Stefanie De Smet

Dr. Stefanie De Smet is an experimental psychologist and junior postdoctoral fellow at Ghent University, funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). Her research examines how moment-to-moment brain states shape the neural and behavioural effects of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), with a focus on techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS).

She employs TMS, EEG, and fMRI to determine how brain states (such as oscillatory activity, cognitive engagement, or emotional states) influence the propagation and impact of TMS pulses in the prefrontal cortex. Building on these insights, her current project uses tACS to actively modulate ongoing brain states, allowing stimulation to be delivered at functionally optimal moments.

Stefanie completed her PhD at Ghent University in partnership with Maastricht University, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt, Prof. Dr. Chris Baeken, and Prof. Dr. Alexander Sack. Her doctoral work investigated how brain states shape the effects of prefrontal NIBS on cortical excitability and associated cognitive and emotional processes. Across her PhD and postdoctoral work, she integrates multimodal neuroimaging, electrophysiology, psychophysiology, and behavioural paradigms to advance mechanistic understanding and clinical translation of neuromodulation in psychiatry.