The University Hospital

Prof. Dr. Marina A. Pavlova

Prof. Dr. Marina A. Pavlova

Head of Research Group

Social Neuroscience Research Group

+++News++Nov'25: Tandem Prof Marina Pavlova & her former doctoral student Julian Kubon, MD is awarded a prestigious Hans Heimann Prize of the DGPPN++Jul'25: Prof Marina Pavlova & her doctoral student Laila Naamnih won a highly competitive IZKF-Tandemfellowship+++

Contact

Phone number: +49 7071 29-81419

E-mail address: marina.pavlova@uni-tuebingen.de

Clinic / Institute / Center

  • Autism
  • Depression
  • Schizophrenia
  • Disorders of social cognition
  • Developmental disorders

  • +++ News +++

    ++Nov'25: Tandem Prof Marina Pavlova & her former doctoral student Julian Kubon, MD is awarded a prestigious Hans Heimann Prize of the DGPPN (German Society for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Neurology)++Jul'25: Prof Marina Pavlova & her doctoral student Laila Naamnih won a highly competitive IZKF-Tandemfellowship (Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Studies)+++

  • Personal Profile

    Marina A. Pavlova is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University Hospital of Tübingen. She heads the Social Neuroscience Research Group. Her strengths lie primarily in the field of interdisciplinary research, which combines the application of (neuro)psychological methods with modern multimodal brain imaging and clinical studies. Her groundbreaking, internationally recognized, and award-winning research deals with the areas of social cognition, such as reading body language, facial recognition, and gender differences in neuropsychiatry, developmental disorders, and other clinical pictures (such as breast cancer). Her research is supported by major national and international funding bodies such as the DFG, the DAAD, the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS), the HFSPO, and the EU, and is widely covered by the media.

    AG Soziale Neurowissenschaft

  • Personal Profile

    Personal profile (English)

