On this page of the Social Neuroscience of Human Attachment (SoNeAt) Lab’s website you can meet our current lab members (sometimes co-supervised by other PIs) and learn about their research topics.
Postdoctoral Researchers
There are currently no Postdoctoral Researchers associated with the SoNeAt Lab. However, there is a YUFE PostDoc call open from March 01 to May 07, 2023 for a fully funded Postdoctoral Researcher Position – please see here and get in touch with Dr Pascal Vrticka if you are interested.
PhD / PGR Students
Charlotte Schulz
PhD student (2017 – present) in association with the University of Leipzig (Dr Lars White) and the International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and Plasticity (IMPRS). Charlotte is investigating the functional and structural brain correlates of early adversity in adolescents, particularly focusing on a dissociation of physical versus emotional maltreatment/abuse and neglect.
Mathilde Gallistl
PhD student (2019 – present) in association with the University of Leipzig and the International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and Plasticity (IMPRS; Prof Veronika Engert). Mathilde is investigating bio-behavioural synchrony in romantic couples under stress, also in association with their attachment representations.
Dorukhan Acil
PhD student (2020 – present) in association with the University of Leipzig (Dr Lars White) and the International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and Plasticity (IMPRS). Dorukhan is investigating brain activity in parents playing an interactive ball-tossing game with their children, also linked to interindividual differences in attachment and caregiving as part of the CARE Studies.
Anil Karabulut
PhD student (2021 – present) in association with the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Italy (Prof Luca Cecchetti). Anil is investigating the links between interindividual differences in attachment and structural brain scans as part of the CARE Studies. He is also using fNIRS hyperscanning in families from an attachment perspective as part of the new TRIO Studies.
Inês Rodrigues
PhD student (2022 – present) in association with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra and Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), Portugal (Dr Teresa Sousa and Prof Miguel Castelo Branco). Inês is investigating inter-brain synchrony & coupling using fNIRS hyperscanning in parent-child dyads during various emotional tasks, also linked to interindividual differences including attachment. Within the SoNeAt Lab, Inês will also be involved in the new TRIO Studies.
Angelika Bracher
PhD student (2023 – present) in association with the University of Leipzig (Dr Lars White) and the International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and Plasticity (IMPRS). Angelika is investigating brain activation in parents when they see emotional expressions of their own versus an unknown child, also in relation to individual differences in parental attachment & caregiving as well as child parental representations. These data were obtained as part of the CARE Studies.
Antonella Arieta
PhD student (2023 – present) in association with the Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Universidad de la República de Uruguay, Montevideo (Prof Ana Silva). Antonella is investigating the synchronisation of biological rhythms in the mother-child and father-father dyad with a special focus on circadian rhythms and the sleep-wake cycle. One part of her project will also involve the use of fNIRS hyperscanning to assess interpersonal neural synchronisation in families from an attachment perspective as part of the new TRIO Studies.
Ricky Chmitorz
PhD student (2023 – present) at the Department of Psychology, University of Essex. Ricky is using fNIRS hyperscanning in families, including neurodivergent children and children with adverse early life experiences as part of the new TRIO Studies. His research is made possible through a close collaboration with The Synapse Centre for Neurodevelopment, which operates from the Research and Development Department at the UK National Health Service (NHS) East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT).
Anna Dearman
PhD student (2023 – present) on the Soc-B programme at the University of Essex, co-supervised by Professor Leonard Schalkwyk, Professor Meena Kumari, Dr Jamie Moore and Dr Pascal Vrtička. Anna is using longitudinal population surveys (including Understanding Society) to understand the links between adverse childhood exposures and genetic markers.
Laura Mtewele
PhD student (2023 – present) at the Department of Psychology, University of Essex. Laura is using fNIRS hyperscanning in families, including neurodivergent children and children with adverse early life experiences as part of the new TRIO Studies. Her research is made possible through a close collaboration with The Synapse Centre for Neurodevelopment, which operates from the Research and Development Department at the UK National Health Service (NHS) East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT).
Lucas Canga
Integrative PhD student (2024 – present) at the Department of Psychology, University of Essex. Lucas will be using fNIRS hyperscanning in the context of an attachment-informed leadership framework looking at attachment, empathy, and theory of mind within employer-employee work relationships.
Nadia Curtis
PhD Student (2025 – present) at the Department of Psychology, University of Essex. Nadia will be using fNIRS hyperscanning in parent-child and child-peer dyads in association with measures of children’s wellbeing and school readiness.
Research Assistants (RAs) & Voluntary Study Supporters
Please see here how to get in touch with Dr Pascal Vrticka if you would like to participate in SoNeAt Lab’s research as an RA or Voluntary Study Supporter.
PGT (both PhD and MSc) and UG (BSc) Students
PGT / MSc Students
Several PGT / MSc Students are working in association with the SoNeAt Lab every year to complete their MSc dissertation projects. Topics vary but are mostly related to attachment and other measures of personality and attitudes.
UG / BSc Students
Several UG / BSc Students are working in association with the SoNeAt Lab every year to complete their undergraduate / BSc psychology dissertation research projects.
Dr Pascal Vrticka (PhD, FHEA) 