Renee Thompson is an Associate Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Washington University, holding a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She leads the Emotion and Mental Health Lab, investigating everyday emotional experiences across developmental stages and clinical populations (e.g., major depressive disorder) using experience sampling and physiological methods. Her research examines emotion regulation dynamics, social media's impact on mental health, and interpersonal processes in psychopathology. Current projects analyze digital emotion regulation strategies and preadolescent suicide risk factors through intensive longitudinal designs. Recent publications focus on emotion differentiation, interpersonal regulation, and social media's affective consequences. Work demonstrates how emotional clarity mitigates depression and informs adaptive regulation. She maintains collaborations with institutions including Columbia University and the NIH.
Professor Beatriz Calvo Merino is a Cognitive Neuroscientist at City St George's, University of London, where she is affiliated with the Department of Psychology in the School of Health Sciences. She serves as Programme Director for the MSc Clinical, Social and Cognitive Neuroscience and the Joint PhD Programme in Psychology and Social Neuroscience with Sapienza University, Italy. Her academic journey includes training at University College London and Universidad Complutense de Madrid, with postdoctoral work at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. Research Interests: Her research explores the neural basis of action observation, sensorimotor expertise, and emotion perception, with a strong emphasis on dance and performing arts. She investigates how sensorimotor experience modulates aesthetic and emotional processing, contributing significantly to the field of neuroaesthetics. Her work integrates EEG, TMS, behavioral, and physiological methods to study embodiment and social cognition. Recent Research Trends: Her recent publications (2020–2025) reflect a sustained focus on embodiment in autism, emotion perception, multisensory integration, and the cognitive neuroscience of dance. She employs ERP and SEP methodologies to dissect somatosensory contributions to social perception, particularly in clinical populations. Her editorial and review work also highlights her leadership in methodological advancements in dance neuroscience. Scientific Awards: Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten Award (2018) British Association of Cognitive Neuroscience Early Career Award (2019) Grants and Collaborations: Her research has been supported by the ESRC, Leverhulme Trust, Wellcome Trust, Ramon y Cajal Fellowship, and City University funding schemes. She collaborates widely with the dance community, including the Royal Opera House Ballet, Laban Dance Centre, and choreographers such as Wayne McGregor, bridging science and the arts. Labs and Teams: She leads a research group focused on sensorimotor processing and neuroaesthetics within the Department of Psychology, contributing to the Cognitive and Social Neuroscience research theme at City St George's.
Dr. Erin Campbell is a behavioral neuroscientist at the University of Newcastle , currently holding a DECRA Fellowship within the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy . With a career spanning multiple prestigious institutions including the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and University of Melbourne , her research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying alcohol use disorder and stress-related relapse . Her work employs advanced techniques like optogenetics , chemogenetics , and neural tracing to map brain circuits involved in addiction and compulsive behaviors. PhD in Anatomy from University of Newcastle BPsych (Hons) from University of Newcastle Dr. Campbell's research investigates alcohol-seeking relapse mechanisms , stress-induced binge eating , and orexin system functionality . Her work spans neural circuit mapping, neurotransmitter analysis, and translational studies with clinical implications. She's particularly interested in context-induced relapse , sex differences in addiction , and environmental enrichment effects on recovery. Her publication record shows a strong focus on insular cortex , nucleus accumbens shell , and lateral hypothalamus research. Key themes include glutamatergic projections , opioid receptor antagonists , and serotonin receptor targets . Her recent grant funding includes NARSAD Young Investigator Grants and DECRA Fellowship for AUD research. 2025: $107,931 NARSAD grant for serotonin-targeted AUD treatments 2022: $437,403 ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2019: $772,521 NHMRC project grant 2018: $100,000 Perpetual Limited grant for suvorexant AUD research Dr. Campbell actively supervises 8 completed and 4 ongoing research projects , mentoring students in behavioral neuroscience , stress-related compulsivity , and reward-seeking mechanisms . Her teaching experience includes guest lectures at Victoria University and University of Melbourne on neuroscience of behavior and clinical genetics .
