Alumni Spotlight - Katja

I completed my Masters in the IMAGE Otago research group in 2022, where I worked on developing models of interoceptive learning (how we perceive and learn from our internal bodily states) and investigating the relationship to anxiety. Currently I am working on my PhD at the Translational Neuromodeling Unit in Zurich, Switzerland, where I am continuing to look into the mechanisms of interoception and how these relate to mental and physical health. More specifically, my current research focuses on understanding how differences in respiratory interoception are reflected in brain activity as measured through EEG (electroencephalography) and OPM (optically-pumped magnetometers) imaging techniques, with the goal of applying these findings to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms behind fatigue and depression.

Editors Note: If you are interested, you can read Katja's thesis here. And the associated paper here.