Shu-Chen Li

Shu-Chen Li obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma, USA (1994) and completed her postdoctoral training at the McGill University in Montréal, Canada (1995), prior to her 17-year research career at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Human Development in Berlin, Germany. After being a senior research scientist and the principal investigator of the Neuromodulation of Lifespan Cognition Project at the MPI, she took up a full professorship as the chair of Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology at TU Dresden (Technische Universität Dresden) in September 2012. Since 2019 she serves in the team of speakers of the Excellence Cluster CeTI.

Her research utilizes an integrated array of conceptual tools and empirical paradigms, ranging from neurocomputational studies for theory development over genetically informed behavioral, EEG, and brain imaging studies to investigate developmental and individual differences in brain-behavior relations across the lifespan. A specific focus is the interactions between neuromodulatory and contextual influences (e.g., stress or reward) on cognitive and motivational development across the lifespan.

• Neuromodulation of Perception, Cognition, and Motivation
• Behavioral and Brain Plasticity across the Lifespan
• Neuroeconomics and Lifespan Development
• Computational Neuroscience of Lifespan Development
• Stress and Lifespan Development
• Biocultural Co-construction of Lifespan Development

• Human-Technology Interaction and Plasticity across the Lifespan

Peng, X.-R., Bundil, I., Schulreich, S., Li, S.-C. (2025): Neural correlates of reduced sensitivity to information about uncertainty during valuation in older adults: An fNIRS study. Imaging Neuroscience 2025; 3 IMAG.a.61. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/IMAG.a.61

Pogrzeba, L., Muschter, E., Hanisch, S., Wardhani, V. Y. P., Strufe, T., Fitzek, F. H. P., &
Li, S.-C. (2025). A full-body IMU-based motion dataset of daily tasks by older and younger adults. Sci Data 12, 531. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-04818-y  

Kang, K. Y. L., Rosenkranz, R., Altinsoy, M. E., & Li, S.-C. (2024). Cortical processes of multisensory plausibility modulation of vibrotactile perception in virtual environments in middled-aged and older adults. Sci Rep, 14, 13366. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64054-z

Kang, K. Y. L., Antonenko, D., Glöckner, F., Flöel, A., & Li, S.-C. (2024). Neural correlates of home-based intervention effects on value-based sequential decision-making in healthy older adults. Aging Brain, 5, 100109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100109

Schulz, J., Dubslaff, Seeling, P., Li, S.-C., Speidel, S., & Fitzek, F. H. P. (2024). Negative latency in the tactile internet as enabler forb lobal metaverse. IEEE Network. https://doi.org/10.1109/MNET.2024.3375522

Muschter, E., Schulz, J., Tömösközi, M., Herbst, L., Küssel, L., Sefunç, M., Holtzhausen, S., ... & Li, S.-C. (2023). Coming in handy: CeTI-Age - A comprehensive database of kinematic hand movements across the lifespan. Scientific Data, 10, 826. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02738-3

Gönner, L., Baeuchl, C., Glockner, F., Riedel, P., Michael, M. N., & Li, S.-C. (2023). Levodopa suppresses grid-like activity and impairs spatial learning in novel environments in healthy young adults. Cerebral Cortex, bhad361. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhad361

Peng, X.-R., Bundil, I., Schulreich, S., & Li, S.-C. (2023). Neural correlates of valence-dependent belief and value updating during uncertainty reduction: An fNIRS study. NeuroImage, 279, 120327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120327

Li, S.-C. & Fitzek, F. H. P. (2023). Digitally embodied lifespan neurocognitive development and Tactile Internet: Transdisciplinary challenges and opportunities. Frontiers Human Neuroscience, 17, 1-9, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1116501

Baeuchl, C., Glöckner, F., Koch, C., Petzold, J., Schuck, N. W., Smolka, M. N., & Li, S.-C. (2023). Dopamine differentially modulates medial temporal lobe activity and behavior during spatial navigation in young and older adults. NeuroImage, 273, 120099, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120099

Kang, K., Rosenkranz, R., Karan, K., Altinsoy, E., & Li, S.-C. (2022). Congruency-based contextual plausibility modulates cortical activity during vibrotactile perception in virtual multisensory environments. Communications Biology, 5(1), 1360. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-04318-4

Koch, C., Bäuchl, C., Glöckner, F., Riedel, P., Petzold, J., ..., Li, S.-C., & Schuck, N. W. (2022). L-DOPA enhances neural direction signals in younger and older adults. NeuroImage, 264. 119670. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119670

Muschter, E., Noll, A., Zhao, J., Hassen, R., Strese, M., ..., Li, S.-C., & Steinbach, E. (2021). Perceptual quality assessment of compressed vibrotactile signals through comparative judgment. IEEE Transactions on Haptics, 14(2), 291-296. https://doi.org/10.1109/TOH.2021.3077191

Glöckner, F., Schuck, N. W., & Li, S.-C. (2021). Differential prioritization of intramaze cue and boundary information during spatial navigation across the human lifespan. Scientific Reports, 11:15257, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-94530-9

Reiter, A., Diaconescu, A. O., Eppinger, B., & Li, S.-C. (2021). Human aging alters social inference about others’ changing intentions. Neurobiology of Aging, 103, 98-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.01.034

