Understanding the human mind, in its brilliance, complexity, and vulnerability, has always been at the core of my scientific work. My research centers around the neuroscientific foundations of mental health and mental illness, with a particular focus on how changes in brain circuits give rise to altered or extreme experiences of the world.
I am especially fascinated by phenomena that stretch or challenge the boundaries of shared reality: perceptual distortions, hallucinations, unusual beliefs, and disrupted processing. These experiences, though often pathologized, offer profound insights into how the brain constructs meaning, interprets the environment, and maintains a coherent sense of self.
In my work, I seek to investigate the mechanisms through which subtle alterations at the neural level can shape individual perception, cognition, and emotion. I am interested not only in what „goes wrong“ in mental health disorders, but also in what these disruptions reveal about the normal operations of the mind and brain. Grounded in cognitive neuroscience, my approach is interdisciplinary: integrating neuroscience, behavioral science, clinical psychology, and computational theories such as predictive coding. I value both empirical rigor and conceptual depth, believing that good research requires careful methodology as well as thoughtful interpretation.
Ultimately, my research is guided by a simple but powerful question:
How does the brain create our experience of reality?
Through this lens, I hope to contribute to a deeper, more nuanced understanding of mental health, one that respects the complexity of individual experiences while striving for clarity, compassion, and scientific precision.
Projects
Basic Sensory Risk Markers Characteristic of Schizophrenia in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
This project has been completed and published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we examined whether basic sensory risk markers commonly associated with schizophrenia are also characteristic of autism spectrum disorder. Following PRISMA guidelines, the review included studies investigating prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex, P50 suppression, mismatch negativity, N100, and P200 amplitudes. The findings point to a nuanced pattern: while some schizophrenia-linked sensory markers also appear in autism spectrum disorder, other markers may help differentiate between the two conditions. Overall, the project highlights the heterogeneity of sensory processing in autism spectrum disorder and points toward potentially relevant neurophysiological subgroups.
In line with my broader research interests, this work examines how disruptions to core brain mechanisms might give rise to clinical symptoms and how cognitive neuroscience can advance a more integrated understanding of psychopathology.
Publication
Ragalmuto, F. G. M., Oranje, B., & Ziermans, T. (2026). Basic sensory risk markers characteristic of schizophrenia in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106764
Conference presentations
- Voorjaarsconferentie 2025, Nederlandse Vereniging voor Neuropsychologie — Oral Presentation
- 15th International Conference on Early Intervention and Prevention in Mental Health, International Early Intervention and Prevention in Mental Health Association — Poster Presentation
- Berlin Neuroscience Meeting 2025, Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin — Poster Presentation
Predictive Coding and Psychosis - The Role of Prior Beliefs in Auditory Perception
In collaboration with Dr. Guillermo Horga (Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute) and Dr. Kenneth Wengler (Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai), I am involved in a project that investigates how individuals’ prior beliefs shape their auditory experiences and how this process may relate to hallucinations and psychosis.
Drawing on predictive coding theory, we test the idea that hallucination-like phenomena arise when prior expectations are given too much weight relative to incoming sensory evidence. Our approach includes behavioral experiments and computational modeling, and is informed by previous work using functional imaging and clinical interviews. One of our aims is to better understand the psychosis continuum, from healthy individuals with hallucination-like experiences to people diagnosed with psychotic disorders.
This project brings together two of my central research passions: the study of perception and the study of altered states of consciousness. It also reflects my belief that psychosis should not be reduced to dysfunction, but understood as a variant of the mind’s fundamental capacity to make sense of the world.
Academic Background
My academic journey has been guided by a deep-rooted curiosity about the human mind and a persistent drive to understand complexity, not by simplifying it, but by engaging with it thoughtfully and precisely.
I completed my Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Twente (cum laude), where I first discovered my fascination with the cognitive and neural mechanisms that shape perception, belief, and behavior. There I encountered cognitive neuroscience not just as a field of study, but as a conceptual framework. A framework that asks fundamental questions about how the brain creates experience. Motivated by a desire to deepen and broaden my understanding, I pursued my Master of Science in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Amsterdam (cum laude), an interdisciplinary program that brought together neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and computational modeling. This environment nurtured a way of thinking that moves fluidly between levels of explanation: from synaptic mechanisms to conscious thought, from neural dynamics to social interaction.
During my studies, I built a strong foundation in experimental methodology, including EEG and (f)MRI techniques, behavioral paradigms, and statistical modeling. I became particularly interested in the ways in which subtle changes in brain function can manifest as profound changes in subjective experience. Alongside empirical work, I grew a deep respect for theoretical development and critical analysis, believing that data and theory must inform and challenge each other. Throughout this time, I sought out experiences that allowed me to work at the intersection of research and clinical understanding. Collaborations with institutions like the Amsterdam UMC and Columbia University further shaped my perspective, giving me insight into both the empirical rigor and the human complexity that define the study of mental health.
Today, my academic foundation continues to inform all aspects of my work: providing the tools not just to investigate the brain, but to appreciate the mind it generates.
Past Research Experiences
- Clinical Neurophysiology & Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
At the Amsterdam UMC, I contributed to research on adaptive DBS in Parkinson’s disease. This involved exploring how real-time neural feedback can optimize stimulation strategies. For me, this is a fascinating intersection of technology, neurology, and behavior. - Predictive Coding and Schizophrenia
I have been involved in research at Columbia University (Horga Lab) investigating how predictive mechanisms are altered in schizophrenia using (f)MRI, behavioral paradigms, and clinical data. This work deepened my interest in the brain as a generative system and in how the breakdown of such systems might produce symptoms. - Literature Reviews & Meta-Analyses
I take great joy in making sense of complexity. Whether synthesizing large bodies of literature or performing meta-analytic statistics, I enjoy the intellectual clarity that comes from organizing knowledge across studies and disciplines.