Identification
Personal identification
- Full name
- Lénia Amaral
Citation names
- Amaral, Lénia
Author identifiers
- Ciência ID
- 871C-798A-088A
- ORCID iD
- 0000-0002-0631-7944
Websites
- https://leniaamaral.github.io/ (Professional)
- https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Ze-s-wEAAAAJ&hl=en (Scholar)
Knowledge fields
- Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine - Neurosciences
- Social Sciences - Psychology
Languages
Language | Speaking | Reading | Writing | Listening | Peer-review |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portuguese (Mother tongue) | |||||
English | Advanced (C1) | Proficiency (C2) | Advanced (C1) | Proficiency (C2) | Advanced (C1) |
Portuguese gestual language | Beginner (A1) | Beginner (A1) |
Education
Degree | Classification | |
---|---|---|
2017/07 - 2022/03
Concluded
|
Psicologia (Doutoramento)
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Portugal
"Uncovering the interaction between hands and tools: are these categories dissociable" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
|
Approved with praise and distinction |
2020 - 2020
Concluded
|
Multivariate pattern analyses of electroencephalography data – Theory and Practice (Postgraduate Certificate)
Universidad de Granada, Spain
|
N/A |
2018 - 2018
Concluded
|
Spinoza fMRI Course (Postgraduate Certificate)
Spinozacentrum voor Neuroimaging, Netherlands
|
N/A |
2009 - 2014
Concluded
|
Mestrado Integrado em Psicologia (Mestrado integrado)
Universidade do Minho, Portugal
"Volumetric analysis of cortical and subcortical regions in congenital deafness" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
|
16/20 |
Affiliation
Science
Category Host institution |
Employer | |
---|---|---|
2024/11 - Current | Invited Auxiliary Researcher (Research) | Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Portugal |
2022 - 2024 | Postdoc (Research) | Georgetown University, United States |
2015 - 2017 | Research Assistant (Research) | Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Investigação em Neuropsicologia e Intervenção Cognitivo-Comportamental, Portugal |
Teaching in Higher Education
Category Host institution |
Employer | |
---|---|---|
2019 - 2022 | Invited Assistant Professor (University Teacher) | Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Portugal |
Others
Category Host institution |
Employer | |
---|---|---|
2017 - 2022 | PhD Fellow | Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Portugal |
Projects
Grant
Designation | Funders | |
---|---|---|
2021/10 - 2022/07 | SeeingEars - Seeing with your ears: how does neuroplasticity due to congenital deafness interfere with neuronal processing
and auditory rehabilitation strategies
PTDC/PSI-GER/30757/2017
Researcher
|
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia |
2017/07 - 2021/09 | PhD individual fellowship
SFRH/BD/114811/2016
Principal investigator
|
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia
Concluded
|
2016 - 2019 | What defines an affordance? The diagnosticity of visual features for the differentiation of affordances
PTDC/MHC-PCN/6805/2014
Researcher
|
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia
Concluded
|
2015 - 2018 | Episodic memory enhancement in aging: the role of cognitive training combined with (bilateral) tDCS in the medial-temporal
cortex and cerebellum on episodic memory performance in the elderly
Bial Grant 2014/495
Researcher
|
Fundação Bial
Concluded
|
2015 - 2017 | R&D project of the Cognitive and Behavioral Center for Research and Intervention - CINEICC
UID/PSI/00730/2013
Researcher
|
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia
Concluded
|
Outputs
Publications
Conference abstract |
|
Conference poster |
|
Journal article |
|
Preprint |
|
Activities
Oral presentation
Presentation title | Event name Host (Event location) |
|
---|---|---|
2024 | Exploring individual differences in people born blind or deaf (invited talk) |
Bedny Lab, Johns Hopkins University
|
2024 | Accessibility in Vision Science (invited talk) | Enhancing Accessibility Workshop
VSS Annual Meeting
|
2024 | Individual connectivity patterns in congenitally blind individuals (invited talk) |
Hebart Lab, Max Planck Institute Leipzig
|
2022 | Using neuromodulation to dissociate overlapping networks | International APPE-SEPEX Meeting
(Faro, Portugal)
|
2021 | What connects hands and tools? - relating category preferences to functional connectivity preferences | 15th Annual meeting of the Portuguese Association of Experimental Psychology. Online meeting.
