HDR de Rocco Mennella

The presentation will outline my scientific exploration of the interaction between emotion, motivation and action in both typical and clinical populations. It will be organised into four main sections. The first section will review previous theoretical and empirical work, highlighting the role of goal-directed processes in emotional behaviour. The second section will describe my previous research into the neurocomputational basis of approach-avoidance decisions and motivational changes in depression. The third section will present my current projects, which are aimed at understanding how emotion and motivation are embodied, and the anticipatory nature of emotional actions. The final section will discuss my research responsibilities and long-term research directions. Throughout, I will advocate an integrative and interdisciplinary approach, bridging theory, experimentation and methods from psychology, neuroscience and movement science.

Composition of the jury 
Ruth KREBS (PU, Ghent University): Reviewer
Stefano PALMINTERI (DR, École Normale Supérieure, Paris Sciences & Lettres): Reviewer
Laurence CONTY (PU, Université Paris Nanterre): President
Julie GRÉZES: (DR, École Normale Supérieure, Paris Sciences & Lettres): Examinator
Sylvie VERNAZZA-MARTIN (PU, Université Paris Nanterre): Promoter