Alumna, University College
Thesis Title: The dyad of maternal depression and its consequences for emotional development in infancy. Face-to-face interaction, mirror neurons, and embodied simulation of negative affect in the context of brain maturation.
About
I am fascinated by the study of (developing) human neurophysiology in its environment (main interest sociocultural context; the manifestation of social interaction in organism structure and vice verse) and implications (of context specific neurophysiological configuration) for perception and experience.
My main research interests entail self, intersubjectivity, emotion, psychopathology (disorders of affect in particular), and neuroplasticity.
In my investigations, I integrate neurophilosophy, cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, cultural studies, and phenomenology.
Schools of thought that I find inspirational are embodied embedded cognition, enactivism, connectionism, dynamical systems theory, functionalism, and radical constructivism (second order cybernetics, Heinz von Foerster). I find the concept of affordance particularly helpful in understanding the interconnectivity of brain, body and environment.
Also, I engage in photography, music, and creative writing, and I enjoy uniting these activities with my academic interest. In that context, I am interested in the impact of sociocultural practice and space on the organisation of neural systems (of affect) and vice verse. In particular visual culture and music are my interests.
