One of her research priorities is to explore how the human brain organizes its neuronal capacities, to enable meaningful information processing.

Priesemann's doctoral thesis focused on propagation dynamics in neural networks and the role of phase transitions in information processing.

She is initiator of a Pan-European Statement,[9][10] which emphasizes the need for a common European approach to COVID-19 containment and presents a clear action plan.

The weekly newspaper Die Zeit devoted a multi-page dossier to the mathematical study of the pandemic by Priesemann and her research group at the Max Planck Institute in December 2020.

In addition to looking at the basic reproduction number (R), Priesemann observed that besides the risks associated with the R-value rising above 1, a further tipping point may be reached when the number of infections is rising so fast that the health authorities fail to identify infected persons, tested as positive fast enough to test (and if necessary isolate) contact persons.