María Victoria Sánchez-Vives

María Victoria Sánchez-Vives

Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer

Life & Medical Sciences

Mavi Sanchez Vives, MD, PhD in Neurosciences, has been ICREA Research Professor at the Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer since 2008, where she leads the Systems Neuroscience group. She is also co-Director of the Event Lab (Experimental Virtual Environments in Neuroscience and Technology). Previously she was Associate Professor of Physiology and Group Leader at the Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante (UMH-CSIC). She was postdoctoral fellow at Rockefeller University and at Yale University. 

Research interests

Neuronal and network properties determining the emergent activity in the cerebral cortex. Brain states and rhythms: regulating mechanisms, information encoding, neuromodulation.Using experimental and computational approach, with an interest in neurotechnology. The integration of the cortical information giving rise to bodily representation, combining brain activity and virtual reality for understanding these processes and VR medical applications.

Selected publications

- Camassa A, Galluzzi A, Mattia M & Sanchez-Vives MV 2022. 'Deterministic and stochastic components of cortical Down states: dynamics and modulation'. Journal of Neuroscience42(50), 9387-9400.

- Pazienti A, Galluzzi A, Dasilva M, Sanchez-Vives MV & Mattia M 2022, 'Slow waves form expanding, memory-rich mesostates steered by local excitability in fading anesthesia', iScience, 25(3), 103918.

- Amunts, K., ..., Sanchez-Vives, M.V., Goebel, R. & Jirsa, V. (2022). Linking Brain Structure, Activity, and Cognitive Function through Computation. ENeuro, 9(2).

- Slater M & Sanchez-Vives MV 2022, 'Is Consciousness First in Virtual Reality?' Frontiers in Psychology. 13, 787523.

- Matamala-Gomez M, Slater M & Sanchez-Vives MV 2022, 'Impact of virtual embodiment and exercises on functional ability and range of motion in orthopedic rehabilitation', Scientific Reports, 12, 1, 5046.

- Slater and Sanchez-Vives 2022, "A plastic virtual self: how virtual reality can be transforming", In Routledge Handbook of Bodily Awareness. Eds Adrian Alsmith and Matthew Longo. London, UK. 

- Barnes N, Sanchez-Vives MV & Johnston T 2022, 'On the practical use of immersive virtual reality for rehabilitation of intimate partner violence perpetrators in prison', Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 787483.

- Donegan T, Ryan BE, Sanchez-Vives MV & Świdrak J (2022) Altered bodily perceptions in chronic neuropathic pain conditions and implications for treatment using immersive virtual reality, Frontiers In Human Neuroscience, 16, 1024910.

Selected research activities

- Thesis Director of one defended PhD Thesis and one Master thesis (2022).

- Member of Science and Infrastructure Board in Human Brain Project; work package (38 groups) leader.

- Invited talks at  Institute of Advanced Studies, Paris; Emotions Brain Forum. Milano; (Worldwide Women in Data Science; BASSES workshop, Rome; Brain Comp, Cetraro, Italy; VR Days, Rotterdam; CCCB BRAINS exhibition, Barcelona.