MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
Moataz Assem
Research fellow (Wellcome Early Career Fellow - Assistant Research Professor)
Moataz.Assem@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk
01223 769908
Programme Leader: Alexandra Woolgar
Moataz is a Wellcome Trust Early Career Fellow (Assistant Research Professor) at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit and a Fellow in Neuroscience at Murray Edwards and an Academic Associate at Pembroke college. 
He is multidisciplinary trained in medicine (Alexandria University, Egypt), biomedical engineering at (MSc Bogazici University, Turkey and MIT, US), and cognitive neuroscience (PhD, Cambridge). He is the recipient of the 11th Frith Prize from the Experimental Psychology Society for his PhD thesis.
Moataz welcomes applications from prospective graduate students (MSc/PhD) and postdocs.
His research investigates the brain basis of human intelligence. Specifically, he investigates how a core domain-general circuit in the human brain organises our thoughts and behaviour. His research employs state of the art brain imaging approaches (precision fMRI, intracranial EEG) and brain stimulation (concurrent TMS-fMRI).
In parallel, since 2015, he has been involved in coordinating both the Egyptian and International Brain Bee competitions, the neuroscience olympiads for high school students.
CBSU publications
MITCHELL, D., ASSEM, M. , WOOLGAR, A. (2025) Paying attention to John Duncan, Neuropsychologia, 109323, 19 Nov 2025 [Open Access]
Feredoes, E., ASSEM, M. , Bassil, Y., Bergmann, T.O., Beynel, L., Burke, M., Cash, R.F.H., Comeau, R.M., CORREIA, M., Genc, E., Hartswigsen, G., JACKSON, J., Kienle, M., Kunz, P., Leticevscaia, O., Luber, B., Lueckel, M., Mathiesen, C., Michael, E., Numssen, O., Oathes, D.J., Rosen, A.C., Schuhmann, T., Schuler, A-L., Scrivener, C.L., Thielscher, A., Todorov, Y., Vasileiadi, M., Windischberger, C., Hermiller, M., and Sack, A.T. (2025) Consensus guidelines for the use of concurrent TMS-fMRI in cognitive and clinical neuroscience, Nature Protocols, 24 June 2025 [Open Access]
SHASHIDHARA, S., ASSEM, M. , GLASSER, M.F., DUNCAN, J. (2024) Task and stimulus coding in the multiple-demand network., Cerebral Cortex, 01 Jul 2024, 34(7):bhae278 [Open Access]
Jafarian, A., ASSEM, M. K., Kocagoncu, E., Lanskey, J.H., Williams, R., Cheng, Y.J., Quinn ,A.J., Pitt, J., Raymont, V., Lowe, S., Singh, K.D., Woolrich, M., Nobre, A.C,, HENSON, R.N., Friston, K.J., ROWE, J.B. (2024) Reliability of dynamic causal modelling of resting state magnetoencephalography, Human Brain Mapping, 45(10): e26782 [Open Access]
Mandal, A.S.,, Wiener, C., ASSEM, M. , Romero-Garcia, R., Coelho, P., McDonald, A., Woodberry, E., Morris, R.C., Price, S.J., DUNCAN, J., Santarius, T., Suckling, J., Hart, M.G., Erez, Y. (2024) Tumour-infiltrated cortex participates in large-scale cognitive circuits, Cortex, 30 Jan 2024, 173:1-15 [Open Access]
Degutis, J.K., Chaimow, D., Haenelt, D., ASSEM, M. ,, DUNCAN, J., Haynes, J.D., Weiskopf, N., Lorenz, R. (2024) Dynamic layer-specific processing in the prefrontal cortex during working memory., Communications Biology, 14 Sep 2024, 7(1):1140 [Open Access]
ASSEM, M. , SHASHIDHARA, S., Glasser, M.F., DUNCAN, J. (2024) Basis of executive functions in fine-grained architecture of cortical and subcortical human brain networks, Cerebral Cortex, 34(2), bhad537 [Open Access]