Sonia Pellissier is a Lecturer at the LIP/PC2S laboratory (Université Savoie Mont Blanc). She leads the "Prevention" thematic axis and the Psychology of stress and emotional regulation group within the national ABC Psychotraumas network . Her research focuses on the bio-psycho-social interactions of stress, emotions, and the vagus nerve, particularly in chronic inflammatory diseases (Crohn's, colitis) and functional disorders (IBS). Research keywords: vagus nerve, stress, emotions, inflammatory bowel disease, interoception, mindfulness, hypnosis Current projects include clinical trials on vagal neurostimulation for Crohn's disease (NCT01569503), longitudinal studies on HRV as a predictor of relapse, and PTSD prevention in high-risk mountain workers Collaborations: GIN neuroimaging center (Ch. Delon), Translational Research Center for GI Diseases (U. Louvain), LPNC, IRBA, DGA, and teams in Switzerland/Paris Therapeutic innovations: cardiac coherence, mindfulness, hypnosis, and vagal neurostimulation for stress-related pathologies
Prof. Sander Koole is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences and APH - Mental Health at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He specializes in Clinical Psychology and serves as Chief Editor at Taylor & Francis since 2018. His research focuses on Emotion Regulation , Interpersonal Synchrony , and Adaptive Behavioral Systems , with over 195 publications and 15 supervised PhD theses. His work bridges clinical practice with computational models, addressing topics like mental health in pandemics and human-robot interaction. Research Interests: Emotion Regulation Dynamics Multimodal Interpersonal Synchrony Computational Models of Coregulation Psychotherapy and Mental Health Cultural and Cognitive Foundations of Behavior Awards & Grants: Best Paper Awards (2015, 2000, 1995) Consolidator Grant (2011) Academic Excellence in Psychology (1991) Advising & Grants: Supervisor of 15 PhD theses. Research funded by grants addressing emotion regulation and mental health. Active in media commentary on topics like stress, self-esteem, and societal well-being. Labs/Teams: Collaborates on projects involving computational neuroscience, clinical psychology, and interdisciplinary teams at VU Amsterdam.
Jacqueline Sullivan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Western University, with affiliations at the Rotman Institute of Philosophy and the Western Institute for Neuroscience. She holds a PhD in History and Philosophy of Science (2007) and a MS in Neuroscience (2003) from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research bridges philosophy of science with cognitive and translational neuroscience, focusing on experimental practices, mental disorder classification, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Her work analyzes scientific methodologies in cognitive neuroscience and mental health research, emphasizing construct stabilization and taxonomic coherence. Sullivan employs mixed methods including ethnography, qualitative interviews, and autoethnography alongside traditional philosophical analysis. Notable collaborations involve translational neuroscientists to address epistemic challenges in drug development and clinical practice. Recent projects examine interoception mechanisms in anorexia nervosa, psychedelic drug research epistemology, and regulatory frameworks for drug discovery. She critiques existing practice frameworks in criminal psychology and advocates for cumulative progress through coordinated pluralism in scientific taxonomy. Sullivan's lab participates in initiatives like the MouseTRAP platform for open science translational research. Her contributions span neuroscience policy, neuroethics, and the philosophy of medicine, with a focus on bridging conceptual analysis with empirical practice. Current research explores neuroplasticity mechanisms in motor learning and the philosophical implications of emerging neuroscience technologies.
Vera Vine is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Queen's University, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Science. Her research focuses on biopsychosocial mechanisms in youth emotion dysregulation, particularly exploring the roles of emotional awareness and interoception in psychopathology. She employs behavioral, psycholinguistic, and biological methodologies to study emotion experience and its social and physiological foundations. Dr. Vine holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Yale University (2016), preceded by an M.Phil. (2012) and M.S. (2011) from Yale, and a B.A. in Psychology from Harvard University (2006). Her work has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Her research interests span neurosciences, psychosocial determinants of health, and cognitive sciences. Notably, she investigates emotion vocabulary's impact on mental health, autonomic nervous system responses in clinical populations, and the interplay between parental behaviors and child emotional development. She leads the Emotion, Mind & Body Lab , emphasizing translational research bridging basic science and clinical applications. Vera Vine has received awards for both teaching and research excellence. Her recent studies highlight the significance of emotion awareness in mental health outcomes, with a focus on adolescent suicide risk, family interactions, and physiological biomarkers of psychopathology. She collaborates widely, integrating multidisciplinary approaches to address complex mental health challenges.
