See the following links for PDFs of my:

• CV

• Resume

• NYU Transcript

• UC Berkeley Transcript

EDUCATION

PhD in Cognition & Perception

New York University  |  GPA: 3.9/4.0  |  May 2028               

• Advisor: Dr. Denis Pell

• Research areas: neuroaesthetics, visual perception, emotion

• Research methods: behavioral, computational, psychophysics

• Relevant coursework: Math Tools for Cognitive and Neural Science, Regression, Neuroeconomics, Perception, fMRI Lab

MA in Experimental Humanities & Social Engagement

New York University  |  GPA: 4.0/4.0  |  May 2023

• Advisors: Dr. Lori Cole and Dr. Denis Pelli

• Relevant coursework: Machine Learning, Computational Cognitive Modeling, Affective Neuroscience, Psychology of Music, Intro to Art Therapy, Digital Humanities, Philosophy of Aesthetics, UX Design

BA in Applied Mathematics – Statistics, Minor in Spanish

University of California, Berkeley  |  GPA: 3.9/4.0  |  May 2018

• Relevant coursework: Perception, Neuroscience, Probability, Computer Science in Python, Physics, Modern Philosophy

PUBLICATIONS

Bruns, A., Hu, F., Winawer, J., & Pelli, D. G. (in prep). Measuring correlations to assess biomarkers.

Bruns, A., & Agrawal, T. (in prep). Emotion affects art preference through feeling moved.

Bruns, A., Igdalova, A., & Pelli, D. G. (in prep). Image engagement depends on the caption.

Pombo, M., Majaj, N. J., Bruns, A., Kim, M., & Pelli, D. G. (in prep). Crowding explains reading speed and comfort.

Bruns, A., & Pelli, D. G. (in prep). Measuring the effect of social-media style interventions on one’s sense of their own beauty.

Bruns, A., & Pelli, D. G. (2025). Empathy strengthens beauty. (Preprint)

Bruns, A., Pombo, M., Ripollés, P., & Pelli, D. G. (2023). Emotions of subject and object affect beauty differently for images and music. Journal of Vision, 23(13), 6–6.

Bruns, A. (2018). Perception and Presence: Minimalist Grids, Dutch Interiors, and Physical-Temporal Space. Boston Art Review, 1.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Agrawal, T., & Bruns, A. (2025). The effect of emotion on art preference depends on feelings of being moved. Talk at the International Conference on Beauty and Change, Turin, Italy.

Bruns, A., Hu, F., Kim, M., Winawer, J., & Pelli, D. G. (2025). Measuring correlations in vision. Poster at the Vision Science Society meeting, St. Pete Beach, FL. 

Bruns, A., & Pelli, D. G. (2025). Empathy strengthens beauty. Poster at the Society for Affective Science meeting and its Positive Emotions Pre-Conference, Portland, OR.

Bruns, A., & Agrawal, T. (2025). The effect of emotion on art preference depends on feelings of being moved. Talk at the Division 10 of the American Psychological Association (Society for the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, & the Arts) meeting, New Haven, CT.

Bruns, A., & Pelli, D. G. (2024). Empathy strengthens the effect of emotion on beauty. Poster at the 2024 Psychonomic Society meeting, New York City.

Pelli, D. G., & Bruns, A. (2024). Empathy strengthens the effect of emotion on beauty. Talk at the 2024 International Conference on Beauty and Change, Turin, Italy.

Bruns, A., Igdalova, A., & Pelli, D. G. (2024). Curator-written captions boost aesthetic engagement. Poster at the 2024 International Association of Empirical Aesthetics meeting, Palma, Spain.

Bruns, A., Chamberlain, R., Drake, J. E., & Sherman, A. (2024). Emotion in art experience. Symposium at the 2024 Division 10 of the American Psychological Association (Society for the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, & the Arts) meeting, Denton, TX.

Bruns, A., & Pelli, D. G. (2023). The effect of emotion on beauty depends on accompanying text. Poster at the 2023 European Conference for Visual Perception, Paphos, Cyprus. Poster Award winner.

Bruns, A., Gao, M., Dendukuri, A., & Eubank, J. (2023). Deep Network Representation of Art Style Similarity Judgments. Poster at the 2023 Vision Science Society meeting, St. Pete Beach, FL. 

