I am a cognitive neuroscientist and my research focuses on the intricate interplay between language and emotion. I investigate this interplay using EEG, facial EMG, skin conductance and behavioral measures. In a series of experiments we explored how readers emotionally engage with narratives. This work reveals that frowning muscle activity reflects both the simulation, or re-enactment, of characters' emotions and the reader's moral evaluations, providing insight into affective language processing and supporting broader theories of embodied cognition.
I am coordinator of the interdisciplinary minor Brains & Bodies and the Language module in the RMa Neuroscience & Cognition. For my current courses please see the Teaching tab.
As an expert in biosignals I work 1,5 day a week as the manager of the ILS Biolab. Apart from developing analysis procedures for biosignals, I also train and collaborate with researchers who would like to use biosignals for their research. Currently, I am the Humanities ambassador for Utrecht Brain. Please reach out if you are interested in adding neuroscientific methods to your line of research.
As a member of the Open Science Community Utrecht () and former ambassador for the faculty of Humanities you can reach out if you have any questions about Open Science.