I studied cognitive science at the University of Tübingen, Germany (B.Sc. and M.Sc. in cognitive science). Subsequently, I pursued my PhD at the LEAD graduate school at the University of Tübingen and the Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien in Tübingen. In 2020 I moved to Greifswald, Germany and became a postdoctoral researcher at the University Medicine Greifswald. I joined the Centre for Mathematical Cognition at Loughborough University in 2022.
Research areas:
- Numerical cognition in healthy and impaired aging
- Improving IADL functions by enhancing numerical capability
- The impact of aging on neural networks for number processing
- Associated research fellow at the Cognitive Neurology lab at the Department of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Germany.
- Selected member of the coaching program for advanced female doctoral students and postdocs at the University of Greifswald, Germany in 2022.
- Selected Mentee of the Mentoring Program for female doctoral students at the University of Greifswald, Germany from 2020 -2021.
- Awarded a DAAD Scholarship for a lab visit at Columbia University, New York, USA in 2019.
- Award of the G.-A.-Lienert-Foundation for the promotion of young researchers in biopsychological methodology in 2018.
Journal articles (peer reviewed)
Wortha, S.M., Klein, E., Lambert, K., Dackermann, T., & Moeller, K. (2023). The relevance of basic numerical competences for fraction understanding: evidence from cross-sectional data. PLOS ONE, 18(1), e0281241
Wortha, S.M., Frenzel, S., Bahls, M., Habes, M., Wittfeld, K., Van der Auwera-Palitschla, S., Bülow, R., Völzke, H., Grabe, H., Schwarz, C., & Flöel, A. (2022). Association of spermidine plasma levels with brain aging in a population-based study. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Artemenko, C., Wortha, S.M., Dresler, T., Frey, M., Barrocas, R., Nuerk, H.-C., & Moeller, K. (2022). Finger-based numerical training increases sensorimotor activation for arithmetic in children – An fNIRS study. Brain Sciences, 12(5), 637.
Wortha, S.M., Wüsten, K.A., Witte, V.A., Bössel, N., Keßler, W., Vogelgesang, A., & Flöel, A. (2021). Gastrointestinal Hormones in healthy adults: Reliability and interrelations with eating habits and physical activity. Nutrients, 13, 3809. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13113809
Ninaus, M., Kiili K., Wortha, S.M., & Moeller, K. (2021). Motivation regulation when using an educational game to promote fraction understanding in school – A latent profile analysis. Psychologie in Erziehung und Unterricht, 68(1), 42-57.
Wortha, S.M., Bloechle, J., Ninaus, M., Kiili, K., Lindstedt, A., Bahnmueller, J., Moeller, K. & Klein, E. (2020). Neurofunctional plasticity in fraction learning: an fMRI training study. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 21, 100141
Lambert, K., Wortha, S.M., & Moeller, K. (2020). Time reading in secondary school students: The influence of basic-numerical abilities. The Journal of Genetic Psychology. doi: 10.1080/00221325.2020.1760778
Bieck, S.M., Splittgerber, M., Keil, K., Salvador, R., Moeller, K., & Moliadze, V. (2020). P182 Bilateral tDCS indicates developmental differences in fraction magnitude processing. Clinical Neurophysiology, 131(4), e117. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2019.12.29
Artemenko, C., Soltanlou, M., Bieck, S.M., Ehlis, A. C., Dresler, T., & Nuerk, H. C. (2019). Individual differences in math ability determine neurocognitive processing of arithmetic complexity–A combined fNIRS-EEG study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 13, 227. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00227
Klein, E.*, Bieck, S.M.*, Bloechle, J., Huber, S., Bahnmueller, J., Willmes, K., & Moeller, K. (2019). Anticipation of difficult tasks: neural correlates of negative emotions and emotion regulation. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 15(1),4. doi:10.1186/s12993-019-0155-1
Klein, E., Willmes, K., Bieck, S.M., Bloechle, J., & Moeller, K. (2018). White matter neuro-plasticity in mental arithmetic: changes in hippocampal connectivity following arithmetic drill training. Cortex, 114, 115-123. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.05.017
Bieck, S.M., Artemenko, C., Moeller, K., & Klein, E. (2018). Low to no effect: application of tRNS during two-digit addition. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 12, 176. doi:10.3389/fnins.2018.00176
* shared first authorship
Book chapters (peer reviewed)
Wortha, S.M., Obersteiner, A. & Dresler, T. (2021). Neurocognitive Foundations of Fraction Processing. Handbook of Cognitive Mathematics, 1-27
Obersteiner, A., Dresler, T., Bieck, S.M., & Moeller, K. (2019). Understanding Fractions: Integrating Results from Mathematics Education, Cognitive Psychology, and Neuroscience. In A. Norton & M. Alibali (Eds.), Constructing Number - Merging Perspectives from Psychology and Mathematics Education (pp. 135-162). Heidelberg: Springer