Savor or suppress? The effects of silencing joy on our mood
About Liesbeth Bogaert:
As a PhD student at the Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology (KU Leuven) and clinical psychologist (Praxis P, KU Leuven), Liesbeth examines how the way individuals respond to positive feelings is involved in positive affect dysregulation, more specifically, low levels of positive affect, which are often observed in mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. She particularly focuses on dampening - the tendency to downplay positive feelings. She further aims to develop methods to effectively counteract dampening, boost positive affect, and improve mental health.
To trust or distrust? Rethinking oxytocin as the “Love Hormone”
About Samuël Budniok:
Samuël is a doctoral student investigating the role of oxytocin in attachment development. After earning his master’s in Experimental Psychology from KU Leuven in 2021, he began his PhD at the university’s Laboratory of Biological Psychology and Clinical Psychology department. His research combines animal models to study oxytocin’s effects at a detailed pharmacological level with human studies that use Virtual Reality (VR) to examine its influence in real-world scenarios. Through this translational approach, Samuël aims to shed light on oxytocin’s function and its role in attachment development.
Away from sugar? The brain on non-caloric sweeteners
About Dr. Nathalie Weltens:
Dr. Weltens holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from KU Leuven. She currently works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Laboratory for Brain-Gut Axis Studies at KU Leuven. Her research focuses on the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying gut-brain signaling in both health and disorders of food intake, such as bulimia nervosa and obesity. Using a multidisciplinary approach that combines neuroimaging with metabolic and behavioral/psychological methods, she investigates how food reward processing is influenced by gut-derived signals, including tastants, gastrointestinal hormones, and neurotransmitters.
Healthy or hype? Sourdough bread and its impact on appetite
About Georgia Chatonidi:
Georgia holds a BSc in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from Harokopio University in Athens, Greece, and an MSc in Food Technology from Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands. In 2020, she joined the Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID) at KU Leuven for her PhD in Biomedical Sciences, where she investigated the effects of sourdough bread consumption on appetite, energy intake, and postprandial metabolic responses. Currently, she serves as a Scientific Project Manager at ILSI Europe, where she oversees and contributes to impactful projects in the fields of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics.
Rushed or relaxed? Using AI to track how fast we eat
About Dr. Chunzhuo Wang:
Dr. Wang holds a PhD in Engineering Technology from the Arenberg Doctoral School at KU Leuven. His doctoral research centered on developing intelligent, automated systems for monitoring human dietary intake in everyday life using wearable sensors and contactless devices. Currently, Dr. Wang is a postdoctoral research associate at the e-Media Lab, ESAT-STADIUS, on KU Leuven's Campus Group T. His research interests include leveraging artificial intelligence and sensor technologies for healthcare-related activity recognition, with a focus on improving quality of life through innovative, AI-driven solutions.
Safe or dangerous: How childhood adversity changes the way teens see the world
About Dr. Celine Samaey:
Driven by the question of why people behave the way they do, Dr. Samaey received a master’s degree in Experimental Psychology from KU Leuven in 2018. In 2023, she obtained her PhD at the Center for Clinical Psychiatry (KU Leuven), where she studied the impact of childhood adversity on adolescent development and mental health. Since 2024, Dr. Samaey has been appointed as a postdoctoral researcher at the Laboratory for Biological Psychology, exploring the effects of scarcity on mental health.