About us
The EVAlabs research groups, which emerged from the former General Psychology division, are part of the Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology.
EVAlabs Team Leads
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Helmut Leder
Full professor; PI
“EVAlabs was founded in 2004 as a research focus at the University of Vienna specializing on empirical aesthetics, and since then, together with our team and our many collaborators, I have studied aesthetics and beauty in a wide variety of contexts and in relation to many different objects, particularly in the arts. What would the world be without beauty!”
Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Psych. Dr. Helmut Leder
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
room: O2.15
A-1010 Vienna
T: +43-1-4277-47110
Helmut Leder -
Matthew Pelowski
Associate Professor; PI
Assoz. Prof. Matthew Pelowski, PhD
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Renngasse 6-8
room: 306
A-1010 Vienna
Matthew Pelowski/Chris Valuch -
Julia Sophia Crone
Senior Scientist, PI
“I am exploring how conscious and hedonic experiences emerge from the complex interaction between brain network dynamics and its environment. To investigate these relationships, I use computational neuroimaging, psychopharmacological approaches, clinical studies, ultrasonic brain stimulation and other fun stuff. In general, I just love fun and complex stuff.”
Mag. Dr. Julia Sophia Crone
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
room: O2.16
A-1010 Vienna
Julia Sophie Crone/Chris Valuch
Administrations
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Bibiane Gragossian-Florianz
Mag. Bibiane Gragossian-Florianz
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
room: O2.14
A-1010 Vienna
Bibiane Gragossian-Florianz/EVAlabs -
Draško Boko
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Draško Boko
Project Manager
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
room: O2.49
A-1010 Vienna
T: +43-1-4277-47111
Drasko Boko
Scientific Team Members
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Alexandra Alvarez
Ava Alvarez, MSc
PhD Candidate (External)
“Walter Benjamin, mechanical reproduction introduced an entirely new and revolutionary change in the experience of the artwork. My research is interested in investigating the art experience in the post digital age. Outside my love of the intersection of Art and Science, I am a performance artist, fashion model, and avid tree climber.”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
room: O2.52
A-1010 Vienna
Alexandra Alvares/EVAlabs -
Paula Angermair
Paula Angermair, BA MA
PhD Candidate
“As part of the Unlocking the Muse project, I’m exploring the relationship between Parkinson’s Disease and art, focusing on the impact of dopamine and dopaminergic medication on creativity and artistic expression. If I'm not in the lab, you can find me trying to make the most out of my cinema subscription.”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
A-1010 Vienna
Paula Angermair/EVAlabs -
Tristan Barrière
Tristan Barrière, MSc
PhD Candidate (External)
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
A-1010 Vienna
Chris Valuch -
Srestha Chakraborty
Srestha Chakraborty, BSc MSc
PhD Candidate
“I am exploring how socially engaged art can change prejudiced attitudes towards marginalised populations using decolonial-ethical best practices beyond the conventional Eurocentric confines of empirical aesthetics research. P.S. I am also notorious for being a hoarder of stationery and lover of silly memes.”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
A-1010 Vienna
Srestha Chakraborty/EVAlabs -
Margot Dehove
Margot Dehove, MSc BSc
PhD Candidate (External)
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
A-1010 Vienna
Chris Valuch -
Theresa Demmer
Theresa Demmer, BSc MSc
PhD Candidate (External)
“I am fascinated with the philosophical idea of art being a universal language connecting people. I use behavioural and neurophysiological methods to investigate connections through art, if they can be successful, how they influence art experience, if they have to be made between humans and if they might be the key for having a transformative experience with art. In my free time I investigate these connections through food and music.”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
A-1010 Vienna
Theresa Demmer / EVAlabs -
Andreas Gartus
Dipl.-Ing. Mag. Dr. Andreas Gartus BA
Senior Scientist
“My research projects range from how basic visual properties like symmetry and complexity affect our preferences, up to the influence of individual differences and context on aesthetic processing. I'm also interested in behavioral and physiological research methods. When I'm not occupied with organizing the lab or doing outstanding scientific research, I like to read weird sci-fi novels or go for a hike in the Vienna Woods.”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
room: O2.49
A-1010 Vienna
Andreas Gartus/EVAlabs -
Lakshmi Kalathinkunnath
Lakshmi Kalathinkunnath, BSc MSc
PhD Candidate
“I try to understand the impact of the individual annual, monthly and daily timing configuration on psychology, and how adrenal insufficiency affects circadian timing. For this, I use actimetry and also explore how people with different chronotypes perform psychological/cognitive tasks at different times of the day, month and year. Part from academics, I am very much interested in culture and arts, and engage in activities and events that promote them.”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
A-1010 Vienna
Chris Valuch -
Maximilian Kathofer
Maximilian Kathofer, BSc MSc
PhD Candidate
“I am currently trying to deepen my knowledge about entropy and complexity measures – which unfortunately is a rather complex endeavor. Besides that, I spend most of my days looking at brains and try to figure out what effects ketamine has on brain network dynamics. I also can (proudly?) say that I am one of the few individuals who have been thrown out of a café because they laughed too loud!”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
room: O2.50
A-1010 Vienna
Maximilian Kathofer/EVAlabs -
Young Ah Kim
Young Ah Kim, BSc MSc
PhD Candidate
“The focus of my doctoral project is to understand how autistic and non-autistic individuals express and perceive emotions through visual art, using both behavioural and neural methods. The main neural method I use is functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) Hyperscanning to measure interpersonal neural synchrony between the artist and the viewer.”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
A-1010 Vienna
Young Ah Kim/EVAlabs -
Anna Lena Knoll
Anna Lena Knoll, BSc M.Sc.