Liane Schmidt is a cognitive neuroscientist and Principal Investigator (PI) at INSERM (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research) since 2017, affiliated with the Brain Institute . She leads the Control-Interoception-Attention research team, focusing on how beliefs, mindsets, and self-talk influence motivation, decision-making, interoception, and medical treatment responsiveness. Her research combines functional MRI , behavioral testing , and computational modeling to explore neurocognitive mechanisms in healthy individuals and patients with psychiatric conditions like depression and autism. Collaborations include institutions such as Columbia University, INSEAD, and Sorbonne University. PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from Pierre and Marie Curie University (2017) Postdoctoral training at Columbia University (Psychology Department) and INSEAD (Marketing Department) Current affiliation: INSERM, Brain Institute Her publications include studies on prefrontal cortex roles in self-control, placebo effects in Parkinson's disease, and neural valuation systems. She collaborates with teams like PICNIC Lab (neuropsychology and functional neuroimaging) and works alongside researchers such as Philippe Fossati.
Niklas Schulte serves as a Researcher in the Department of Psychological Diagnostics, Differential and Personality Psychology within the Department of Education and Psychology at Free University of Berlin since 2022. Previously, he held a Researcher position in Work and Organizational Psychology at Ulm University (2019-2021) and co-founded a personnel selection consulting firm during 2020-2021. Education: B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Psychology and Business Administration from University of Münster and Columbia University (2012-2017), funded by Cusanuswerk scholarship Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) from University of Münster (2017-2021) under Prof. Heinz Holling, researching ‘Statistical Properties of Forced-Choice Questionnaires in Applicant Personality Measurement’, supported by Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes and Cusanuswerk scholarships Research Focus: Dr. Schulte specializes in personality assessment under high-stakes conditions , with emphasis on forced-choice methodologies , faking resistance , and diversity impacts in personnel selection. His work bridges cognitive psychology and organizational behavior , investigating how socio-economic status correlates with psychological outcomes and how response formats affect measurement validity. Publication Trends: Recent work (2022-2025) demonstrates increasing focus on innovative assessment techniques like graded paired comparisons as alternatives to forced-choice questionnaires, alongside meta-analyses of ethnicity-based biases in selection processes and exploration of core belief systems related to socio-economic status. Scientific Recognition: Prize for Outstanding Teaching (Ulm University, 2020/21) Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes Doctoral Scholarship Cusanuswerk Scholarships (undergraduate and doctoral) Academic Contributions: He has taught ‘Test Theory’ and ‘Foundations of Psychological Diagnostics’ lectures, supervised the ‘Millionaire’s Mindset’ student research group (2023), and chaired symposia at major conferences including the German Psychological Society Congress. His research integrates methodological rigor with practical personnel selection applications. Research Environment: As part of Prof. Stefan Krumm’s team at FU Berlin, he contributes to cutting-edge diagnostics research while maintaining active collaborations across European institutions, particularly evident in his multi-institutional publications.
