Zak's Blog

The Lundbeck Foundation Investigator Network is a community of early to mid-career and talented investigators in Denmark dedicated to exploring the vast field of neuroscience on several levels. The network brings together a diverse group of researchers from various disciplines, all united in their passion for understanding the complexity of the brain and its functions.…

Tvedebrink, T. D. O. et al. (2022) ‘Motion and Emotion: Understanding Urban Architecture through Diverse Multisensorial Engagements’, The Journal of Somaesthetics, 8(2). Open access to full paper: https://journals.aau.dk/index.php/JOS/article/view/7404 Abstract Understanding how (dis)abled human bodies interact with the built environment is critical in Urban Design. We examine if somaesthetic theory combined with a neuro-architectural framework can…

Bogotá, J. D., & Djebbara, Z. (2023). Time-consciousness in computational phenomenology: a temporal analysis of active inference. Neuroscience of Consciousness, 9(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1093/nc/niad004 Open access to full paper: https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/2023/1/niad004/7079899 Abstract Time plays a significant role in science and everyday life. Despite being experienced as a continuous flow, computational models of consciousness are typically restricted to…

8:30: Dr. Elisabetta Canepa (MS.Eng., Ph.D.) – The Elusiveness of Assessing the Atmospheric Essence of Architecture by Body and Emotions. She will suggest new empirical evidence for how architects can understand what atmosphere does and how it primes experiences. Elisabetta is an architect and researcher from Genoa, Italy. She is currently an EU Marie Curie Fellow…

Can we use today’s and future empirical means to raise our understanding of the phenomenological effect of sacred spaces and structures, particularly as they relate to spirituality and faith? The work and thought of late neuroscientist Francisco Varela loom large here, but much has occurred since his passing, and a whole new world in neuroscience…

Djebbara, Z., Fich, L. B. and Vecchiato, G. (2022) ‘Making Sense of Space: The neuroaesthetics of architecture’, in Skov, M. and Nadal, M. (eds) The Routledge International Handbook of Neuroaesthetics. 1st ed. London: Routledge. Link to our new book chapter right here! Always open to questions and critique; zadj@create.aau.dk Abstract In this chapter, we provide…

Djebbara, Z. (2022) Affordances in Everyday Life: A Multidisciplinary Collection of Essays. 1st ed. Edited by Z. Djebbara. London: Springer International Publishing. It’s my pleasure to announce the publication of this book, which has been in the making for 1.5 years. Link to full book right here! Happy readings! About the book The concept of…

Djebbara, Z., Jelic, A. and Fich, L. B. (2022) ‘Tying architecture and homeostasis using affordances: An approach to well-being in the built environment’, in Structures and Architecture. A Viable Urban Perspective?: Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Structures and Architecture (ICSA 2022), July 6-8, 2022, Aalborg, Denmark. CRC Press, p. 353. Link to the…

Djebbara, Z. et al. (2022) ‘Neuroscience and Architecture: Modulating behavior through sensorimotor responses to the built environment’, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, p. 104715. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104715. Open access, right here. Abstract As we move through the world, natural and built environments implicitly guide behavior by appealing to certain sensory and motor dynamics. This process can be…

Wang, S., Sanches de Oliveira, G., Djebbara, Z. and Gramann, K. (2022) ‘The Embodiment of Architectural Experience: A Methodological Perspective on Neuro-Architecture’, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2022.833528. Read the full paper here. People spend a large portion of their time inside built environments. Research in neuro-architecture—the neural basis of human perception of and…