Publications

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Journal articles

Stieger, S., Volsa, S., Lewetz, D., Willinger, D. (2026). Spatial cognition in the field: A new approach using the smartphone's compass sensors and navigation apps. Journal of Intelligence. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence14010014
Buchanan, E., Cuccolo, K., Heyman, T., Van Berkel, N., Coles, N., Iyer, A., ..., Willinger, D., ..., Ghasemi, H. (2025). Measuring the semantic priming effect across many languages. Nature Human Behaviour. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02254-x
Stieger, S., Volsa, S., Willinger, D. (2025). The election of Pope Leo XIV and its impact on the meaning of life for Roman Catholic Christians: A longitudinal experience sampling method study in the USA before, during, and after the pope's election. The Journal of Positive Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2025.2569082
Buchanan, E., Cuccolo, K., Heyman, T., Van Berkel, N., Coles, N., Iyer, A., ..., Willinger, D., ..., Ghasemi, H. (2025). Measuring the semantic priming effect across many languages. Nature Human Behaviour.
Willinger, D., Stieger, S. (2025). Bluetooth-sensed social presence is associated with immediate vigor and delayed fatigue: A multi-method time series analysis. iScience. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.112726
Frei, N., Willinger, D., Haller, P., Fraga-Gonzaléz, G., Pamplona, G., Haugg, A., Lutz, C., Coraj, S., Hefti, E., Brem, S. (2025). Toward a mechanistic understanding of reading difficulties: Deviant audiovisual learning dynamics and network connectivity in children with poor reading skills. Journal of Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1119-24.2025
Fraga-Gonzaléz, G., Haller, P., Willinger, D., Gehrig, V., Frei, N., Brem, S. (2025). Functional brain activations correlated with association strength and prediction error during novel symbol–speech sound learning. Imaging Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1162/imag_a_00439
Swami, V., Graf, H., Biebl, S., Schmid, T., Siebenhandl, A., Willinger, D., Galeazzi, F., Stieger, S. (2024). Exposure to simulated nature promotes positive body image irrespective of the presentation modality: A comparison of images, 2-dimensional film, and 360° immersive film. Body Image. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2024.101803
Stieger, S., Volsa, S., Willinger, D., Lewetz, D., Batinic, B. (2024). Laughter in everyday life: an event-based experience sampling method study using wrist-worn wearables. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1296955
Willinger, D., Häberling, I., Ilioska, I., Berger, G., Walitza, S., Brem, S. (2024). Weakened effective connectivity between salience network and default mode network during resting state in adolescent depression. Frontiers in Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1386984
Watve, A., Haugg, A., Frei, N., Koush, Y., Willinger, D., ..., Sladky, R. (2024). Facing emotions: real-time fMRI-based neurofeedback using dynamic emotional faces to modulate amygdala activity. Frontiers in Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1286665
Werhahn, J., Smigielski, L., Sacu, S., Mohl, S., Willinger, D., ..., Brandeis, D. (2023). Different whole-brain functional connectivity correlates of reactive-proactive aggression and callous-unemotional traits in children and adolescents with disruptive behaviors. NeuroImage: Clinical. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103542
Willinger, D., Götz, F., Stieger, S. (2023). ecolo-zip: a global, rich and granular characterization of biogeophysical ecology for 1.5 million postal codes. Scientific Data. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02579-0
Stieger, S., Lewetz, D., Willinger, D. (2023). Face-to-face more important than digital communication for mental health during the pandemic. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-34957-4
Di Pietro, S., Willinger, D., Frei, N., Lutz, C., Coraj, S., Schneider, C., Stämpfli, P., Brem, S. (2023). Disentangling influences of dyslexia, development, and reading experience on effective brain connectivity in children. NeuroImage. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119869
Willinger, D., Karipidis, I., Häberling, I., Berger, G., Walitza, S., Brem, S. (2022). Deficient prefrontal-amygdalar connectivity underlies inefficient face processing in adolescent major depressive disorder. Translational Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-01955-5
Patel, Y., Shin, J., Abé, C., Agartz, I., ..., Willinger, D., ..., Paus, T. (2022). Virtual ontogeny of cortical surface. Biological Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.02.959
Willinger, D., Karipidis, I., Neuer, S., Emery, S., Rauch, C., Häberling, I., Berger, G., Walitza, S., Brem, S. (2021). Maladaptive avoidance learning in the orbitofrontal cortex in adolescents with major depression. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.bpsc.2021.06.005
Willinger, D., Karipidis, I., Dimanova, P., Walitza, S., Brem, S. (2021). Neurodevelopment of the incentive network facilitates motivated behaviour from adolescence to adulthood. NeuroImage. https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.neuroimage.2021.118186
Werhahn, J., Mohl, S., Willinger, D., Smigielski, L., Roth, A., Hofstetter, C., Stämpfli, P., ..., Brandeis, D. (2021). Aggression subtypes relate to distinct resting state functional connectivity in children and adolescents with disruptive behavior. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01601-9
Geissberger, N., Tik, M., Sladky, R., Woletz, M., Schuler, A., Willinger, D., Windischberger, C. (2020). Reproducibility of amygdala activation in facial emotion processing at 7T. NeuroImage. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116585
Werhahn, J., Mohl, S., Willinger, D., Smigielski, L., Roth, A., Naaijen, J., ..., Brandeis, D. (2019). Different Whole-Brain Functional Connectivity Correlates of Reactive-Proactive Aggression and Callous-Unemotional Traits in Disruptive Children and Adolescents. upcoming. https://doi.org/10.1101/599548
Willinger, D., Karipidis, I., Beltrani, S., Di Pietro, S., Sladky, R., Walitza, S., Stämpfli, P., Brem, S. (2019). Valence-dependent coupling of prefrontal-amygdala effective connectivity during facial affect processing. eNeuro. https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0079-19.2019
Tik, M., Sladky, R., Luft, C., Willinger, D., Hoffmann, A., Banissy, M., Bhattacharya, J., Windischberger, C. (2018). Ultra-high-field fMRI insights on insight: Neural correlates of the Aha!-moment. Human brain mapping. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.24073