Karadacchka, K., ASSEM, M. , MITCHELL, D.J., DUNCAN, J., Medendorp, W.P., Mars, R.B. (2023) Structural connectivity of the multiple demand network in humans and comparison to the macaque brain, Cerebral Cortex, 33(22):10959-10971 [Open Access]
ASSEM, M. , Hart, M.G., Coelho, P., Romero-Garcia, R., McDonald, A., Woodberry, E., Morris, R.C., Price, S.J., Suckling, J., Santarius, T., DUNCAN, J., EREZ, Y. (2022) High gamma activity distinguishes frontal cognitive control regions from adjacent cortical networks, Cortex, 159:286-298 [Open Access]
Romero-Garcia, R., Owen, M., McDonald, A., Woodberry, E., ASSEM, M. , Coelho, P., Morris, R.C., Price, S.J., Santarius, T., Suckling, J., MANLY, T., EREZ, Y., Hart, M.G. (2022) Assessment of neuropsychological function in brain tumour treatment: A comparison of traditional neuropsychological assessment with app-based cognitive screening, Acta Neurochirurgica, 164, 2021-2034 [Open Access]
COPE, T.E., HUGHES, L.E., PHILLIPS, H.N., Adams, N.E., Jafarian, A., Nesbitt, D., Assem, m. , WOOLGAR, A., DUNCAN, J., ROWE, J.B. (2022) Causal evidence for the multiple demand network in change detection: auditory mismatch magnetoencephalography across focal neurodegenerative diseases, Journal of Neuroscience, 08 Mar 2022, 42(15):3197-3215 [Open Access]
ASSEM, M. , SHASHIDHARA, S., Glasser, M.F., DUNCAN, J.D. (2021) Precise topology of adjacent domain-general and sensory-biased regions in the human brain, Cerebral Cortex, 01 Jun 2022, 32(12):2521-2537 [Open Access]
EREZ, Y., ASSEM, M. , Coelho, P., Romero-Garcia, R., Owen, M., McDonald, A., Woodberry, E., Morris, R.C., Price, S.J., Suckling, J., DUNCAN, J.D., Hart, M.G., Santarius,T. (2020) Intraoperative mapping of executive function using electrocorticography for patients with low-grade gliomas, Acta Neurochirurgica (2020) [Open Access]
DUNCAN, J., ASSEM, M. , SHASHIDHARA, S. (2020) Integrated intelligence from distributed brain activity, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 24(10):838-852 [Open Access]
ASSEM, M. , Asher Blank, I., Mineroff, Z. Ademoglu,A., Fedorenko, E. (2020) Activity in the Fronto-Parietal Multiple-Demand Network is Robustly Associated with Individual Differences in Working Memory and Fluid Intelligence, Cortex, 131, October 2020, Pages 1-16 [Open Access]
ASSEM, M. , Glasser, M.F., Van Essen, D.C., DUNCAN, J.D. (2020) A Domain-General Cognitive Core Defined in Multimodally Parcellated Human Cortex, Cerebral Cortex, 30(8), 4361-4380 [Open Access]
Feredoes, E., ASSEM, M. , Bassil, Y., Bergmann, T.O., Beynel, L., Burke, M., Cash, R.F.H., Comeau, R.M., CORREIA, M., Genc, E., Hartswigsen, G., JACKSON, J., Kienle, M., Kunz, P., Leticevscaia, O., Luber, B., Lueckel, M., Mathiesen, C., Michael, E., Numssen, O., Oathes, D.J., Rosen, A.C., Schuhmann, T., Schuler, A-L., Scrivener, C.L., Thielscher, A., Todorov, Y., Vasileiadi, M., Windischberger, C., Hermiller, M., and Sack, A.T. (2025) Consensus guidelines for the use of concurrent TMS-fMRI in cognitive and clinical neuroscience, Nature Protocols, 24 June 2025 [Open Access]
SHASHIDHARA, S., ASSEM, M. , GLASSER, M.F., DUNCAN, J. (2024) Task and stimulus coding in the multiple-demand network., Cerebral Cortex, 01 Jul 2024, 34(7):bhae278 [Open Access]
Jafarian, A., ASSEM, M. K., Kocagoncu, E., Lanskey, J.H., Williams, R., Cheng, Y.J., Quinn ,A.J., Pitt, J., Raymont, V., Lowe, S., Singh, K.D., Woolrich, M., Nobre, A.C,, HENSON, R.N., Friston, K.J., ROWE, J.B. (2024) Reliability of dynamic causal modelling of resting state magnetoencephalography, Human Brain Mapping, 45(10): e26782 [Open Access]
