Melanie Baumgartner

Advancements in technology are transforming mental health interventions, offering innovative methods to enhance mental resilience and reduce stress. However, traditional approaches often overlook the inseparable connection and interplay between body and mind - which are core principles of embodied cognition and mental well-being.

In this context, my research investigates how integrating theories of embodied cognition with novel technology can strengthen individuals' mental resilience. Specifically, I focus on the interplay between cognitive load, stress, and mental well-being. By developing digital interventions that utilize established technologies and novel technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), I aim to help individuals understand how their mental state influences physical reactions and vice versa. With my background in cognitive neuroscience and clinical psychology, I am also interested in further developing the use of neuromarkers in novel mental health interventions involving neurofeedback and biofeedback.
I am further interested in exploring, changing, and inducing different states of consciousness with AR and VR. I am a researcher at the Mobiliar Lab for Analytics at ETH. Previously, I worked as a neuropsychologist, applying biofeedback therapies and conducting research measuring the flow state and focus using electroencephalography (EEG).

Supervising Master's theses related to digital interventions for mental resilience with AR and VR applications, neuromarkers, exploration of consciousness states through novel technology, and the interplay between physiological signals and cognitive processes (biofeedback/neurofeedback).