Dr Ruben Azevedo

Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Neuroscience Research Participation Scheme Coordinator Placement Degree Supervisor
Email
r.a.teixeira-azevedo@kent.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 (0)1227 816337
Dr Ruben Azevedo

About

Dr Ruben Azevedo is a Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Kent. His research research focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying brain-body communication. 
Key publications
  • Azevedo, R.T., Von Mohr, M., & Tsakiris, M. (2022). From viscera to first impressions: Phase dependent cardio-visual signals bias the perceived trustworthiness of faces. Psychological Science. 09567976221131519
  • Villani, V., Finotti, G., Di Lernia, D., Tsakiris, M., & Azevedo, R. T. (2022). Event-related transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation modulates behaviour and pupillary responses during an auditory oddball task. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 140. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105719
  • Villani, V., Tsakiris, M., & Azevedo, R.T. (2019). Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Improves Interoceptive Accuracy. Neuropsychologia, 134. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107201  
  • Azevedo, R.T.*, Badoud, D.*, & Tsakiris, M .(2017). Afferent cardiac signals modulate attentional engagement to low spatial frequency fearful faces. Cortex. (*shared authorship). doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2017.06.016
  • Azevedo, R.T., Garfinkel, S., Critchley, H.D. & Tsakiris. M. (2017). Cardiac afferent activity modulates the expression of racial stereotypes. Nature Communications, 8, 13854. doi:dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13854
  • Sel, A.*, Azevedo, R.T.* & Tsakiris, M. (2016). Heartfelt Self: Cardio-visual integration affects self-face recognition and interoceptive cortical processing. Cerebral Cortex, 27, 5144–5155. (*shared authorship). doi:10.1093/cercor/bhw296
  • Azevedo, R.T., Macaluso, E., Avenanti, A., Santangelo, V., Cazzato, V., Aglioti, S.M. (2013). Their pain is not our pain: Brain and autonomic correlates of empathic resonance with the pain of same and different race individuals. Human Brain Mapping, 34(12), 3168-8. doi:10.1002/hbm.22133

Research interests

Ruben is particularly interested in studying how afferent interoceptive information (i.e. physiological signals arising from internal body organs such as the heart) influences the perception of social stimuli and modulate social attitudes and behaviour. Other interests include self-awareness, empathy and visual politics. To carry out his research he uses behavioural measurements, psychophysiology, fMRI and non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation.

Supervision

Ruben welcomes applications from (prospective) students who wish to carry out research on topics related to interoception and body-brain interactions.
Current PhD students:
  • Nikki Ghadiminia (2nd supervisor): Arousal effects on episodic memory
Past PhD students:
  • Vasileios Kotsaris (PhD, 2025): Interoception in Social Cognition under Uncertainty: A Computational and Psychophysiological Approach

Professional

Grants and awards
Sept 2023- July 2025     From the body to visual awareness: Interoceptive
influences on the processing of consciously and non-consciously perceived emotional visual stimuli
Principal investigator
BIAL Foundation     
€57,000
Oct 2017-Oct 2018 The Interoceptive Self: Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve
Stimulation as a new tool to investigate heart-brain
interactions
Principal investigator
BIAL  
  €45,000  
Oct 2009-Oct 2013    Independent PhD studentship
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT)    

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