Ibon Vales Cortina

Curriculum Vitae

Ibon Vales Cortina arrived in Zürich as a PhD student in February 2025. He studied for his bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Deusto. Driven by an interest in psychological research, he pursued two master’s degrees in Neuroscience and Neuropsychology at the University of Granada and the University of Padova. During his studies, he learned various methodologies such as fMRI, TMS, EEG, and fNIRS. Interested in machine learning approaches in neuroscience and signal analysis, he completed his master’s thesis at the Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Center in Granada, focusing on the development of Brain-Computer Interfaces for imagined speech decoding through EEG signals. He investigated the use of silent speech interfaces to restore communication in individuals who have lost the ability to speak, focusing on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.

Research Interest

His research focuses on the detailed connections between sleep, health and autonomic control, with a particular emphasis on the role of the Locus Coeruleus. He is particularly interested in employing advanced electrophysiological measurement techniques such as fMRI, EEG, and pupillometry, along with pharmacological treatments, to uncover the neural mechanisms underlying these functions.