prof.dr.ir. B.C. Schwab (Bettina)

Professor
EEMCS-EE-BSS
b.c.schwab@utwente.nl
+31534891992
Business card

With a background in physics, I am interested in the dynamics of neural activity related to brain stimulation and central motor control. Using experimental and computational approaches, my lab investigates the basic mechanisms of electric brain stimulation. We also study the application of these methods for the modulation of functional connectivity in health and disease, including Parkinson's disease and stroke.

My current main projects are:

- DECODE (ERC Starting Grant) onĀ mechanisms of deep brain stimulation (computational/experimental/clinical)

- COMO (NWO Domain Science M-1 Grant) on opitmization of dual-site transcranial alternating current stimulation for connectivity modulation (computational/experimental)

- Multi-modal network modulation in Parkinson's disease (DFG Individual Research Grant) on combinations of noninvasive and invasive brain stimulation for Parkinson's (experimental/clinical)

- CFC_Stroke (DFG SFB 936, joint with Fanny Quandt) on neural dynamics of motor skill acquisition after stroke and their modulation with non-invasive brain stimulation (experimental/clinical).

Find out more about my lab on bettina-schwab.net.

Publications

2026

Spike-wave detection in ultra-long-term EEG recordings from patients with absence seizures (2026)Clinical neurophysiology, 190. Article 2111964. van Norden, S. J., Kho, K. H., Meppelink, A. M., Ardesch, J. J., Piastra, M. C., Schwab, B. C., Tjepkema-Cloostermans, M. C. & van Putten, M. J. A. M.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2026.2111964Phase-lag-dependent modulation of interhemispheric Ī²-band functional connectivity by dual-site tACS (2026)[Other contribution › Other contribution]. Huertas-Penen, S., Fiene, M., de Jong, B., Hagen, J., Heida, T., van Wezel, R. J. A. & Schwab, B. C.https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.14.751522Weak electric fields of deep brain stimulation can entrain spiking in multi-compartment cortical neuron models (2026)[Other contribution › Other contribution]. Bosman, M., Doorn, N., Meijer, H. G. E., Heida, T. & Schwab, B. C.https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.08.750085DeepPLL: Synchronization of non-invasive brain stimulation to deep brain stimulation (2026)Brain stimulation, 19(5). Article 103159. Toth, R., Ramón i García, N., Gann, M. A., Pötter-Nerger, M., Dozen, R., Zeitzschel, M. L., Sharott, A., Denison, T. & Schwab, B. C.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2026.103159Data supporting the publication: “DeepPLL: Synchronization of non-invasive brain stimulation to deep brain stimulation” (2026)[Dataset Types › Dataset]. 4TU.Centre for Research Data. Schwab, B.https://doi.org/10.4121/12846417-2bb9-4f96-a025-09ec93604628Cortical E-fields of deep brain stimulation in Parkinsonā€™s disease patients exceed typical E-field magnitudes of transcranial electrical stimulation (2026)[Other contribution › Other contribution]. Keizers, T., Thielscher, A., Puonti, O., Gulberti, A., Pötter-Nerger, M., Piastra, M. C. & Schwab, B.https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.06.06.730577Variable E-field properties of dual-site tACS with phase lags (2026)Imaging Neuroscience, 4, 1-16. Huertas-Penen, S., Piastra, M. C., Puonti, O. & Schwab, B. C.https://doi.org/10.1162/IMAG.a.1068Roles of beta synchronization for motor skill acquisition change after stroke (2026)Brain Communications, 8(2). Timmsen, L. S., Haverland, B., Wolf, S., Stagg, C. J., Feldheim, J., Luu, T. V., Schulz, R., Schneider, T. R., Quandt, F. & Schwab, B. C.https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcag077

2025

Roles of beta synchronisation for motor skill acquisition change after stroke (2025)[Working paper › Preprint]. MedRxiv. Timmsen, L. S., Haverland, B., Wolf, S., Stagg, C. J., Feldheim, J., Luu, T. V., Schulz, R., Schneider, T. R., Quandt, F. & Schwab, B. C.https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.01.25337084Dual-site beta transcranial alternating current stimulation during a bimanual coordination task modulates functional connectivity between motor areas (2025)Brain stimulation, 18(5), 1566-1578. Gann, M. A., Paparella, I., Zich, C., Grigoras, I.-F., Huertas-Penen, S., Rieger, S. W., Thielscher, A., Sharott, A., Stagg, C. J. & Schwab, B. C.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2025.08.011

Research profiles

Video on my new ERC Project

Lay comic on one of my experimental works

U-Today article on my ERC Starting Grant projectĀ 

Talk @ Computational Modeling in Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Workshop 2020

Report on my stay @ Wiko Berlin

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