Dr. Theofanopoulou’s primary goal is to explore the neural circuits involved in complex sensory-motor behaviors that serve social communication, such as speech and dance, and to identify potential therapies for disorders that affect these behaviors, like Parkinson’s Disease. In her lecture, she will present her research on humans that aims to uncover potential similarities between speech and dance. This will include an examination of the brain pathways involved (using fMRI and EEG), the genetic basis (with a focus on the oxytocin gene family), and clinical applications that use dance as a treatment for sensory-motor deficits.
Dr. Constantina Theofanopoulou is the Herbert and Nell Singer Research Assistant Professor at Rockefeller University, Research Associate at Emory University and the US Department of Veteran Affairs, and Visiting Scholar at the Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University. Her research aims to understand the neural circuits of complex sensory-motor behaviors that serve social communication, specifically speech and dance, and to identify potential therapies for speech and motor deficits, such as those encountered in Parkinson’s Disease. Her scientific findings in the neurobiology of dance have garnered worldwide media attention (e.g., New York Times, Dance Magazine). She has received over 20 scientific awards for her research, including her selection as a Next Generation Leader by the Allen Institute, and her inclusion in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2021. Dr. Theofanopoulou is also actively involved in disseminating science to non-scientists and supporting underrepresented minorities and women in science. Among her roles, she has served as a STEM mentor in the New York Academy of Sciences, a Council member of the Rockefeller Inclusive Science Initiative, and a Board member of the International Brain Research Organization’s Early Career Committee. Constantina is a flamenco dancer, having performed in numerous solo and group shows worldwide; she has been awarded with the first flamenco prize by the Spanish Dance Society.