Understanding how we think, feel and relate to one another

My research bridges Experimental Psychology, human cognition and comparative cognition, seeking to understand the cognitive, emotional and behavioural processes underlying how we learn, perceive, decide and relate to one another.

I began my scientific career studying learning, time perception and animal and comparative cognition, at the University of Minho and the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Over the years, I have extended my work to attention, emotion, decision-making, attractiveness and romantic relationships.

I integrate an evolutionary perspective into these areas, seeking to understand not only how we think, feel and act, but also why certain processes may have evolved and what functions they serve in our lives and relationships.

This work has resulted in scientific publications and in projects funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, the Fundação BIAL and the Marsden Fund of the Royal Society of New Zealand.