Sandra Carvalho

Sandra Carvalho is an Assistant Professor of Neuropsychology at the Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, where she serves as Director of the Psychology Course and Coordinator of the Translational Neuropsychology Laboratory. Her work integrates clinical practice with cutting-edge research in neuromodulation and neuroimaging to address complex psychiatric and neurological conditions.

Her research program focuses on non-invasive brain stimulation techniques including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), combined with EEG and fMRI methodologies. She investigates neuronal and behavioral correlates of clinical responses across diverse conditions such as neuropathic pain, obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders, major depression, Tourette’s syndrome, and post-stroke cognitive rehabilitation. This work spans basic neuroscience, translational applications, and clinical trial implementation.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strategic emphasis on personalized neuromodulation protocols, with growing attention to brain connectivity mapping through neuroimaging. Key trends include optimizing tDCS parameters for depression treatment, developing combined tDCS-cognitive therapy approaches, and expanding applications to language rehabilitation in aphasia and autonomic regulation in emotion processing.

Dr. Carvalho leads the Translational Neuropsychology Laboratory, which operates at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, and clinical medicine. The laboratory prioritizes rapid translation of mechanistic findings into practical clinical interventions, particularly through evidence-based neuromodulation frameworks for treatment-resistant psychiatric and neurological conditions.