PhD Candidate, Neuroscience at Yale University

Veronica’s Question: What is consciousness?

Keystone Title: Mental and physiological health benefits mediated through HRV

Abstract: Meditation has been shown to improve brain function and to lower stress and anxiety. In this original research, Veronica empirically tests the hypothesis that such improvement is due to increasing activity in the prefrontal cortex, improving parasympathetic dominance over vagas nerve function. Heart rate variability is one measure of heart health and vagas nerve function, so differences in heart rate variability and prefrontal cortex are measured in long-term meditators and non-meditators during cognitive tasks.

What Concentration Courses did you take at Quest?
Cognitive Sciences (Social Sciences)
Learning & Memory (Life Sciences)
Independent Study: Advanced Topics in Neuroscience (Life Sciences)
Drugs & Behaviour (Life Sciences)
Social Psychology (Social Sciences)
Research Methods in the Social Sciences (Social Sciences)
Chemistry I (Physical Sciences)
Marine Invertebrate Zoology (Life Sciences)