Teodora Stoica, PhD

Teodora completed her B.A. in Psychology at East Carolina University where she investigated the neurobiological effects of alcohol in animal models. She continued her education at University of Hartford, earning a M.S. in Neuroscience. She shifted her focus toward human neuroscience at Yale University, where she utilized real time fMRI to better understand contamination anxiety. She gained further neuroimaging experience from University of Maryland Baltimore, adding Arterial Spin Labeling and Diffusion Tensor Imaging with fMRI analyses to study Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients. She completed her PhD in Translational Neuroscience at the University of Louisville. Her dissertation investigated how our dynamic neuroarchitecture gives rise to emotional intelligence. Utilizing multimodal neuroimaging techniques, her research illuminated the dynamic interplay between brain networks underlying two emotional intelligence facets: empathy and emotion regulation. As a postdoc in the Neuroscience of Emotion and Thought (Dr. Jessica Andrews-Hanna) & Human Memory Labs (Dr. Matt Grilli), she is using dynamic functional connectivity analyses to investigate brain network changes in an aging population. Apart from her research, she strongly believes that science holds a transformative power over our society’s challenges if communicated correctly. To this end, she enjoys contributing engaging written pieces explaining complex science topics geared toward the general public. She is happiest outside exploring the Sonoran Desert, eating unusual cuisines and playing cello (not at the same time).