Tessa Portier

Tessa Portier joined the Social Brain Sciences group as a doctoral student in October 2024 as part of the joint Learning Sciences program at ETH Zurich and EPFL (ETH Lausanne). She holds a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and a master’s degree in Neuroscience and Cognition from Utrecht University.

Tessa's curiosity about how we think and feel has guided her academic journey. Her early work in linguistics focused on how language shapes our thoughts and lived experiences and vice versa. Over time, she became fascinated by the broader mechanisms underlying cognition and emotion, uncovering how our thoughts and feelings emerge from a dynamic interplay between the brain, body, and environment. This realization motivated her to delve deeper into neuroscience, with a particular focus on the affective and social dimensions of human experience.

For her PhD, Tessa is investigating curiosity - what comprises this ‘spark’ sensation, how it enhances learning, and how it unfolds in social settings.

In her free time, Tessa likes to explore the city and nature with her friends, work out, or get creative by making sparkly nail art.