Olaf Blanke

From 1989 to 1996 Blanke studied in medicine at Free University of Berlin, at Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris, and at University of Geneva. His PhD in neurophysiology at the Institute of Neurophysiology of Free University of Berlin, was followed in 1996 by postdoctoral research in neurology in Geneva, where he specialized in epileptology and behavioural neurology. In 1999 became a resident in neurology at Geneva University Hospital and in 2003 leader of an independent research group at University of Geneva. In 2004 he was nominated assistant assistant professor and founded the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience[1] specialized in robotics and virtual reality at the Brain Mind Institute[2] of École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. In the same year he was appointed lecturer at the University of Geneva. Since 2012 he has been full professor in neurosciences at EPFL.From 2012 to 2018 he was founding director of the Center for Neuroprosthetics[7] at EPFL.In January 2013 Blanke was appointed full professor in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences[8] at Geneva University Hospital[9][10][11]

Blanke's research is dedicated to the neuroscientific study of multisensory body perception and its relevance for self-consciousness by using a broad range of methods such as the neuropsychology, invasive and non-invasive electrophysiology, and brain imaging in healthy subjects, neurological and psychiatric patients (e.g. out-of-body experiences). He investigates the brain mechanisms of body awareness, combining psychophysical and cognitive paradigms by applying neuroimaging techniques. He is pioneering the use of engineering techniques such as robotics and haptics, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) and their full integration with behavioral and physiological recordings (such as EEG and MRI). He is much invested in the new research field of cognetics, combing the robotics and digital technologies to foster neuroscience research in cognition and consciousness studies.His clinical research projects centers on developing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Employing robotics in neurology he develops wearable robotic devices for novel diagnostic and therapeutic solutions in Parkinson's disease suffering from hallucinations and dementia. His digiceutical projects invole novel immersive digital devices and therapies for chronic pain and related conditions by integrating digital technologies (VR, AR) with brain stimulation and latest research from the cognitive neurosciences. His devices mediate pain relief in patients suffering from complex regional pain syndrome, phantom limb pain, and neuropathic leg pain in spinal cord injury.[12]

Blanke has found that is possible to elicit experiences somewhat similar to out-of-body experiences by stimulating the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ; a region where the temporal lobe and the parietal lobe of the brain come together).

• Cloëtta Prize by the Prof. Dr. Max Cloëtta Foundation (2012)[13][14]
• Robert Bing Prize (2006)[15]
• Pfizer Prize (2005)[10]
• Leenaards Prize in (2003)[16]

• Park H, Blanke O (2019) Coupling inner and outer body for self-consciousness. Trends in Cognitive Science 3:5.
• Park HD, Bernasconi F, Salomon R, Tallon-Baudry C, Spinelli L, Seeck M, Schaller K, Blanke O (2017) Neural sources and underlying mechanisms of neural responses to heartbeats, and their role in bodily selfconsciousness: An intracranial EEG study. Cerebral Cortex 7: 1-14.
• Blanke O, Slater M, Serino A (2015) Behavioral, Neural, and Computational Principles of Bodily Self-Consciousness. Neuron 88: 145–66.
• Blanke O, Pozeg P, Hara M, Heydrich L, Serino A, Yamamoto A, Higuchi T, Salomon R, Seeck M, Landis T, Arzy S, Herbelin B, Bleuler H, Rognini G (2014) Neurological- and robot-controlled induction of an apparition. Current Biology 24: 2681–2686.
• Aspell, JE, Heydrich L, Blanke O (2013) Turning body and self-inside out: Visualized heartbeats alter bodily self-consciousness and tactile perception. Psychological Science 24: 2445–2453.
• Ionta S, Heydrich L, Lenggenhager B, Mouthon M, Gassert R, Blanke O (2011) Temporo-parietal cortex encodes self-location and first-person perspective. Neuron 70:363-374.
• Blanke O (2012) Multisensory brain mechanisms of bodily self-consciousness. Nature Reviews Neuroscience: 13: 556–571.
• Ionta S, Heydrich L, Lenggenhager B, Mouthon M, Gassert R, Blanke O (2011) Temporo-parietal cortex encodes self-location and first-person perspective. Neuron 70:363-374.
• Blanke O, Metzinger T (2009) Full-body illusions and minimal phenomenal selfhood. Trends in Cognitive Science 13: 7-13.
• Lenggenhager B, Tadi T, Metzinger T, Blanke O. (2007) Video ergo sum. Manipulating bodily self-consciousness. Science 317: 1096–1099.
• Arzy S, Seeck M, Spinelli L, Ortigue S, Blanke O. (2006) Induction of an illusory shadow person. Nature 443: 287.
• Blanke O, Spinelli L, Landis T, Seeck M (2004) Out-of-body experience and autoscopy of neurological origin. Brain 127: 243–258.
• Blanke O, Ortigue S, Landis T, Seeck M. (2002) Stimulating illusory own-body perceptions. Nature 419: 269–270.