i_mBODY Lab had a strong representation at the 8th European Society for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (ESCAN) conference in beautiful Rome
Our PI, Ana Tajadura-Jiménez, participated in the newly formed Special Interest group for Research on Embodied Neuroscience (SIREN) with a talk ‘Sensing the body through sound: Auditory-driven changes in body representation and body-centred applications for health’, and talked about our extensive work with wearable technology and health in the Social Cognition symposium with a talk titled ‘Shaping body-perception, behavior, and affect through sound: Multisensory integration and health support in physical inactivity, pain, and other health conditions’. Additionally, two of our doctoral students presented their current work using sensory stimuli (sound and haptics) to alter body perception. Inés Fernandez-Vallejo presented the poster ‘Altered modulation of body perception and affect through movement sonification in individuals with depressive symptoms’ and Karunya Srinivasan presented the poster ‘Growing bigger than the gap: Investigating body-space interactions during a haptic illusion altering perceived body size’. Happy to have met old and new collaborators in Rome and to be part of this very engaged community of researchers.
Ana Tajadura-Jiménez Invited Speaker at Embodiment: 20 Years On Symposium in Venice
Ana Tajadura-Jiménez participated as an invited speaker at the international symposium Embodiment: 20 Years On, held in Venice, Italy, on 21–22 May 2026. The event brought together leading researchers in neuroscience, cognitive science, virtual reality, robotics, and human embodiment to discuss recent advances and future directions in embodiment research. Ana’s talk, “Sensing the Body through Sound: Body Transformation Experiences and Applications for Health”, presented research from the i_mBODY Lab on how auditory and multisensory feedback can alter body perception, giving rise to Body Transformation Experiences (BTEs). The presentation highlighted how these experiences can influence emotion, behavior, and well-being, and discussed their potential applications in health, rehabilitation, and other real-world contexts. The symposium featured an outstanding lineup of invited speakers, including researchers working on body ownership, virtual embodiment, prosthetics, memory, emotion, and consciousness. Ana’s participation contributed to ongoing discussions about how multisensory technologies can deepen our understanding of the embodied self and support innovative approaches to health and well-being.