Congratulations of Dr. Varoudaki (PhD Done)!! We are so proud of you and your efforts over the pass 6 years as a student! You did it!

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Dr Varoudaki after defending her thesis!

Dr Varoudaki with lab SQUAD

Here is Dr. Varoudaki’s response about her experience, her advice for prospective students, and her next steps.

What was the focus of your doctoral research, and why does it matter?
My doctoral research focused on how pain perception changes in natural and urban environments and the neurobiological mechanisms involved. Understanding how our surroundings influence pain could help inform the design of spaces as well as medical interventions that promote health and well-being.


What was the biggest challenge you faced during your dissertation, and how did you overcome it?
One of the biggest challenges I faced during my dissertation was integrating all the different pieces of equipment (VR headset, fNIRS, Biopac, thermode, and task computer) while learning a new neuroimaging technique and creating my own stimulus set. I overcame it with the unwavering support of mentors and colleagues who patiently took the time to answer all of my questions and troubleshoot alongside me.


What is your favorite memory or proudest achievement from your time in our lab?
One of my favorite memories from my time in the lab was our late talks while working in the lab. We genuinely enjoyed each other's company, worked side by side late into the evening, and supported one another.


What are your next career steps, and how did your time in this lab prepare you for them?
My next career steps involve deeper immersion in the field of neuroaesthetics, first as a postdoctoral researcher at the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics and, hopefully, later in industry. The skills and experience I gained in the lab, as well as the specific project I worked on, have been invaluable. I wouldn't have been able to pursue a career in neuroaesthetics without them.


What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting their doctoral journey?
I would tell them to take it one day at a time. It can feel daunting when you look at the journey as a whole, but little by little things get done. I would also encourage them to prioritize work-life balance and enjoy the journey as much as they can. They shouldn't put their lives on pause for the degree—the degree itself is part of their story, and they should make sure to enjoy that story too

Conference! The Social and Affective Neuroscience Conference (SANS avec SNC)

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The SCN Lab had a blast in San Diego for SANS. Many of our lab members presented their work. We had presentations by:

  • Dr. Elizabeth Losin: “Psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of empathy decline in medical students and effects on pain treatment decisions.”

  • PhD Candidate Theoni Varoudaki: “Why Cities Hurt More: Affective and Neural Pathways Linking Environment and Pain”

  • PhD Candidate Maryam Amini: “Personal Distress as a Modulator of Clinical Decision-Making”

  • PhD Candidate Younghwa Cha:“Autonomic Arousal as a Social Modulator of Pain: Skin Conductance Responses to Pain in Low-and High-Trust Medical Contexts.”

    We also got to connect with previous lab members (Morgan) and saw some seals!

Congrats to our PhD student Maryam Amini, co-author on a new paper in Nature Scientific Data!

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Maryam and the team she worked with introduced Spacetop, a cutting-edge open fMRI dataset with 101 participants, over 600 hours of brain data, and a mix of naturalistic experiences (like movies and stories) and experimental tasks. This resource will help researchers worldwide explore cognition, emotion, and social processing in the brain.

📖 Read the paper here: Spacetop – Nature Scientific Data

Younghwa at the International Alexander Technique (AT) Congress

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Younghwa from our lab attended the 13th International Alexander Technique Congress, held at University College Dublin, Ireland, from August 3–9, 2025.

The Alexander Technique (AT) is a branch of somatics that uses awareness of bodily sensations to release unnecessary tension and support more natural, coordinated, and efficient movement. This year’s congress included a Science Day with keynotes and presentations by Prof. Lorimer Moseley, Mike YiYuan Tang, and Rajal G. Cohen, exploring topics such as AT and pain, as well as AT and neuroscience.

Much about the relationship between the body and the brain is still unknown. It is also not yet clear how our awareness and use of the body influence health. Through this congress, Younghwa gained even greater motivation to pursue research on pain, the brain, and the body–brain connection.

We welcome another lab member: Younghwa, our newest graduate student!

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We’re so excited to welcome our new graduate student, Younghwa Cha to the SCN Lab this fall!

Younghwa comes to us with a background in cognitive and cultural sociology, earning her M.A. in Sociology from Ewha Womans University. Before joining Penn State, she worked as a post-master researcher at the Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute of Basic Science, where she explored brain dynamics using simultaneous EEG-fMRI and EEG.

Her research focuses on the connections between social and behavioral factors and brain activity, with the goal of uncovering how our social lives shape cognitive and emotional patterns.

Beyond her academic work, Younghwa is also a certified Alexander Technique teacher. She’s passionate about using somatic education and body movement to support health and well-being in everyday life—including in healthcare settings.

We’re thrilled to have Younghwa join the team and can’t wait to learn from her unique perspective and wide range of interests. Welcome, Younghwa!