(Portugal)
|
2017 | Memory enhancement in aging - the role of cognitive training combined with tDCS: preliminary neuroimaging results |
12th Annual meeting of the Portuguese Association of Experimental Psychology (Porto, Portugal)
|
2016 | Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Mild Cognitive Impairment - protocol for a clinical trial (invited talk) | Seminário Científico Terapias Não-Farmacológicas na Doença de Alzheimer e Outras Perturbações Neurológicas: Evidência Presente
e Futuro
(Braga, Portugal)
|
2015 | Volumetric analysis of cortical and subcortical regions in congenital deafness | 10th Annual meeting of the Portuguese Association of Experimental Psychology
(Faro, Portugal)
|
Event organisation
Event name Type of event (Role) |
Institution / Organization | |
---|---|---|
2024 - 2024 | Postdoctoral Research Symposium (2024/04/25 - 2024/04/25)
Symposium (Member of the Organising Committee)
|
Georgetown University, United States |
2023 - 2024 | A series of webinars focused on Health Innovation: Cell Therapies for Cancer, Frontiers in Aging: Principles of Longevity,
and AI in Drug Discovery: Present and Future. (2024/04 - 2024/05)
Round table (Member of the Organising Committee)
|
The Non-Conformist Scientist, United States LisbonPH, Portugal |
2023 - 2024 | A series of webinars focused on Career Paths: Academia & Industry; Medical Writing, MSL and Consultancy. (2024/04 - 2024/05)
Round table (Member of the Organising Committee)
|
The Non-Conformist Scientist, United States |
2023 - 2023 | National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week (2023/09/18 - 2023/09/22)
Festival (Member of the Organising Committee)
|
Georgetown University, United States |
2020/09 - 2021/06 | Global Science Festival (2021/05)
Festival (Member of the Organising Committee)
|
Pint of Science, Portugal |
2017/07 - 2017/11 | PsihD - 1st Psychology PhD Exhibition (2017/11)
Call (Member of the Organising Committee)
|
Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Portugal |
Event participation
Activity description Type of event |
Event name Institution / Organization |
|
---|---|---|
2025/02 - 2025/02 | I visited the Escola Secundária José Falcão in Coimbra to share insights about cognitive neuroscience, brain plasticity, and neuro myths | Neuroscience goes to school
Universidade de Coimbra - Proaction Lab, Portugal
|
2024/08 - 2024/08 | Community workshop about independent research for prospective students
Workshop
|
How To Secure Research Opportunities
BranchOut!, United States
|
2021/11 - 2021/11 | Online lecture and debate where students can learn about neuroscience research and jobs
Exhibition
|
Brain Gain event |
2021/04 - 2021/10 | Outreach platform for promoting women in science
Exhibition
|
Soapbox Science Lisbon |
2021/09 - 2021/09 | Educational games about the visual processing of objects for the general public
Festival
|
European Researchers' Night 2021
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
|
2021/03 - 2021/03 | Activities for children to learn about the brain regions and the cognitive functions associated with these regions
Exhibition
|
Brain Awareness Week
Federation of European Neuroscience Societies, Belgium
Universidade de Coimbra - Proaction Lab, Portugal |
2020/09 - 2020/09 | Live online activity in which researchers addressed unique questions about the brain from children
Festival
|
European Researchers' Night 2020
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
|
2019/09 - 2019/09 | Hands-on activities about the brain and visual perception for the general public
Festival
|
European Researchers' Night 2019
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
|
Association member
Society Organization name | Role | |
---|---|---|
2024 - Current | Vision Sciences Society | Member |
2023 - Current | Society for Neuroscience | Member |
2021 - Current | Portuguese Association of Experimental Psychology | Member |
2022 - 2024 | New York Academy of Sciences | Member |
2022 - 2024 | National Postdoctoral Association, USA | Member |
Course / Discipline taught
Academic session | Degree Subject (Type) | Institution / Organization | |
---|---|---|---|
2024/11 - 2025/01 | Music Perception and Cognition | (Mestrado) | Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, Portugal |
2021/09 - 2022/02 | Cognitive Neuroscience | (Licenciatura) | Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Portugal |
2019 - 2021 | Neuropsychology | (Licenciatura) | Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Portugal |
2019 - 2021 | Behavioral Neuroscience | (Licenciatura) | Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Portugal |
2020/12 - 2020/12 | Physiology and Neurobehavioral Pathophysiology | (Postgraduate Certificate) | Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Brazil |
2020/09 - 2020/09 | Scientific Research Methodologies – Summer Course | (Outros) | Universidade de Coimbra Instituto de Investigação Interdisciplinar, Portugal |
Interview (tv / radio show)
Program | Topic | |
---|---|---|
2020/07 - 2020/07 | 90 Segundos de Ciência | How does our brain tell the difference between a hand and a tool? |
2020/02 - 2020/02 | Rádio Universidade de Coimbra - Ciência aos Domingos | Research work |
Journal scientific committee
Journal title (ISSN) | Publisher | |
---|---|---|
2025 - Current | NeuroImage | Elsevier |
Mentoring / Tutoring
Topic | Student name | |
---|---|---|
2022 - 2024 | Mapping tool grasp in people born without hands | Naama Zur (PhD student) |
2022 - 2024 | Mapping tool use in people born without hands | Florencia Martinez Addiego (PhD student) |
2020 - 2021 | Neuromodulation effects on conceptual representations | Francisco Forte (Master's student) |
2018 - 2020 | Neural correlates of object recognition | Sara Ferreira (Master's student) |
2016 - 2018 | Memory enhancement in aging | Mónica Spínola (Master's student) |
Distinctions
Award
2024 | FoVea Travel and Networking Award
Females of Vision et al. (FoVea), United States
|
Other distinction
2023 | Seal of Excellence awarded to project proposal submitted under HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01 call
Horizon Europe, Belgium
|
2017 | PhD studentship
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
|