GROUP LEADER
Francisco Manuel Ocaña Campos. Group leader.
Francisco Manuel Ocaña Campos is an associate Professor with more than 20 years of extensive research and teaching experience in the field of Psychobiology at the University of Seville. His work has primarily focused on the neural mechanisms underlying learning, memory, and the biological foundations of behavior from a comparative perspective. He has conducted both pre- and postdoctoral research at the prestigious Nobel Institute for Neurophysiology (Karolinska Institute, Sweden), where he gained advanced expertise in neural signal recording techniques. In 2023, he became the principal investigator of the Wellness Neuroscience Group (CTS1129), focusing his research on improving brain health and enhancing physical and mental well-being.
Email: fmocana@us.es
Telephone: +34 954 55 77 75
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1610-407X
PRISMA: https://prisma.us.es/investigador/3014
ALL MEMBERS OF THE GROUP
Emilio Durán García. Researcher.
Degree in Psychology from the University of Seville in 1994, and Doctorate in the program of Psychobiology in 2004, I am currently Associate Professor of Psychobiology at the University of Seville (since 2010). For more than 25 years, I aimed to the study of the neural basis of some behaviors important for adaptation and survival of organisms. Specifically, my research has been focused on the role played by some limbic structures, as the hippocampus and the amygdala, in learning, memory and emotion from a comparative and phylogenetic approach. Over time, aware of living in a society with individuals increasingly trapped in in a net of unhealthy habits, my topics of interest have redirected to a more practical view of these neural bases of the limbic functions. These interests have crystallized in the creation of a new Research Group, the Wellness Neuroscience Group, aimed to the study of biological correlates (including the neural ones) of healthy habits (meditative practices, physical exercise, diet, social relationships). Identifying these correlates would allow us to identify biological markers associated with preclinical and clinical states, which would open the door to the development of therapeutic tools based on purely objective elements.
Email: durang@us.es
Telephone: +34 954 55 44 01
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4697-3153
PRISMA: https://prisma.us.es/investigador/1131
Isabel María Martín Monzón. Researcher.
Dr. Isabel María Martín Monzón is an Associate Professor of Psychobiology (2022) at the University of Seville and a certified Clinical Neuropsychologist (Official College of Psychologists of Spain). In addition, she serves as the Vice Dean of International Relations at the Faculty of Psychology (2024). With over 20 years of experience in research, teaching, and clinical practice, Dr. Martín Monzón specializes in Neuropsychology. As a member of the CTS-1129 research group, her work has contributed to multiple publications exploring the neural basis of cognitive processes such as learning, memory, and emotions. Her current research centers on intraoperative cortico-subcortical mapping in patients with brain tumors or epilepsy, investigating the gut-brain axis, and examining the role of stress and anxiety in achieving emotional well-being. In recent years, she has received research awards from scientific societies such as the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS). She collaborates with prestigious international institutions, including Mayo Clinic (Florida, USA) and Hôpital Gui de Chauliac (Montpellier, France), specializing in brain connectomics and cognitive and emotional networks. Dr. Martín Monzón has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and presented her work at international conferences. She is actively involved in leading scientific societies such as the International Neuropsychological Society (INS), Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) or the World Federation for Neurorehabilitation (WFNR), among others.
Email: isabelmartin@us.es
Telephone: +34 954 55 77 79
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4186-7933
PRISMA: https://prisma.us.es/investigador/2519
Benjamin Rodríguez Expósito. Researcher.
Benjamín Rodríguez Expósito is an Associate Professor with more than 14 years of extensive research and teaching experience in the field of Psychobiology and Cognitive Psychology at different universities such as the University of Seville, the National University of Distance Education, and Nebrija University. His research work includes 7 publications in prestigious journals, with a high impact factor in the Journal Citation Report, and notable positions within their area (Behavioural Brain Research, Physiology & Behavior, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Brain Structure and Function, and Memory, Psicothema), as well as book chapters in highly recognized publishers.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0389-5407
Daniela Samaniego Sancho. PhD Student.
From my early academic years, I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to comprehend better the space we occupy in this world based on understanding the brain's functions. I studied Psychopedagogy at the Universidad de las Américas in Ecuador (UDLA). Later, I completed a master’s in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation for Acquired and Congenital Brain Injury at the UAB (Barcelona, Spain), followed by a master’s in Fundamental and Translational Neuroscience at UPO (Seville). I have worked in psycho-pedagogical intervention for neurodevelopmental disorders, and in school contexts, where I promoted educational inclusion and emotional management for problem-solving. My research interest began with an internship at the Institut Guttmann in Barcelona, a center renowned for its specialization in neurorehabilitation. In neuroscience, I completed research training in the Movement Disorders Group at the Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, alongside the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital. My primary interest is to understand how brain networks and maps organize to produce behavior that translates into movement, and how this movement fosters evolution. I have always felt a deep commitment to helping the community and I see neuroscience as a powerful tool for people to better understand themselves and find genuine wellbeing in a constantly changing world. I am interested in how external factors, with their complexity and uncontrollable stimuli, impact our well-being and intrapersonal awareness. True to my bachelor's degree, I am committed to promoting science-based education wherever I go.
Email: dansamsan@alum.us.es