Cecilia Vezzani is a PhD student in Neuroscience – Medical Psychology at the University of Bonn, Germany, and a member of neuroMADLAB led by Prof. Nils Kroemer. She completed her Master in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Oslo, Norway. Her research focuses on how gut-brain interaction shapes our motivation and decision towards specific goals. In particular, She studies how stimulation of the vagus nerve affects reinforcement learning and decision-making towards rewarding outcomes.

Project description:

How we evaluate risk is of fundamental importance in our everyday life. While it is common belief that hunger leads to more impulsive choices, this impulsivity can be fundamental when the riskier choice is also the most advantageous one. How we make decisions is based on different control systems, which reflect our impulsivity and cognitive control and are affected by internal and external factors such as our metabolic state. However, how metabolic state influences our evaluation of risk is still highly debated. The aim of this project is to explore how individual levels of impulsivity and perceived cognitive control interact with metabolism, affecting our risk preferences in a real-life setting.

If you feel like Cecilia’s project is the one for you, you can apply to join her team at jSchool 2023! To get more information on how to apply, the deadlines, and more, visit this page.