J. Prof. Merle Fairhurst

Juniorprofessorin Dr. Merle Fairhurst

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Barkhausenbau, Dresden Helmholtzstraße 18

01069 Dresden

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Track Record

I am a multilingual researcher with vast international experience. I have published over 30peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, with over 2000 citations, in high impact journals including Journal of Neuroscience, Psychological Science, Cerebral Cortex, Scientific Reports and Neuroimage. My work can be summarised as the application of psychophysical, physiological and neuroimaging techniques combined with novel computational modelling approaches to investigate socially rich, dynamically evolving multisensory events. Through strong interdisciplinary ties, my research pushes technological, computational and theoretical boundaries, working with computerscientists, engineers, mathematicians and philosophers.

Curriculum vitae

Click here for Prof. Fairhurst's CV.

2022 – heute	J. Professor Social Affective Touch Center for the tactile internet with human in the loop (CeTI), TU Dresden, Germany
2019 - 2022	Professor for Biological Psychology (Vertretung/Temporary) Institute für Psychologie, Universität der Bundeswehr München, Germany
2017 - 2022	Assistant Professor Philosophy of Mind and Munich Center for Neurosciences, LMU Munich, German
2014 - 2017	Post-doctoral researcher Centre for the Study of the Senses, Institute of Philosophy, University of London, UK
2012 - 2014	Post-doctoral researcher Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany Early Social Development Research Group
2009 - 2012	Post-doctoral researcher Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany Music Cognition & Action Research Group
2008	Postgraduate (D.Phil) FMRIB Centre, University of Oxford, UK Supervisor: Prof. Irene Tracey
2004	Undergraduate (A(Hons)/MA Physiological Sciences) University of Oxford, UK
2000	Diploma The Juilliard School of Music, USA

Reviewing Activities

2023 – present Guest Editor Computers in Human Behaviour
2023 – present Guest Editor Frontiers Psychology special issue
2022 - present Review Editor, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Interacting Minds and Brain
2021 – present Action Editor, Psychological Research
2020 – 2021 Guest Editor SCAN special issue
2020 – 2021 Guest Editor Frontiers Psychology special issue
2007 – present Ad hoc Reviewer for Cerebral Cortex, Plos One, Journal of Neurophysiology,
Consciousness & Cognition, Journal of Psychology, Neuroimage, Psychology &
Neuroscience, Somatosensory & Motor Research, Behavioural Sciences, e-life,
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, International Journal of
Psychophysiology, Cognition, Frontiers in Psychology, Nature Translational
Psychiatry, Nature Scientific Reports

Membership of Scientific Societies

2009 – present Society for Neuroscience

Fellowships and Awards

Warr-Goodman Graduate Scholarship LMH, University of Oxford 2004-2005
Henrietta Jex Blake LMH, University of Oxford 2005-2006
Cyclosporin Academic Award LMH, University of Oxford 2007
Young Researcher, honourable mention ICMPC 2010
Best paper, honourable mention CHI 2015 2015
LMU Excellence Seed Funding LMU, Munich 2018

Publications

48 Entries

2025

From tissue to sound: A new paradigm for medical sonic interaction designMatinfar, S., Dehghani, S., Salehi, M., Sommersperger, M., Navab, N., Faridpooya, K., Fairhurst, M. & 1 others, Jul 2025, In: Medical Image Analysis. 103, 103571Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article

2024

Touch-driven advantages in reaction time but not in performance in a cross-sensory comparison of reinforcement learningSun, W., Ripp, I., Borrmann, A., Moll, M. & Fairhurst, M., 20 Dec 2024, In: Heliyon. 11 (2025), 1, 13 p., e41330Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
Correction to: Propensity to trust shapes perceptions of comforting touch between trustworthy human and robot partners (Scientific Reports, (2024), 14, 1, (6747), 10.1038/s41598-024-57582-1)Valori, I., Fan, Y., Jung, M. M. & Fairhurst, M. T., Dec 2024, In: Scientific reports. Vol. 14. p. 10203Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to specialist publication > Corrections (errata and retractions)
Multisensory experiences of affective touch in virtual reality enhance engagement, body ownership, pleasantness, and arousal modulationSun, W., Banakou, D., Świdrak, J., Valori, I., Slater, M. & Fairhurst, M. T., Dec 2024, In: Virtual Reality. 28, 4, 162Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
The space between us: The effect of perceived threat on discomfort distance and perceived pleasantness of interpersonal vicarious touchAbra, Y., Mirams, L. & Fairhurst, M. T., 30 Aug 2024, In: Heliyon. 10, 16, e36487Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
Choice enhances touch pleasantnessGorman, L., Sun, W., Mathew, J., Rezazadeh, Z., Sulik, J., Fairhurst, M. & Deroy, O., 10 Jun 2024, In: Attention, Perception, and Psychophysics. 86 (2024), 5, p. 1709-1723, 15 p.Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
Corrigendum to “Genetic variability in the oxytocin system is linked to individual differences in cuddliness among human infants”, [Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 159, January 2024, 106419] (Psychoneuroendocrinology (2024) 159, (S0306453023003979), (10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106419))Grossmann, T. & Fairhurst, M. T., Jun 2024, In: Psychoneuroendocrinology. Vol. 164. p. 107025Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to specialist publication > Corrections (errata and retractions)
Propensity to trust shapes perceptions of comforting touch between trustworthy human and robot partnersValori, I., Fan, Y., Jung, M. M. & Fairhurst, M., 21 Mar 2024, In: Scientific Reports. 14, 1, 6747Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
Genetic variability in the oxytocin system is linked to individual differences in cuddliness among human infantsGrossmann, T. & Fairhurst, M., Jan 2024, In: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 159, 106419Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
Music influences performance without increasing perceived exertion during high-intensity rowing intervals: a cross-over design studySchittenhelm, A., Brandt, T., Andres, D., Adler, P., Fairhurst, M. T. & Schmidt, A., 2024, In: Frontiers in psychology. 15, 1427373Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article