Neural Processing of Personalized Self-Compassion Stories

This project studies how the brain responds when people read personalized self-compassion stories compared to neutral ones. In simple terms, we are looking at what happens in the brain when someone is guided to be kind and understanding toward themselves. We do this to understand how self-compassion works at a neural level and how it can support emotional well-being. The goal is to use these insights to design better, more personalized digital tools for mental health and self-care. 

A Multimodal Study of Savoring and Emotion Regulation

This project studies how the brain supports savoring, which means staying with positive and meaningful experiences to feel good for longer. We look at how focusing on positive memories changes brain activity and emotions. The goal is to understand how people naturally boost positive feelings and how this process can support mental well-being. Early results suggest that savoring increases positive mood and engages brain systems linked to attention and control, and the study is continuing to refine these findings. 

Environmental Influences on Mindfulness and Cognitive Control

This project studies how everyday environments affect mindfulness, thinking skills, and well-being in city life. In simple terms, we look at what happens in the brain and mind when people experience green spaces, rural nature, and busy urban settings. The goal is to understand whether simple, accessible city nature—like parks and tree-lined streets—can support calm attention and mental health. These insights can help improve urban well-being and guide how cities are designed for healthier minds. 

Gratitude: A Game-Based Neurocognitive Tool for Well-Being and Relationship Awareness

This project is about creating an interactive story game that helps people develop gratitude through everyday social situations from Indian culture. In simple terms, we are using gameplay to show how being thankful influences emotions and relationships. We are doing this to understand how gratitude works not just in self-reports, but through real choices and brain responses. The goal is to build engaging, science-based tools that support emotional well-being in a natural and meaningful way.