NeuroSPACE

Only a human can walk to a desk, recognize a suitable laptop, open this page, and make sense of its contents. This everyday act reveals something extraordinary: the human mind’s unique ability to combine specialized knowledge with flexible reasoning. NeuroSPACE explores the multidimensional space of the human mind, focusing on how domain-specific knowledge (like recognizing objects or social cues) interacts with domain-general abilities (like working memory, inhibition, or cognitive control). We aim to: 🧠 Map the structure of domain-specific mental representations 🧩 Model how they interact with domain-general processes 🧪 Track these mechanisms across development, expertise, and disorders 🔍 Integrate behavioral, neuroimaging, and computational tools—ranging from fMRI and EEG to DNNs Funded by the Flemish government and KU Leuven under the Methusalem scheme, NeuroSPACE brings together the labs led by Hans Op de Beeck (HOPLAB), Bert De Smedt (MATHLAB), Céline Gillebert (Neuropsychology Lab Leuven) & Kobe Desender (DesenderLab). Together, we aim to uncover what truly makes the human mind unique—and how we can use that knowledge to help people thrive.