Praghajieeth Santhana Gopalan

About me

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, exploring the fascinating intersection of bodily rhythms and cognitive processes. My research aims to unravel the relationship between brain, heartbeat and respiration with learning and attention. I am currently working within the LearnDigi project, investigation the role of cardiorespiratory rhythms in understanding the game-based learning processes.

I got a doctoral degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Jyväskylä, and recipient of a prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks. Prior to this, I obtained a Master's degree in Digital Communications from the University of Kiel, Germany, where my interest in neuroscience began to flourish. In addition to my academic achievements, I have extensive research experience through various visiting fellowships across Europe. I specialize in analyzing EEG, EMG, ECG, and MEG data, and programming languages such as MatLab, SPSS, BESA, and Python.

My responsibilities include running lab experiments, collecting physiological data, publishing research findings, and training research assistants. I am passionate about advancing our understanding of the human brain and body, and eager to continue contributing to the scientific community.

Thesis supervision

• Topias Rannankari & Sohvi Saarinen (in progress). High-resolution binning of respiratory and cardiac cycles reveals their impact on brain event-related potentials. Master’s thesis, Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
• Maarit Hirvonen (in progress). Tutkimus sydän- ja hengitysrytmien yhteydestä inhibitiokykyyn terveillä nuorilla ja vanhoilla aikuisilla. Master’s thesis, Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
• Roosa-Mariia Hooli & Sunna Länsman (2024). Kehon rytmien vaikutus ikääntyneiden oppimiseen silmäniskuehdollistumisessa. Master’s thesis, Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
• Jasmin Wilén (2023). Ihon sähkönjohtavuuden ja tarkkaavuuden suhde ikääntyneillä, Bachelor’s thesis, Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.