Teodora Stoica is a PhD Candidate in the Translational Neuroscience program at the University of Louisville.  Before joining NILCAMP, Teodora spent several years in neuroimaging research.  She earned a BA in psychology from East Carolina University in NC and completed her M.S in Neuroscience from the University of Hartford in CT.  Teodora's research investigates how dynamic neuroarchitecture gives rise to our empathic ability. This crucial social skill permeates daily communication, playing a role in harmonious interpersonal relationships and provides an emotional bridge that promotes prosocial behavior towards members of stigmatized groups. Utilizing multimodal neuroimaging techniques, the research aims to illuminate the dynamic interplay between brain networks underlying empathy and other mental processes such as emotion regulation. The resultant findings can guide interventions intended to elevate empathy at a societal level. When she isn't looking for colorful significance maps in the brain, she can be found cooking something very delicious (and eating all of it) and playing cello. Teodora also enjoys science outreach, and has served in several leadership positions that bring science minded activities to the local community. In 2017, she  founded an 8-week summer internship program, Louisville Science Pathways, which offers hands-on research experience for high-school students which has since expanded to include University of Kentucky’s campus as Kentucky Science Pathways.  Teodora is originally from Romania.