Conference abstracts

Willinger, D., Götz, F., Stieger, S. (2024). A comprehensive, global dataset of biogeophysical ecology across 1.5 million postal codes. DGPS.
Willinger, D., Häberling, I., Berger, G., Walitza, S., Brem, S. (2023). New insights into neurobiological mechanisms of adolescent depression. WASAD.
Willinger, D., Karipidis, I., Rauch, C., Häberling, I., Berger, G., Walitza, S., Brem, S. (2021). Face Processing Efficiency Is Related to Aberrant Prefrontal Connectivity in Adolescent Depression. OHBM.
Di Pietro, S., Willinger, D., Frei, N., Schneider, C., Lutz, C., Coraj, S., Stämpfli, P., Brem, S. (2021). Dyslexia specific and experience effects on brain connectivity of poor and typical readers. OHBM.
Willinger, D., Karipidis, I., Dimanova, P., Häberling, I., Rauch, C., Emery, S., Berger, G., Walitza, S., Brem, S. (2020). Prefrontal hyperactivity related to expected reward value in adolescent major depression.. OHBM 2020 (online).
Willinger, D., Karipidis, I., Dimanova, P., Häberling, I., Nalani, K., Emery, S., Berger, G., Walitza, S., Brem, S. (2019). Altered brain response during reward and loss anticipation in adolescents with depression.. OHBM 2019 (Rome, Italy).
Watve, A., Haugg, A., Koush, Y., Willinger, D., Brühl, A., Stämpfli, P., Scharnowski, F., Sladky, R. (2019). Emotion Regulation Using Implicit Closed-Loop Amygdala Neurofeedback.. OHBM 2019 (Rome, Italy).
Sladky, R., Frei, N., Haugg, A., Koush, Y., Willinger, D., Pamplona, G., Brühl, A., Stämpfli, P., Scharnowski, F. (2019). Emotion Regulation Using Implicit Closed-Loop Amygdala Neurofeedback.. OHBM 2018 (Singapore).
Willinger, D., Karipidis, I., Beltrani, S., Di Pietro, S., Brem, S. (2018). Contextual bottom-up modulation of facial affect in the prefrontal-amygdala network.. Burghölzli Psychiatry Meeting (Zurich, Switzerland).
Willinger, D., Tik, M., Kraus, C., Pfabigan, D., Geissberger, N., Hoffmann, A., Vanicek, T., Auer, B., Kranz, G., Paul, K., Lamm, C., Lanzenberger, R., Windischberger, C. (2017). SSRI treatment reduces response in the emotion processing network in acute MDD: a 7T fMRI study. OHBM 2017 (Vancouver, Canada).
Willinger, D., Sladky, R., Geissberger, N., Tik, M., Windischberger, C. (2017). A novel paradigm for facial emotion processing.. OHBM 2017 (Vancouver, Canada).
Tik, M., Woletz, M., Navarro de Lara, L., Sladky, R., Hoffmann, A., Schuler, A., Willinger, D., Geissberger, N., Hummer, A., Windischberger, C. (2017). Mapping TMS immediate effects by concurrent TMS/fMRI using a dedicated high-sensitivity coil array.. OHBM 2017 (Vancouver, Canada).
Geissberger, N., Sladky, R., Tik, M., Hoffmann, A., Woletz, M., Willinger, D., Robinson, S., Windischberger, C. (2017). Explicit versus Implicit Emotion Processing: a 7 Tesla fMRI study.. OHBM 2017 (Vancouver, Canada).
Sladky, R., Tik, M., Luft, C., Willinger, D., Hoffmann, A., Banissy, M., Bhattacharya, J., Windischberger, C. (2016). Aha, I got it! Engagement of dopaminergic pathways during insight moments.. Resting State & Brain Connectivity (Vienna, Austria).
Tik, M., Sladky, R., Luft, C., Hoffmann, A., Willinger, D., Banissy, M., Bhattacharya, J., Windischberger, C. (2016). Aha! Moments Inside: Self-arising creative solutions specified.. OHBM 2016 (Geneva, Switzerland).

Thesis

Willinger, D. (2020). Brain function and mechanisms in adolescent depression: A computational psychiatry approach. ETH Zurich. https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000446197

David Willinger, PhD

/Cognitive Neuroscientist/
/Statistical Methods/
“All models are wrong, but some are useful."

My publication list.