Zefeng Li

Zefeng obtained a master’s degree in psychology from South China Normal University (2021), and now is working at GHEP LAB in Ghent University as a PhD candidate (From 2021).

I graduated from South China Normal University and received my master’s degree in basic psychology.  I joined the lab in 2021 with the funding of the Chinese government. During my master’s degree, I worked on the EEG analysis of working memory and mental rotation at high altitudes and the treatment for depression. With the help of my supervisor, Professor Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt, I started my PhD at Ghent University in the Department of Head and Skin.
For my PhD projects, I combined the previous baseline Heart rate variability dataset in our lab to solve the mixed result in the relationship between HRV and trait rumination providing a piece of robust evidence based on a large sample size. The second project investigated the combined effect of tDCS and slow-paced breathing on cardiac indices of autonomic activity and unraveled the temporal interplay of tDCS and slow-paced breathing on physiological indices. Another ongoing project is to investigate the interaction between the heart and brain after a single bout of physical exercise, which focuses on the resting relationship between physical fitness, autonomic nervous system functioning, and rumination. Besides, for my personal, I am also interested in neural plasticity and the function of neuron firing which makes me feel how miraculous our brain is. I'm also very interested in using various neuroscientific techniques such as EEG, eye-tracking, and physiological measurements to study the interaction of body signals with brain activity.