    ext. link
  • Social Cogniton and Social Neuroscience
  • Body Language Reading and Face Perception
  • Gender and Sex Differences
  • Multimodal Brain Imaging
  • Neural Networks
  • (Neuro)Psychological Tests and Diagnostics
  • seit 2017
    Professorin, Leiterin der AG “Soziale Neurowissenschaft“, Mitglied der Klinikleitungsrunde, Department für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Tübingen
  • seit 2014
    Professorin, AG-Leiterin in der Abteilung Entwicklungsneurologie, Universitätskinderklinik, und Abteilung Biomedizinische Magnetresonanz, Department für Radiologie/Radiologische Universitätsklinik, Tübingen
  • seit 2009
    Professorin an der Medizinischen Fakultät, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
  • 2006
    Habilitation an der Medizinischen Fakultät, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
  • seit 2000
    Projekt- und AG-Leiterin in der Abteilung Entwicklungsneurologie, Universitätskinderklinik, Tübingen
  • seit 1995
    Forschungsaufenthalte am IfADo, Dortmund, Institut für Psychologie der Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Max-Planck-Institut für biologische Kybernetik, Tübingen, und MEG-Zentrum, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
  • PhD (Experimentalpsychologie und Hirnforschung) an der RAW zu Moskau
  • S E L E C T E D
  • 2015 - Certificate of Appreciation for contributions as PLOS ONE Editor and an active member of the Editorial Board
  • 2007 - Neuropsychologia Top Reviewer 2007, Elsevier
  • 2007 - Society for Neuroscience Certificate of Appreciation, Society for Neuroscience
  • S E L E C T E D
  • Romagnano V, Kubon J, Sokolov AN, Fallgatter AJ, Braun C, Pavlova MA. (2025). Dynamic brain communication underwriting face pareidolia in male schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHRENIA (Nature Portfolio Journal), 11: 112.
  • Galli J, Vezzoli M, Loi E, Micheletti S, Molinaro A, Tagliavento L, Calza S, Sokolov AN, Pavlova MA*, Fazzi E*. (2025). Alterations in looking at face-pareidolia images in autism. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS (Nature Portfolio Journal) 15: 14915 (*shared senior authorship).
  • Resch A, Moosavi J, Sokolov AN, Steinwand P, Wagner E, Fallgatter AJ, Pavlova MA. (2024). Inferring social signals from the eyes in male schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHRENIA (Nature Portfolio Journal) 10: 107.
  • Moosavi J, Resch A, Sokolov AN, Fallgatter AJ, Pavlova MA. (2024). The mirror of the soul? Inferring sadness in the eyes. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS (Nature Portfolio Journal) 14: 20063.
  • Moosavi J, Resch A, Lecchi A, Sokolov AN, Fallgatter AJ, Pavlova MA. (2024). Reading language of the eyes in females with major depression. CEREBRAL CORTEX 34(7): bhae253. [Feature article]
  • Romagnano V, Kubon J, Sokolov AN, Fallgatter AJ, Braun C, Pavlova MA. (2024). Dynamic brain communication underwriting face pareidolia. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE USA 121(16): e2401196121.
  • Pavlova MA, Moosavi J, Carbon CC, Fallgatter AJ, Sokolov AN. (2023). Emotions behind a mask: The value of disgust. npj SCHIZOPHRENIA (Nature Portfolio Journal) 9: 58.
  • Romagnano V, Sokolov AN, Fallgatter AJ, Pavlova MA. (2023). Do subtle cultural differences sculpt face pareidolia? npj SCHIZOPHRENIA (Nature Portfolio Journal) 9: 28.
  • Pavlova MA, Carbon C-C, Coello Y, Sokolov AA, Proverbio AM. (2023). Editorial: Impact of face covering on social cognition and interaction. FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE 17: 1150604.
  • Kubon J, Romagnano V, Sokolov AN, Fallgatter AJ, Braun C, Pavlova MA. (2023). Neural circuits underpinning face tuning in male depression. CEREBRAL CORTEX 33(7): 3827-39. [Front cover page & Feature article]
  • Romagnano V, Sokolov AN, Steinwand P, Fallgatter AJ, Pavlova MA. (2022). Face pareidolia in male schizophrenia. npj SCHIZOPHRENIA (Nature Portfolio Journal) 8: 112.
  • Pavlova MA, Romagnano V, Kubon J, Isernia S, Fallgatter AJ, Sokolov AN. (2022). Ties between reading faces, bodies, eyes, and autistic traits. FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE 16: 997263.
  • Pavlova MA, Sokolov AA. (2022). Reading language of the eyes. NEUROSCIENCE & BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS 140: 104755. [Review]
  • Pavlova MA, Sokolov AA. (2022). Reading covered faces. CEREBRAL CORTEX 32(2): 249-65. [Review & Feature article]
  • Simoes E*, Sokolov AN*, Hahn M, Fallgatter AJ, Brucker SY, Wallwiener D, Pavlova MA. (2021). How negative is negative information. FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE 15: 742576 (*contributed equally).
  • Pavlova MA, Galli J, Zanetti F, Pagani F, Micheletti S, Rossi A, Sokolov AN, Fallgatter AJ, Fazzi EM. (2021). Social cognition in individuals born preterm. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS (Nature Publishing Group) 11(1): 14448.
