Ralf Schmälzle
Bio
Ralf Schmälzle, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at MSU. He is uniquely cross-trained in communication, health psychology and the social, cognitive and affective neuroscience. He received his doctorate from the University of Konstanz, Germany, where he also held a postdoctoral position. Before joining MSU, Dr. Schmälzle worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Pennsylvania in the Communication Neuroscience Lab.
Ralf Schmälzle's research strives to provide a mechanistic understanding of how messages affect the brain and how the brain - the biological organ of communication - enables us to respond to and interact with a uniquely social world. With this overarching goal in mind, his work promotes theoretical and methodological integration between communication science and neuroscience. he currently advances this goal within two areas: Neuroimaging of Health Prevention Messages and Media Neuroscience.
One of his major roles is to provide a unique interdisciplinary learning environment for communication scientists who seek to embrace neuroscience or biological approaches to communication more broadly. His main research tools include functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG/ERP), and related imaging methods. He combines these methods with self-report and linguistic measures, and behavioral testing. As a Cognitive Neuroscientist by training he also retains a healthy interest in AI and machine learning.
He lives in East Lansing with his wife and two preschoolers. They enjoy spending time with the kids or doing sports.
CONTACT INFORMATION
404 Wilson Rd, Room 569
Communication Arts and Sciences Building
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Roles
Assistant Professor: Department of Communication, Neuroscience of Messages Lab (NOM) nom.cas.msu.edu
Core Leader: Health and Risk Communication Center (HRCC) hrcc.cas.msu.edu
Co-Director: Center for Avatar Research and Immersive Social Media Applications (CARISMA) carismalab.com
Personal Website: ralfschmaelzle.net
Research and Teaching
Research Topics:
- Communication Neuroscience: Theory-Method Synergy between Communication & Neuroscience
- Media Neuroscience: Motivational Response to Dynamic Media Messages?
- Health and Risk Communication: Neuroimaging of Health Prevention Messages | Micro-level Foundations of Mass Communication & Public Communication Campaigns
Courses:
- Communication Neuroscience (CAS 992)
- Special Topics Communication Neuroscience (COM399)
- Public Communication Campaigns - Design and Analysis (COM475)
- Mass Communication and Public Health (CAS825)
- Media Neuroscience (CAS992)
- Think Tank: Communication as a Dynamic Process (CAS892)
- Social Influence and Conflict (COM325)
