10/2025 – 09/2026

Postdoc at the Institute of Sport Sciences, Dept. Sport and Exercise Psychology at Dortmund University (Prof. Dennis Dreiskämper)

since 11/2019

Postdoc (6.5 years) at the Institute of Psychology (Prof. Markus Raab), German Sport University Cologne

2019 – 2023

Associated researcher (5 years) at „iSearch“ (Prof. Azzurra Ruggeri) at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany

Promotion, 10/2018

Dr. rer. nat. in Psychology, Prof. Markus Raab, German Sport University Cologne, Germany

2014 – 2018

Pre-doctoral researcher (6 months) and PhD student (3.5 years) with a stipend from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation at the Institute of Psychology (Prof. Markus Raab), German Sport University Co-logne

• Visiting researcher (2 months) at „Early Cognitive Development Lab“ (Prof. Caren Walker) at the Institute of Psychology, University of California San Diego, USA
• Visiting researcher (3 months) at „iSearch“ (Prof.  Azzurra Ruggeri) at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany

2013 – 2014

Pre-doctoral researcher (6 months) at the Dept. of Health Psychology and Diagnostics (Prof. Britta Renner), University of Konstanz

M.Sc. Psychology, 2013
University of Konstanz, Deutschland

• Influence of cognitive processes on sports performance, especially in children at early developmental stages.

• Interaction and development of cognitive and motor processes during childhood, their changes through experience, and their contribution to predicting future (sports) expertise.

• Developmental embodied-cognition perspective on complex actions in sports.

• Interplay of sport-specific and general cognitive processes across different sports.

2025

Grove, P., Masters, R. S. W., Raab, M., Musculus, L., & Laborde, S. (2025). A holistic focus on the psychophysiology of reinvestment: A systematic review on reinvestment-related neural, cardiac vagal and oculomotor activity. Neuropsychologia, 215, 109139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109139

Maselli, A., Musculus, L., Moretti, R., d’Avella, A., Raab, M., & Pezzulo, G. (2025). Whole body coarticulation reflects expertise in sport climbing. Journal of Neurophysiology, 133(4), 1016–1033. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00341.2024

Musculus, L., Broeker, L., Tolentino-Castro, J. W., Hoffmann, S., Pedraza-Ramirez, I., Laborde, S., Lobinger, B., Borges, U., Liepelt, R., Pizzera, A., Schwiertz, A., & Raab, M. (2025). Reassessing the gut–cognition link: Exploring psychophysiological mechanisms of risky decision-making. Decision, 12(3), 216–245. https://doi.org/10.1037/dec0000261

Musculus, L., Ruggeri, A., Juppen, L., & Raab, M. (2025). Theory-driven development of an embodied-planning paradigm: Integrating methods for advancing theory. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 14(1), 214–230. https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000356

Pedraza-Ramirez, I., Musculus, L., Raab, M., Ramaker, B., & Laborde, S. (2025). Zooming in on decision making in esports: Exploring the perceptions of expert players and coaches. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 14(2), 335–351. https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000382

Siebert, L., Reichert, L., Musculus, L., Will, L., Al-Ghezi, A., Raab, M., & Zentgraf, K. (2025). How fast-and-frugal trees can inform diagnostic and intervention decisions for enhancing elite athlete performance. PLOS One, 20(8), e0329395. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0329395

Sperl, M. F. J., Attig, C., Baumgärtner, L., Behlau, C., Bergmann, B., Bienefeld, M., Biller, A. M., Brandt, N. D., Bühler, J. L., Frauhammer, L. T., Frick, S., Friehs, M.-T., Frischen, U., Handke, L., Hartmann, H., Hösterey, S., Hutmacher, F., Iffland, J. A., Irmer, J. P., … Wendt, A. N. (2025). Gute Betreuung, faire Bewertungen und angemessene Arbeitsbedingungen ermöglichen exzellente Promotionen in der Psychologie: Kommentar der Jungmitgliedervertretung der DGPs zum Positionspapier. Psychologische Rundschau, 76(3), 196–199. https://doi.org/10.1026/0033-3042/a000729

2024

Knöbel, S., Borchert, A., Gatzmaga, N., Heilmann, F., Musculus, L., Laborde, S., & Lautenbach, F. (2024). The impact of soccer-specific psychophysiological stress on inhibition and cognitive flexibility in elite youth players. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 74, 102682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2024.102682