  • Kubon J, Sokolov AN, Popp R, Fallgatter AJ, Pavlova MA. (2021). Face tuning in depression. CEREBRAL CORTEX 31(5): 2574-85. [Feature article]
  • Pavlova MA, Romagnano V, Fallgatter AJ, Sokolov AN. (2020). Face pareidolia in the brain: Impact of gender and orientation. PLoS ONE 15(12): e0244516.
  • Sokolov AA, Zeidman P, Erb M, Pollick FE, Fallgatter AJ, Ryvlin P, Friston KJ, Pavlova MA. (2020). Brain circuits signaling the absence of emotion in body language. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE USA 117(34): 20868-73.
  • Duchesne A, Pletzer B, Pavlova MA, Lai MC, Einstein G. (2020). Editorial: Bridging gaps between sex and gender in neurosciences. FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE 14: 561.
  • Isernia S, Sokolov AN, Fallgatter AJ, Pavlova MA. (2020). Untangling the ties between social cognition and body motion: Gender impact. FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY 11: 128.
  • Rolf R, Sokolov AN, Rattay TW, Fallgatter AJ, Pavlova MA. (2020). Face pareidolia in schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH 218: 138-45.
  • Sokolov AA, Zeidman P, Erb M, Ryvlin P, Friston KJ, Pavlova MA. (2018). Structural and effective brain connectivity underlying biological motion detection. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE USA 115(51): E12034-42.
  • Pavlova MA. (2017). Emotion science in the twenty-first century. Time, sex, and behavior in emotion science: Over and above. FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY 8: 1211.
  • Pavlova MA. (2017). Sex and gender affect the social brain: Beyond simplicity. JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH 95 (1-2): 235-50.
  • Pavlova MA, Guerreschi M, Tagliavento L, Gitti F, Sokolov AN, Fallgatter AJ, Fazzi E. (2017). Social cognition in autism: Face tuning. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS (Nature Publishing Group) 7(1): 2734.
  • Pavlova MA, Erb M, Hagberg GE, Loureiro J, Sokolov AN, Scheffler K. (2017). "Wrong way up": Temporal and spatial dynamics of the networks for body motion processing at 9.4 T. CEREBRAL CORTEX 27: 5318-30.
  • Baumann O, Borra RJ, Bower JM, Cullen KE, Habas C, Ivry RB, Leggio M,. Mattingley JB, Molinari M, Moulton EA, Paulin MG, Pavlova MA, Schmahmann JD, Sokolov AA. (2015). Consensus paper: The role of the cerebellum in perceptual processes. THE CEREBELLUM 14(2): 197-220.
  • Bidet-Ildei C, Kitromilides-Salerio E, Orliaguet J-P, Pavlova MA*, Gentaz E.* (2014). Preference for point-light human biological motion in newborns: Contribution of translational displacement. DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 50(1): 113-20 (*contributed equally).
  • Sokolov AA, Erb M, Grodd W, Pavlova MA. (2014). Structural loop between the cerebellum and the superior temporal sulcus: Evidence from diffusion tensor imaging. CEREBRAL CORTEX 24(3): 626-32. [Front cover page article]
  • Pavlova MA, Krägeloh-Mann I. (2013). Limitations on the developing preterm brain: Impact of periventricular white matter lesions on brain connectivity and cognition. BRAIN 136: 998-1011. [Review]
  • Sokolov AN, Pavlova MA, Klosterhalfen S, Enck P. (2013). Chocolate and the brain: neurobiological impact of cocoa flavanols on cognition and behavior. NEUROSCIENCE & BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS 37(10 Pt 2): 2445-53. [Review]
  • Pavlova MA. (2012). Biological motion as a hallmark of social cognition. CEREBRAL CORTEX 22(5): 981-95. [Review]
  • Pavlova M, Guerreschi M, Lutzenberger W, Sokolov AN, Krägeloh-Mann I. (2010). Cortical response to social interaction is affected by gender. NEUROIMAGE 50: 1327-32. [Front cover page article]
  • Pavlova M, Bidet-Ildei C, Sokolov AN, Braun C, Krägeloh-Mann I. (2009). Neuromagnetic response to body motion and brain connectivity. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE 21: 837-46. [Front cover page article]
  • Pavlova M, Sokolov AN, Birbaumer N, Krägeloh-Mann I. (2008). Perception and understanding of others’ actions and brain connectivity. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE 20: 494-504. [Front cover page article]
  • Pavlova M, Marconato F, Sokolov A, Braun C, Birbaumer N, Krägeloh-Mann I. (2006). Periventricular leukomalacia specifically affects cortical MEG response to biological motion. ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY 59: 415-9.
  • Pavlova M, Birbaumer N, Sokolov A. (2006). Attentional modulation of cortical neuromagnetic gamma response to biological movement. CEREBRAL CORTEX 16: 321-7. [Front cover page article]
  • Pavlova M, Staudt M, Sokolov A, Birbaumer N, Krägeloh-Mann I. (2003). Perception and production of biological movement in patients with early periventricular brain lesions. BRAIN 126(Pt 3): 692-701.
  • Publications