Yutin Zhang

Research

Traditionally, the cerebellum has been recognized for its role in motor coordination and timing. However, growing evidence highlights a broader contribution of the cerebellum, particularly the posterior regions, to higher-order cognitive and social functions. One central mechanism receiving increasing attention is its role in sequencing, which supports the prediction and integration of complex information. For instance, during social interaction, the cerebellum may aid the anticipation of others’ actions or unfolding events, enabling smoother social navigation. This project focuses on the social aspects of cerebellar sequencing, examining how the posterior cerebellum contributes to implicit sequence learning and sequencing processes, and how these mechanisms may differ in autism spectrum disorder. Cognitive neuroscience methods, such as functional MRI and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), are applied to uncover the neural representations and causal mechanisms underlying cerebellar contributions to social sequence processing. By linking traditional motor-related functions with its emerging role in social cognition, this project aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the cerebellum’s multifaceted functions

Supervisors

Prof. Dr. Frank Van Overwalle

Prof. Dr. Kris Baetens