About me
I hold a PhD in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience and a MSc+BSc in Biomedical Engineering, currently working at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute of the University of Minho in Portugal funded by a La Caixa Junior Leader Fellowship.
I have visiting positions at the Center for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing at the University of Oxford, UK, at the Shemesh lab at the Champalimaud Center for the Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal and at the Center for Music in the Brain in Aarhus University, Denmark.
My main interest is to investigate the fundamental principles underlying brain function. In other words, I am curious about the most primitive biophysical mechanisms at the genesis of coordinated brain activity, ultimately leading to our thoughts and actions. In my research, I test hypothetical mechanistic scenarios using analytical and numerical methods to investigate fundamental brain mechanisms.
Our brain is a highly complex structure composed by nearly 100 billion neurons interconnected through more than 100 trillion synapses, but also containing astrocytes, ions, fluids, neurotransmitters, membranes, ventricles, etc. Using synthetic network models, it is possible to simulate the behavior of coupled neural populations aiming to reproduce the spatio-temporal patterns of oscillatory activity observed in the resting human brain. Interestingly, certain mental illnesses have been associated with alterations in these dynamical patterns. Therefore, I believe that investigating the brain's dynamics will not only shed light on the "who we are" question but also provide new insights to fight neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Place of birth: Oporto, Portugal
E-mail: joanacabral@med.uminho.pt
Family: Mother of 3