiatry and clinical neuroimaging in the discovery of such biomarkers.

Presently, he is engaged in various projects, including normative modeling, brain age prediction, depressive subtype identification, or canonical correlation analysis. Another particular area of interest for him is theories of mental disorders and network dynamics.

He is also a member of the Otto-Creutzfeldt-Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience (OCC).