Speaker:
Aleksandra Herman, PhD
Date:
Monday, September 21, 2026
Time:
12:30
Location:
Aula 11.1.8 (Campus Getafe)
Abstract
How do interactions between the body and brain shape the way we experience and respond to the world around us? And what happens when this communication goes awry? In this talk, I will present my work investigating how altered bodily experiences and interoception relate to cognition, motivation, and decision-making. Using fibromyalgia as a model of disrupted body–brain interactions, I will discuss findings on how people represent bodily and emotional states and how these experiences may influence decisions involving effort, rewards, and delays. Together, this work highlights the importance of the body in shaping cognition and behaviour, and raises broader questions about how disruptions in body–brain communication may affect everyday functioning.
About the Speaker
Aleksandra Herman, PhD, is a cognitive neuroscientist at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, currently visiting the i_mBODY Lab. She investigates how bodily signals (interoception) influence human behaviour and decision-making, and the neural mechanisms underlying these effects. She also studies what happens when body–brain communication malfunctions, for example in chronic pain conditions. Her work combines psychophysiology, behavioural methods and neuroimaging.
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If you are interested in giving a talk please write an email to: lab.imbody@gmail.com.