Beatriz Calvo-Merino is an Associate Professor in Cognitive Neuroscience at City, University of London, where she also directs the MSc Clinical, Social, and Cognitive Neuroscience and the Joint PhD Programme in Psychology and Social Neuroscience. Her research focuses on sensorimotor processes, neuroaesthetics, and dance cognition, often collaborating with institutions like the Royal Opera House Ballet and Laban Dance Centre. She has received prestigious awards, including the 2019 BACN Early Career Award and the 2018 Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten Award for contributions to neuroaesthetics. Her work combines fMRI, EEG, and behavioral studies to explore how sensorimotor expertise influences perception and aesthetic experiences. Education includes PhD training at University College London and Universidad Complutense de Madrid, with postdoctoral research at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. She has pioneered interdisciplinary projects bridging neuroscience and performing arts, funded by ESRC, Leverhulme Trust, and Wellcome Trust. Despite career breaks for family, she maintains active research while supporting junior researchers. Notable collaborations include studies on dancers' interoceptive accuracy and multisensory perception of emotions. Research Themes: Sensorimotor aesthetics, embodied cognition, emotion perception Awards: BACN Early Career Award (2019), Baumgarten Award (2018), Ramon y Cajal Fellowship Key Projects: Dance-brain interactions, autism emotion perception, robotics-induced yawning studies
Laura Kiken is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Kent State University. Her research focuses on mindfulness-based interventions, cognitive bias, emotional regulation, and health behavior. She explores how mindfulness influences psychological health outcomes, including reducing negativity bias and enhancing positive emotions. Her work spans topics like mind-body therapies, interoceptive accuracy in chronic disease management, and the role of magical thinking in health decisions. Her research interests include mindfulness mechanisms, psychological distress reduction, and the application of mindfulness in clinical and everyday contexts. She has conducted studies on laboratory eating behaviors, diabetes self-management, and the impact of meditation practices on trait mindfulness development. Her work bridges cognitive psychology, health behavior studies, and clinical applications. Key articles highlight mindfulness's role in cognitive-emotional processes, such as attenuating negative thoughts and fostering positive judgments. She has also investigated the underutilization of health information resources and the interplay between physical activity recommendations and public health behavior. While no scientific awards or grants are explicitly listed, her contributions to psychological science and health behavior research are evident through her publication record. She currently has no listed advisees or lab affiliations in the provided materials.
Nuno Barbosa-Rocha, PhD is an Associate Professor and Vice-President at the School of Health of Polytechnic of Porto (ESS | P.PORTO). He serves as a Senior Researcher (integrated member) at NeuroLab and Director of the Center for Translational Health and Medical Biotechnology Research (TBIO). His research focuses on cognitive/social dysfunctions in mental disorders, leveraging behavioral methods and brain stimulation for intervention development. He pioneers scalable digital solutions for translational health, emphasizing personalized interventions and cognitive monitoring through data-driven approaches. Education: PhD in Psychology from the University of Porto (2012). His work bridges clinical neuroscience and technology, addressing mental health challenges through innovative solutions like EEG sensors for sleep studies and video-based stress monitoring systems. He actively explores the impact of digital media on child development and workplace well-being, with cross-national studies on psychosis-like experiences contributing to global mental health research. Research Interests: Cognitive remediation, digital health technologies, neurophysiological interventions, and occupational health strategies. His lab develops unobtrusive sensors and AI models for real-world health applications, advancing personalized care paradigms. Key innovations include wearable EEG devices and multimodal stress detection systems. Labs/Teams: Directs TBIO Center and collaborates with NeuroLab. Active in translational research bridging academia-industry partnerships. His work emphasizes ethical AI implementation and scalable healthcare solutions.
Professor Christopher Ring is a faculty member in the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Birmingham, where he has been working since 1995. He holds the academic rank of Professor in Psychology and contributes significantly to research and teaching in psychophysiology and sport psychology. BSc in Psychology, University of Hull, UK MSc and PhD in Psychology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA His research interests are broad and interdisciplinary, focusing on skill acquisition , performance under pressure (including 'choking' in sport), cheating in sport , interoception , and the social neuroscience of morality in sport . He also investigates how exercise and mental stress affect immune responses to vaccination, sensorimotor function, and cardiovascular reactivity. His recent publications reflect a strong trend in psychophysiological mechanisms underlying sport performance, moral behavior in athletes , and inflammation-immune-cognitive interactions . His work often integrates physiological measures (e.g., EEG, heart rate, blood pressure) with behavioral and psychological assessments. He has received grants from research councils, charities, and industry, and has collaborated with international experts. He teaches a popular third-year module on the psychophysiology of sport and has supervised over 30 doctoral students who now work at universities worldwide. His research lab focuses on experimental psychophysiology, with studies involving stress testing, vaccination trials, motor performance tasks, and moral decision-making paradigms. He continues to lead innovative research on behavioral adjuvants to vaccination and the neural basis of expert performance.
