Meike is a postdoctoral fellow supported by the Walter Benjamin Programme. Her research lies at the intersection of neurodevelopment and mental health. She completed her PhD in Germany under the supervision of Sofie Valk and Simon Eickhoff, where she investigated transdiagnostic similarities in structural brain alterations across major psychiatric conditions, as well as deviations in microstructural maturation associated with adolescent vulnerability or resilience to adverse life events.

She is currently leading a large-scale ENIGMA project that integrates psychiatric neuroimaging data from more than 160 international sites. This major collaborative effort has introduced her to many wonderful colleagues and further strengthened her enthusiasm for global neuroscience. During her time at PennLINC, she primarily focuses on neuroplasticity markers in the context of developmental psychopathology. She applies growth-chart modeling to structural and functional brain imaging data across multiple cohorts. Her goal is to identify when and where the brain is most plastic, and thus most susceptible to both adverse and beneficial environmental influences, to inform the development of supportive interventions.

Outside the lab, Meike can often be found walking along the river, at the dance studio, or listening to Harry Potter audiobooks for the ten-thousandth time.