Mandal, A.S.,, Wiener, C., ASSEM, M. , Romero-Garcia, R., Coelho, P., McDonald, A., Woodberry, E., Morris, R.C., Price, S.J., DUNCAN, J., Santarius, T., Suckling, J., Hart, M.G., Erez, Y. (2024) Tumour-infiltrated cortex participates in large-scale cognitive circuits, Cortex, 30 Jan 2024, 173:1-15 [Open Access]
Degutis, J.K., Chaimow, D., Haenelt, D., ASSEM, M. ,, DUNCAN, J., Haynes, J.D., Weiskopf, N., Lorenz, R. (2024) Dynamic layer-specific processing in the prefrontal cortex during working memory., Communications Biology, 14 Sep 2024, 7(1):1140 [Open Access]
ASSEM, M. , SHASHIDHARA, S., Glasser, M.F., DUNCAN, J. (2024) Basis of executive functions in fine-grained architecture of cortical and subcortical human brain networks, Cerebral Cortex, 34(2), bhad537 [Open Access]
Karadacchka, K., ASSEM, M. , MITCHELL, D.J., DUNCAN, J., Medendorp, W.P., Mars, R.B. (2023) Structural connectivity of the multiple demand network in humans and comparison to the macaque brain, Cerebral Cortex, 33(22):10959-10971 [Open Access]
ASSEM, M. , Hart, M.G., Coelho, P., Romero-Garcia, R., McDonald, A., Woodberry, E., Morris, R.C., Price, S.J., Suckling, J., Santarius, T., DUNCAN, J., EREZ, Y. (2022) High gamma activity distinguishes frontal cognitive control regions from adjacent cortical networks, Cortex, 159:286-298 [Open Access]
Romero-Garcia, R., Owen, M., McDonald, A., Woodberry, E., ASSEM, M. , Coelho, P., Morris, R.C., Price, S.J., Santarius, T., Suckling, J., MANLY, T., EREZ, Y., Hart, M.G. (2022) Assessment of neuropsychological function in brain tumour treatment: A comparison of traditional neuropsychological assessment with app-based cognitive screening, Acta Neurochirurgica, 164, 2021-2034 [Open Access]
COPE, T.E., HUGHES, L.E., PHILLIPS, H.N., Adams, N.E., Jafarian, A., Nesbitt, D., Assem, m. , WOOLGAR, A., DUNCAN, J., ROWE, J.B. (2022) Causal evidence for the multiple demand network in change detection: auditory mismatch magnetoencephalography across focal neurodegenerative diseases, Journal of Neuroscience, 08 Mar 2022, 42(15):3197-3215 [Open Access]
ASSEM, M. , SHASHIDHARA, S., Glasser, M.F., DUNCAN, J.D. (2021) Precise topology of adjacent domain-general and sensory-biased regions in the human brain, Cerebral Cortex, 01 Jun 2022, 32(12):2521-2537 [Open Access]
EREZ, Y., ASSEM, M. , Coelho, P., Romero-Garcia, R., Owen, M., McDonald, A., Woodberry, E., Morris, R.C., Price, S.J., Suckling, J., DUNCAN, J.D., Hart, M.G., Santarius,T. (2020) Intraoperative mapping of executive function using electrocorticography for patients with low-grade gliomas, Acta Neurochirurgica (2020) [Open Access]
DUNCAN, J., ASSEM, M. , SHASHIDHARA, S. (2020) Integrated intelligence from distributed brain activity, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 24(10):838-852 [Open Access]
ASSEM, M. , Asher Blank, I., Mineroff, Z. Ademoglu,A., Fedorenko, E. (2020) Activity in the Fronto-Parietal Multiple-Demand Network is Robustly Associated with Individual Differences in Working Memory and Fluid Intelligence, Cortex, 131, October 2020, Pages 1-16 [Open Access]
ASSEM, M. , Glasser, M.F., Van Essen, D.C., DUNCAN, J.D. (2020) A Domain-General Cognitive Core Defined in Multimodally Parcellated Human Cortex, Cerebral Cortex, 30(8), 4361-4380 [Open Access]
