Background
I was born and raised in Viña del Mar, Chile, and completed my undergraduate studies in nearby Valparaíso. I earned a BSc (Hons) and an M.Psych in Psychology from the University of Valparaiso, along with a chartered certification and license in Clinical Psychology and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy from the National Guild of Clinical Psychology of Chile. Later, I pursued an MSc in Neuroscience at the University of Chile, where my growing interest in the brain and consciousness inspired me to continue my research abroad.​
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As part of my postgraduate training, I moved to the United Kingdom to conduct my master's research project at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, and later undertook a doctoral research stay at the Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences, Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium. In 2020, I completed my PhD in Psychology and Human Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.​
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Since then, I have worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), with Prof. Henrik Ehrsson, and at the Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), with Prof. Axel Cleeremans.
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Since 2025, I have been a Principal Researcher in Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet (Sweden). My research explores the functional role of conscious awareness in cognition, for example, in how we recognise and interpret human faces, how we experience our bodies and sense of self, and how altered states of consciousness shape our perception of ourselves and the world around us.
Old College, University of Edinburgh
Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet
Education & Training
2025 - Current
Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Principal Researcher
Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology
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2023 - 2024
Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
Postdoctoral Fellow - Cognitive Neuroscience
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2020 - 2025
Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Postdoctoral Fellow - Cognitive Neuroscience
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2020
University of Edinburgh, UK
PhD - Psychology, Human Cognitive Neuroscience
Research Stay at Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
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2015
University of Chile
MSc - Neuroscience
Research Project, MRC CBU University of Cambridge, UK
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2013
National Board of Clinical Psychology, Chile
Chartered Specialisation - Clinical Psychology:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
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2009
University of Valparaiso, Chile
Professional Title (MPsych) - Psychology
BSc (Hons) - Psychology
Research interests
Consciousness and perceptual awareness
What is consciousness? What is the function of awareness in cognition? What is the extent of cognitive processing that can occur unconsciously?
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Face Perception and visual integration
Faces convey a wealth of information essential for social interaction. What brain systems are involved in face perception? Are facial features processed through a sequence of steps or all at once? Can we process the emotional information contained in faces unconsciously?
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Bodily self-consciousness
When we look at our body, we feel that it belongs to us. How does the brain create this sense of body ownership, and how central is it to our sense of self?
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Neural and cognitive underpinnings of hypnosis and hypnotic suggestion
What is hypnosis? What are the top-down brain mechanisms of hypnotic suggestion? What can hypnosis research teach us about cognition and consciousness? Is it useful in psychotherapy?
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Neurocognitive underpinnings of psychiatric disorders
What social and cognitive changes are involved in psychiatric disorders? What can cognitive neuroscience and experimental psychology teach us about the development of mental disorders? How can we improve current treatments?
Funding institutions
My research is currently funded by the Swedish Research Council and Karolinska Institutet Strategic Research Area Neuroscience