Bruns, A., Pombo, M., Ripollés, P., & Pelli, D. G. (2022). Beauty and emotion of music and images: Emotions make more emotional objects more beautiful. Talk at the 2022 International Association for Empirical Aesthetics meeting, Philadelphia, PA.

AWARDS

Seed Grant. (2025). Music and Audio Research Laboratory (MARL) funding for new projects that bring together scholars working at the intersection of music, sound, science, and technology. 

Travel Grant. (2024). Empirical Visual Aesthetics Lab Summer School, University of Vienna, Austria.

Poster Award. (2023). The effect of emotion on beauty depends on accompanying text. European Conference for Visual Perception, Paphos, Cyprus. (Awarded to four posters at the conference.)

Travel Grant. (2023). Vision Science Society meeting, St. Pete Beach, FL.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Graduate Researcher, Pelli Lab, New York University                                                                   

Supervisor: Dr. Denis Pelli  |  Jan 2022 – Present

• Conduct end-to-end psychology experiments that ask how emotion impacts aesthetic judgments, including reviewing relevant research to inform project goals and plan, designing surveys, iterating based on pilot data and participant feedback, modeling results using Python and R, and presenting work at lab meetings and conferences.

Research Assistant, History of Art Department, UC Berkeley                                                            

Supervisor: Dr. Sugata Ray  |  Sept 2017 – May 2018

• Performed primary and secondary research in English and Spanish using UC Berkeley library, online databases, and image archives, examining visual representations of nature created by Spanish explorers in the Philippines.

• Developed literature reviews in support of Sugata Ray’s 2019 book Climate Change and the Art of Devotion.

Research Assistant, Concepts & Cognition Lab, UC Berkeley                                                                 

Supervisors: Dr. Ny Vasil, Dr. Tania Lombrozo, and Dr. Alison Gopnik  |  Jan 2016 – Dec 2016

• Recruited and conducted tests with 4- to 7-year-old participants to study the development of causal reasoning.

• Collaborated with lab members (psychologists and philosophers) on experimental and survey design.

• Presented a proposal for a study on the relationship between the simplicity and the efficacy of mathematical explanation

TEACHING

Instructor, Psychology Department, New York University                                                                          

Course: “Intro to Psychology”  |  Summer 2025

Teaching Assistant, Psychology Department, New York University

Course: “Intro to Psychology”  |  Instructor: Dr. Jay Van Bavel  |  Spring 2025

Teaching Assistant, Psychology Department, New York University                                                                         

Course: “Intro to Psychology”  |  Instructor: Kareena del Rosario  |  Summer 2024

Teaching Assistant, Psychology Department, New York University  

Course: “Experiments in Beauty”  |  Instructor: Dr. Denis Pelli  |  Fall 2022

Teaching Assistant, Anthropology Department, New York University     

Course: “The Social Lives of Museums”  |  Instructor: Dr. Urmila Mohan  |  Fall 2021

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

Product Manager, Tonic, New York City  |  Dec 2022 – Mar 2024                                               

• Partnered with Tonic CEO and Heretic Ventures in launching a fine art gallery that brings together generative art on the blockchain, accompanying physical artworks, and interior design.

Associate Merchandising Manager, Art, Minted, San Francisco  |  May 2019 – Aug 2021

• Conducted qualitative and quantitative user research and business analysis to support C-suite and product management in defining art business initiatives and product roadmap, then managed resulting projects to completion.

• Leveraged consumer rating and sales data to select winners of Minted art challenges, as part of their crowdsourcing e-commerce model.

• Worked with Artist Relations team and directly with artists to ensure Minted provided its global community of independent artists with adequate compensation, career support, and community-building opportunities.

Gallery Development Coordinator, Abrams Claghorn Gallery, Albany, CA  |  Sept 2018 – July 2019

• Obtained funding through loans and grants, and provided artists with grant application support.

• Collaborated with Gallery owner on curatorial strategy and planning exhibition calendar.

Project Lead, Restoration Hardware Corporate Office, Marin, CA  |   June 2018 – May 2019

• Managed Outlet marketing operations, tracking marketing performance metrics in Excel to determine returns on investment and coordinating execution of marketing strategies through collaboration with internal teams and outside agencies.

SKILLS

Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Limited Working Proficiency)

Programming: Proficient in Python Pandas, Matplotlib, PyTorch, Scikit-learn), R, and MATLAB

Software: Qualtrics, PsychoPy, Prolific, JASP, Looker, Jira, AirTable, Contentsquare, Google and MS Office Suites