We are based at the Behavioural Science Institute & Donders Institute at Radboud University Nijmegen.
We study when, how and why we put effort in what we do. Our aim is to understand how the brain guides motivated behaviour, decides which actions are worth pursuing, and boosts behaviour towards success. These mechanisms are impaired in psychiatric disorders (such as depression) and sub-clinical conditions (such as burnout). We study how alteration of brain circuits driving motivation leads to psychopathology (and vulnerability in otherwise healthy individuals).
We use functional MRI, computational modelling, experimental measures of behaviour, physiology, neurostimulation, and pharmacology.
Dr. Eliana Vassena is the Principal Investigator and head of the MED Lab. Eliana is a neuroscientist with a background in clinical and neuropsychology. After graduating at the University of Milan Bicocca, she obtained her PhD at Ghent University (Belgium), and finally moved to the Netherlands to join the Donders Institute with a Marie Curie Fellowship. Since 2020, she is an assistant professor at the Behavioural Science Institute (Radboud University).
In 2022 she was awarded the Bertelson award for early career contributions and in 2023 she received the SSH-Xs grant from the Dutch NWO. Currently Eliana also chairs the Radbour Young Academy.
Exciting News:This year, Eliana was awarded the ERC starting grant to study the neural, computational and neurochemical mechanisms of effortful persistence. More exciting research opportunities to come.
Stay tuned, new website coming soon!