Prof. Dr. med. Th. Hummel is a senior physician and department head at the ENT Clinic of the Carl Gustav Carus Medical Faculty, Technical University of Dresden. He leads the Interdisciplinary Center for Smell and Taste and the 'Smell and Taste' department, with a distinguished career in clinical and research aspects of chemosensory function. Education: Human Medicine, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (1980–1986) Promotion (MD Thesis), University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (1987) Habilitation in Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (1996) Extraordinary Professorship, TU Dresden (2003) His research focuses on the physiology and pharmacology of smell, taste, and trigeminal sensation , employing psychophysical, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging methods. He investigates chemosensory dysfunction in neurological (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s), psychiatric (schizophrenia), and systemic conditions, as well as post-traumatic and post-infectious loss. His work includes developing diagnostic tools like the Sniffin’ Sticks and Universal Sniff Test. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on olfactory training, neural correlates of smell, chemosensory changes in disease, and methodological innovation in sensory testing , often using fMRI, EEG, and large-scale clinical data. Scientific Awards: ECRO Award for Excellence in Chemosensory Research (1996) Alexander von Humboldt Prize (2009) Professor Dr. Ludwig-Haymann Prize (2018) Prof. Hummel has held editorial roles in major journals including Chemical Senses , European Archives of Otorhinolaryngology , and PLoS One . He has not explicitly listed advisees, but his extensive collaborative network suggests mentorship of junior researchers. His research is supported by numerous publications and high citation metrics (h-index 114, over 52,000 citations). He is actively involved in multiple research consortia across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, focusing on smell and taste disorders. His lab contributes to both clinical diagnostics and fundamental neuroscience of chemoreception.
Dr. Julia F. Christensen is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Warburg Institute, London, working with the B.I.A.S. project under Prof Manos Tsakiris, while maintaining an active affiliation with City St George's, University of London as an academic researcher. She is also an honorary member of University College London's Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, reflecting her cross-institutional collaborations in cognitive neuroscience and psychology. Her educational background combines professional dance training with advanced neuroscience research, culminating in a PhD from the University of the Balearic Islands and University of Vienna. Her doctoral work investigated affective responses to expressive body movement, supervised by Professor Camilo Cela-Conde and Dr. Marcos Nadal. Dr. Christensen's research focuses on the cognitive and neural underpinnings of emotional expertise, particularly in dancers and artists. She examines how movement expertise modulates emotional perception, interoception, and sense of agency through behavioral, psychophysiological, and neuroimaging methods. Her work bridges dance science, moral psychology, and neuroethics, exploring topics from evolutionary functions of art to legal responsibility in emotional contexts. Analysis of her publications reveals strong interdisciplinary trends connecting emotion science with movement expertise, particularly in dance perception and agency modulation. Her research consistently demonstrates how specialized training alters neural processing of emotional stimuli, with significant contributions to understanding autism through interoceptive frameworks and exploring moral cognition through intentional binding paradigms. Her scientific recognition includes: Newton International Research Fellow (British Academy, 2015-2017) Dr. Christensen has secured competitive research funding from the British Academy (2015-2017) and Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (2010-2014). Her current collaborations include the B.I.A.S. project at the Warburg Institute and ongoing work with City St George's on emotion perception frameworks, building on previous affiliations with City University's Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit and Autism Research Group. She is embedded in multiple research ecosystems including the Warburg Institute's dance movement library project, City St George's psychology department collaborations, and UCL's Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience networks, where she previously investigated sense of agency under Professor Patrick Haggard.