Luis-del Campo, V., Morenas Martín, J., Musculus, L., & Raab, M. (2024). Embodied planning in climbing: How pre-planning informs motor execution. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1337878. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1337878

Zentgraf, K., Musculus, L., Reichert, L., Will, L., Roffler, A., Hacker, S., Hilpisch, C., Wiedenbrüg, K., Cermak, N., Lenz, C., De Haan, H., Mutz, M., Wiese, L., Al-Ghezi, A., Raab, M., & Krüger, K. (2024). Advocating individual-based profiles of elite athletes to capture the multifactorial nature of elite sports performance. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 26351. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-76977-8

2023

Heisler, S. M., Lobinger, B. H., & Musculus, L. (2023). A developmental perspective on decision making in young soccer players: The role of executive functions. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 65, 102362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102362

2022

Hintz, M., Lehmann, N., & Musculus, L. (2022). Elite Players Invest Additional Time for Making Better Embodied Choices. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 873474. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.873474

Lautenbach, F., Musculus, L., Knöbel, S., Reinhard, M. L., Holst, T., Poimann, D., & Pelka, M. (2022). Kognitionspsychologie im Fußball: Ein Anstoß für die Integration von Forschung und Praxis der Sportpsychologie. Zeitschrift für Sportpsychologie, 29(1), 19–29. https://doi.org/10.1026/1612-5010/a000351

Musculus, L., Lautenbach, F., Knöbel, S., Reinhard, M. L., Weigel, P., Gatzmaga, N., Borchert, A., & Pelka, M. (2022). An Assist for Cognitive Diagnostics in Soccer: Two Valid Tasks Measuring Inhibition and Cognitive Flexibility in a Soccer-Specific Setting With a Soccer-Specific Motor Response. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 867849. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.867849

Musculus, L., & Raab, M. (2022). A Developmental Perspective on Motor-Cognitive Interactions and Performance in Sports. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 61, 102202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102202

2021

Höner, O., Wachsmuth, S., Reinhard, M. L., & Schultz, F. (2021). Talententwicklung & Coaching im Sport: 53. Jahrestagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Sportpsychologie (asp) : Tübingen (online, 13.-15.05.2021). Universität Tübingen. https://doi.org/10.15496/PUBLIKATION-57943

Kalén, A., Bisagno, E., Musculus, L., Raab, M., Pérez-Ferreirós, A., Williams, A. M., Araújo, D., Lindwall, M., & Ivarsson, A. (2021). The role of domain-specific and domain-general cognitive functions and skills in sports performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 147(12), 1290–1308. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000355

Lautenbach, F., Löffler, J., Jeraj, D., & Musculus, L. (2021). High Fives: Effekte auf psychophysiologische Parameter und sportliche Leistung. Zeitschrift für Sportpsychologie, 28(2), 63–74. https://doi.org/10.1026/1612-5010/a000334

Lobinger, B., Musculus, L., & Bröker, L. (2021a). Biologische Psychologie und Sportpsychologie. In B. Lobinger, L. Musculus, & L. Bröker, Sportpsychologie (S. 75–85). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-63043-3_6

Lobinger, B., Musculus, L., & Bröker, L. (2021b). Sportpsychologie: Ein Überblick für Psychologiestudierende und -interessierte. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-63043-3

Michirev, A., Musculus, L., & Raab, M. (2021). A Developmental Embodied Choice Perspective Explains the Development of Numerical Choices. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 694750. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.694750

Musculus, L., Bäder, J., Sander, L., & Vogt, T. (2021). The Influence of Environmental Constraints in 360° Videos on Decision Making in Soccer. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 43(5), 365–374. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2020-0166

Musculus, L., Kinrade, N., Laborde, S., Gleißert, M., Streich, M., & Lobinger, B. H. (2021). Movement-Specific Reinvestment in Older People Explains Past Falls and Predicts Future Error-Prone Movements. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(10), 5129. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105129

Musculus, L., Ruggeri, A., & Raab, M. (2021). Movement Matters! Understanding the Developmental Trajectory of Embodied Planning. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 633100. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.633100

Musculus, L., Tünte, M. R., Raab, M., & Kayhan, E. (2021). An Embodied Cognition Perspective on the Role of Interoception in the Development of the Minimal Self. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 716950. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.716950

2020

Pedraza-Ramirez, I., Musculus, L., Raab, M., & Laborde, S. (2020). Setting the scientific stage for esports psychology: A systematic review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 13(1), 319–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2020.1723122