Ph.D., Yulia Golland

Human beings are shaped and function in continuous interaction with other people. Being inherently social creatures we have biologically wired mechanisms to communicate, understand and connect to others. The main goal of my research is to study the biological and behavioral mechanisms that support social interactions.

Social interaction is not just a theoretical topic of my research, but is an integral part of my work, as I conduct my research in full collaboration with Dr. Nava Levit-Binun, in the Resilience and Social Interaction Lab (LaRSI), which was founded under the Sagol Center for Neuroscience and Human Development. This productive and enriching collaboration constantly reminds me the true benefits of social interaction.

Research in the lab incorporates cutting-edge methodologies to study neural, autonomic and behavioral responses of individuals situated in various interpersonal situations. Many of our studies investigate how the emotional information is transferred from one person to another. In particular, we ask how reciprocal interpersonal transmissions lead to shared emotional experiences.
In addition, we have a special interest in a fascinating social phenomenon - interpersonal synchrony. We investigate how individuals can become physiologically and behaviorally synchronized to each other in social situations and what are the consequences of interpersonal synchrony for social functioning.

Areas of expertise