Axel is heading the Experimental Neuropsychology Unit at Saarland University. His main research interests are the neurocognitive basis of learning, memory and cognitive control. He examines the neural underpinnings of these processes using event-related potentials (ERPs), EEG frequency measures as well as fMRI.

In the RTG, Axel is the principal investigator of project B3 and the secondary supervisor of project B5.