Chen, H.-Y., Dix, A., Goh, J. O. S., Smolka, M., Thurm, F., & Li, S.-C. (2021). Effects and mechanisms of information saliency in enhancing value-based decision-making in younger and older adults. Neurobiology of Aging, 99, 86-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.11.018

Adelhöfer, N., Gohil, K., Passow, S., Teufert, B., Roessner, V., Li, S.-C., & Beste, C. (2018). The system-neurophysiological basis for how methylphenidate modulates perceptual-attentional conflicts during auditory processing. Human Brain Mapping, 39(12), 5050-5061.  https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.24344

Ilg, L., Klados, M., Alexander, N., Kirschbaum, C., & Li, S.-C. (2018). Long-term impacts of prenatal synthetic glucocorticoids exposure on functional brain correlates of cognitive monitoring in adolescence. Scientific Reports, 8, 7715: 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-26067-3

Beste, C., Adelhöfer, N., Gohil, K., Passow, S., Rößner, V., & Li, S.-C. (2018). Dopamine modulates the efficiency of sensory evidence accumulation during perception decision making. The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 21(7), 649-655. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyy019

Wittkuhn, L. W., Eppinger, B., Bartsch, L. M., Thurm, F., Kord, F. M., & Li, S.-C. (2018). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over dorsolateral prefrontal cortex modulates value-based learning during sequential decision-making. NeuroImage, 167, 384-395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.11.057 

Eppinger, B., Heekeren, H. R., & Li, S.-C. (2017). Age differences in the neural mechanisms of intertemporal choice under subjective decision conflict. Cerebral Cortex. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhx239

Thurm, F., Schuck, N. W., Fauser, M., Doeller, C. F., Stankevich, Y., Evens, R., ... & Li, S.-C. (2016). Dopamine modulation of spatial navigation memory in Parkinson’s disease. Neurobiology of Aging, 38, 93-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.10.019

Schuck, N. W., Doeller, C. F., Polk, T. A., Lindenberger, U., & Li, S.-C. (2015). Human aging alters the neurocomputation and representation of space. NeuroImage, 117, 141-150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.05.031

Eppinger, B., Heekeren, H. R., & Li, S.-C. (2015). Aging-related prefrontal impairments implicate deficient prediction of future reward in older adults. Neurobiology of Aging, 36(8), 2380-2390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.04.010

Li, S.-C. & Rieckmann, A. (2014). Neuromodulation and aging: implications of aging neuronal gain control on cognition. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 29, 148-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2014.07.009

Passow, S., Westerhausen, R., Hugdahl, K., Wartenburger, I., Heekeren, H. R., Lindenberger, U., & Li, S.-C. (2014). Electrophysiological correlates of adult age differences in attentional control of auditory processing. Cerebral Cortex, 24(1), 249-260. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhs306

Li, S.-C., Passow, S., Nietfeld, W., Schröder, J., Bertram, L., Heekeren, H., & Lindenberger, U. (2013). Dopamine modulates attentional control of auditory perception: DARPP-32 (PPP1R1B) genotype effects on behavior and cortical evoked potentials. Neuropsychologia, 51(8), 1649-1661. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.04.005

Li, S.-C., Papenburg, G., Nagel, I. E., Preuschhof, C., Schröder, J., Nietfeld, W., ... & Bäckman, L. (2013). Aging magnifies the effects of dopamine transporter and D2 receptor genes on backward serial memory. Neurobiology of Aging, 34(1), Article No. 358.e1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2012.08.001

Li, S.-C., Chicherio, C., Nyberg, L., von Oertzen, T., Nagel, I. E., Papenberg, G., ... & Bäckman, L. (2010). Ebbinghaus revisited: Influences of the BDNF val66met polymorphism on backward serial recall are modulated by human aging. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 22(10), 2164-2173. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2009.21374

Li, S.-C., Schmiedek, F., Huxhold, O., Röcke, C., Smith, J., & Lindenberger, U. (2008). Working memory plasticity in old age: Practice gain, transfer, and maintenance. Psychology and Aging, 23(4), 731-742. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014343

Li, S.-C., Lindenberger, U., Hommel, B., Aschersleben, G., Prinz, W., & Baltes, P. B. (2004). Transformations in the couplings among intellectual abilities and constituent cognitive processes across the life span. Psychological Science, 15(3), 155-163. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2004.01503003.x

Li, S.-C. (2003). Biocultural orchestration of developmental plasticity across levels: The interplay of biology and culture in shaping the mind and behavior across the lifespan. Psychological Bulletin, 129(2), 171-194. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.2.171

Li, S.-C., Lindenberger, U., & Sikström, S. (2001). Aging cognition: From neuromodulation to representation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 5(11), 479-486. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01769-1

Li, S.-C., Lewandowsky, S., & DeBrunner, V. E. (1996). Using parameter sensitivity and interdependence to predict model scope and falsifiability. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 125(4), 360-369. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.125.4.360

Li, S.-C. & Lewandowsky, S. (1995). Forward and backward recall: Different retrieval processes. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 21(4), 837-847. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.21.4.837

Li, S.-C. & Lewandowsky, S. (1993). Intra-list distractors and recall direction: Constraints on models of memory for serial order. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 19(4), 895-908. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.19.4.895