PhD Candidate
“I joined the lab as a PhD student working on a FWF project studying aesthetics in everyday life. Outside the lab I can be found fighting my sewing machine and curating the perfect soundtrack for my next daydream.”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
A-1010 Vienna
Chris Valuch -
Christina Makri
Christina Makri, MPhil
PhD Candidate (External)
Her current academic research focus is death anxiety and art, specifically the ways in which fear of death can be reduced through (abstract) art. Among other things, her research so far has shown that a negative relationship between liking of abstract art and death anxiety levels does seem to exist (i.e. liking of abstract art is associated with lower death anxiety levels). The eventual aim of her PhD is to develop art-based interventions that connect us to our mortality and help address our fear of it.
Christina loves music and visual art and has showcased her paintings in various galleries across Cambridge, Athens and Santorini.
Christina Makri / EVAlabs -
Jan Mikuni
Dr. Jan Mikuni, BA MA
Postdoctoral Researcher
“My particular interest is to connect the science to the real-life scenes, e.g. investigating how to make cities more beautiful and a better place to live. Want to hear more about my research? Then you can find me in cosmetic shops or nail salons in Vienna, high chance…!”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
room: O2.13
A-1010 Vienna
Jan Mikuni/EVAlabs -
Stephanie Miller
Dr. Stephanie Miller, BA MSc
Postdoctoral Researcher
“I investigate the emotional & phenomenal experience museum visitors have with artworks, with the aim of identifying distinct varieties of experience and the experiential character of each. Beyond the classes of experience, I will be looking into the role of possible factors that shape an individuals’ experience (content, context, individual differences).”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
room: O2.51
A-1010 Vienna
Stephanie Miller/EVAlabs -
Franz Schmid
Franz Schmid, BA MSc
PhD Candidate
“My work deals with the link between creativity, cognitive flexibility, and the dopaminergic system and what we can learn from that about Parkinson's Disease. To look into all of that, I stimulate brains with ultrasound and observe changes in behaviour and brain activity. When not doing science, I spend most of my time doing sports and art.”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
room: O2.50
A-1010 Vienna
Franz Schmid/EVAlabs -
Ryan Slaby
Dott. mag. Dott. ric. Ryan Slaby, BSc
Postdoctoral Researcher
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
A-1010 Vienna
Ryan Slaby/ARTIS lab -
Blanca Thea Maria Spee
Mag. Dr. Blanca Thea Maria Spee, BSc MSc
Postdoctoral Researcher; Co-PI
Splitting her time between Vienna and Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), Department of Neurology, Centre of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders (ParC), Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Blanca currently works on the FWF funded #ConnectingMinds Project „Unlocking the Muse: Transdisciplinary approaches to understanding and applying the intersection of artistic creativity and Parkinson’s disease, in which she is a co-author and co-PI.
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
A-1010 Vienna
Blanca Spee/ARTIS lab -
MacKenzie Trupp
MacKenzie Trupp, BA MSc
PhD Candidate
“I am interested in the role that arts and culture can play in supporting mental and physical health. For my PhD, I am currently studying if, how, and why art viewing can enhance well-being. In my free time, when not visiting art museums, I enjoy lying on the couch.”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
A-1010 Vienna
MacKenzie Trupp/EVAlabs -
Nicola Weiss
Nicola Weiss, MSc
PhD Candidate
“My doctoral research explores how psychedelics shape hedonic experience, with a focus on brain network dynamics, the neuroplasticity-inducing properties of psilocybin, and how personality traits influence acute psychedelic perception. Outside the lab, I'm usually on my bike, cooking elaborate, fancy dinners for friends, or trying to reach my book count for this year (I am behind).”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
room: O2.50
A-1010 Vienna
Nicola Weiss -
Xiaohan Zhou
Xiaohan Zhou, B.S. M.Eng.
PhD Candidate
“My doctoral project delves into the nature of aesthetic emotions, uncovering insightful ideas by exploring their demand for higher-level cognitions, as well as the impact of personal factors such as traits, values, and past experiences. I leverage my creative design background to enhance its innovation. In my leisure time, I am highly curious to explore new experiences, as long as they do not compromise my quality of life (such as horror movies are off the table...).”
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
room: O2.13
A-1010 Vienna
Xiaohan Zhou/EVAlabs
Research Fellows
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Kirren Chana
Senior Research Fellow
Dr. Kirren Kartar Kaur Chana, BSc MSc
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
A-1010 Vienna
Chris Valuch -
Dennis Jim Frederiksen
Senior Research Fellow
Dennis Jim Frederiksen, MA PhD
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
A-1010 Vienna -
Corinna Kühnapfel
Senior Research Fellow
Dr. Corinna Kühnapfel
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Liebiggasse 5
A-1010 Vienna
Chris Valuch