Beatriz Catoira

I'm a cognitive neuroscientist focused on the combination of brain stimulation (tDCS) and brain imaging (fMRI). I currently research the role of the cerebellum on social understanding in the autistic and neurotypical brain.

I’m a PhD of the Vrije Universiteit Brussels based at the GHEP Lab. I’ve completed a bachelor degree in Psychology (University of Santiago de Compostela), a master in Neuroscience (University of a Corunha) and a Research Master in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience (Maastricht University).

During my masters, I started to focus on the combination of neurostimulation and brain imaging. Therefore during my PhD I currently use simultaneous electrical stimulation (tDCS) with neuro imaging (mainly fMRI). I use these techniques to learn more about the social role of the cerebellum, exploring its connections with other brain areas during social tasks and resting state. In this line of research, we hope to learn more about the functioning of the cerebellum and how it relates to social difficulties experienced by (some) autistic people.

Keywords: tDCS, fMRI, cerebellum