Gaia Lapomarda, PhD

I'm Gaia, an enthusiastic post-doctoral researcher at the Affective Neuro Lab in Innsbruck, where I explore the link between emotions, cognition, and bodily experiences.  I'm passionate about understanding how the brain and body work together to create and regulate emotions, and how individual differences impact cognition - like time perception and sustainable decision-making. By combining behavioral experiments, physiological measurements, and neuroimaging techniques (fMRI), I want to uncover the dynamic interplay between the brain and the body in shaping our emotional experiences.

My academic journey has allowed me to travel and explore different human and research perspectives. I started by earning my PhD at the University of Trento in Italy, enriched by a visiting period at Radboud University/Donders Institute in Nijmegen (NL). Next, I deepened my skills during two years of postdoctoral research at New York University in Abu Dhabi (UAE). In addition to my research, I'm a licensed psychologist specializing in sexology.

I support a multidisciplinary approach that explores new, practical ways to enhance emotional well-being by placing the body at the center. I believe in the strength that comes from collaboration, sharing, and open science.  Along with that, I care about connecting science with people, making research accessible, engaging, and relatable for everyone. That is why I'm part of Pint of Science Austria.

With my work, I want to highlight the importance of our emotions and embodied experiences in coloring our personal and interpersonal life.