My research focuses on expressions of emotions, their effects, and the mechanisms underlying their perception and interpretation. At QUB, I work with Dr. William Curran and Dr. Gary McKeown. Our team investigates social functions and characteristics of laughter produced in different contexts. I am also interested in facial expressions of emotions, especially the smile, which is arguably the most complex and versatile among them.

Some of my studies explore how eye contact and facial mimicry influence facial expression processing in infants and adults. Other projects examine cross-cultural differences in smiling and effects of smiles (as well as other emotion expressions such as regret or guilt) on economic decisions in interpersonal and intergroup settings.