Flora Nelissen

I am fascinated by how experiences in the outside world influence molecules in the brain, shaping emotions, mental states, and ultimately actions — which, in turn, alter the world around us through behavior and social interactions. I’m especially interested in how this plays out across different species, with all their unique differences and surprising similarities.

After earning a Bachelor’s in Biomedical Sciences from Utrecht University, I pursued a Master’s in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Amsterdam. My research journey has taken me from studying transcription regulation at the Pasteur Institute to investigating memory circuits at the Free University of Amsterdam and neural dynamics of sickness behavior at the Salk Institute. These experiences deepened my passion for comparative neuroscience and fostered my commitment to building an inclusive scientific community.

Currently, I am a PhD student at the Social Brain Lab at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, supervised by Valeria Gazzola and Christian Keysers. My research focuses on the evolution of empathy, using functional Ultrasound Imaging (fUSI) to map brain activity linked to empathy-like behaviors in rodents. Since fUSI records brain activity similarly to human fMRI, it offers a powerful tool for cross-species comparisons. Through my PhD project, I aim to demonstrate that emotional processing in humans and other species may be more alike than previously thought.