Wiete Fehner

Imaging Science PhD candidate at Washington University in St. Louis.

Wiete Fehner, PhD Candidate

Computational & optical neuroimaging · HD-DOT/fNIRS · Naturalistic brain mapping · Semantic modeling

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Research Overview

I am a PhD candidate in Imaging Science at Washington University in St. Louis, where I develop computational and optical neuroimaging methods for mapping human brain activity in naturalistic settings. My work focuses on high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT), voxelwise encoding and decoding models, semantic representations, and reproducible analysis pipelines in Python and MATLAB.

My long-term goal is to advance human brain mapping approaches that translate to everyday environments and clinical applications.

Current Focus

  • Model-based visual semantic encoding and decoding with HD-DOT for naturalistic movies
  • Multivariate functional connectivity and shared representational structure in HD-DOT
  • Development and validation of wearable HD-DOT systems and multi-session imaging pipelines

See more about my research projects
Selected publications and manuscripts

Leadership & Outreach

I value research environments that are collaborative, interdisciplinary, and community-oriented. A few examples of my leadership and outreach work:

Founder & Lead Curriculum Developer – Summer Math Crash Course
Washington University in St. Louis · 2022 – Present

  • Founded and lead an annual 9-week Summer Math Crash Course for incoming graduate students and researchers.
  • Coordinate a team of student instructors and curriculum developers; over 100 participants have taken part to date.

President – Association of Graduate Engineering Students (AGES)
Washington University in St. Louis · 2022 – 2023

  • Led the executive board, organized programming for hundreds of graduate students, and worked with school leadership to improve student resources and community-building.

Community Outreach Coordinator & Teacher – Rabulo e.V.
Oldenburg, Germany · 2016 – 2018

  • Designed and taught educational programs for long-term unemployed women and refugees, with a focus on inclusive, empowering learning environments.

More on my leadership and service

Education

PhD in Imaging Science
Washington University in St. Louis, USA · 2021 – Present

  • Expected graduation: May 2026

MS in Electrical Engineering
Washington University in St. Louis, USA · 2021 – 2023

MS in Human Neuroscience
University of Turku, Finland · 2019 – 2021

BA in Philosophy & Gender Studies
Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Germany

Fellowships, Awards & Honors

  • Imaging Sciences Pathway Fellowship (NIH T32) – Graduate fellowship in Imaging Science, Washington University in St. Louis
  • Danforth Scholar – Title recognizing academic excellence at Washington University in St. Louis
  • Wissenschaftspreis (Science Award), OLB-Foundation, Germany – 2nd place for bachelor’s thesis
  • Deutschlandstipendium Scholarship – Merit-based scholarship, University of Bremen
  • Hans Böckler Foundation Scholarship – Merit-based scholarship, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg

Full list of fellowships, awards, and honors

Skills

  • Computational Neuroimaging: Voxelwise encoding/decoding, semantic modeling, FIR modeling, multivariate statistics, time-series analysis
  • Programming: Python (NumPy, SciPy, scikit-learn, PyTorch), MATLAB; basic R and shell scripting
  • Data & Pipelines: Image processing, BIDS-compatible workflows, HD-DOT/fNIRS/fMRI preprocessing, reproducible code development
  • Experimental Design: Naturalistic paradigms, stimulus and task design, multi-session HD-DOT and wearable HD-DOT studies
  • Project & Team Leadership: Study coordination, mentoring students, curriculum development, community and organizational leadership
  • Communication: Scientific writing, conference presentations, teaching, outreach

Professional Memberships

  • Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM)
  • Optica
  • International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE)
  • Society for Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (SfNIRS)
  • Society for Neuroscience (SfN)

Contact

I am open to collaborations and discussions related to computational neuroimaging, naturalistic stimuli, and neurotechnology.