School of Psychology & Neuroscience

Dr Joana Carvalheiro

  • Research Fellow (SPN Research)

email: Joana.Carvalheiro@glasgow.ac.uk
pronouns: She/her/hers

62 Hillhead Street, Room 610, G12 8QB

Import to contacts

For consultation hours, feel free to email me directly.

ORCID iDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481

Research interests

I am interested in characterising the cognitive and neural mechanisms by which humans learn how to seek rewards and avoid punishments. I have been awarded a Wellcome Early-Career Award to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms by which punishments shape reward learning.

My research programme tests a novel framework for how the human brain integrates reward and punishment signals. I use a multimodal approach combining pharmacological manipulations, behavioural paradigms, and neuroimaging (EEG, fMRI, and simultaneous EEG–fMRI at 3T and 7T), alongside computational modelling to interrogate subcortical circuits.

During my Ph.D. I studied the neurocomputational mechanisms by which acute stress affects reward and punishment learning, using reinforcement-learning paradigms, computational modelling and model-based fMRI.

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2019
Number of items: 13.

2026

Dalby, C., Dibble, Austin, Carvalheiro, J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Queirazza, F., Sevegnani, Michele ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6773-9481, Harvey, M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1694-1174, Svanera, Michele ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7828-9209 and Fracasso, Alessio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4542-112X (2026) Delineating in-vivo T1-weighted intensity profiles within the human insula cortex using 7-tesla MRI. Human Brain Mapping, 47(4), e70486. (doi: 10.1002/hbm.70486)

Carvalheiro, J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Queirazza, F., Pesonen, L., Baldaque, J., Yao, F., Zheng, R. and Philiastides, M.G. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7683-3506 (2026) Punishments enhance reward learning by modulating striatal prediction errors. Journal of Neuroscience, (doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1631-25.2026) (PMID:41735057) (Early Online Publication)

2025

Santos, Ana Carolina Teixeira, Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481 and Leist, Anja K. (2025) Assessing Disparities in Depression and Loneliness Between Older Immigrants and Natives: A SHARE Data Analysis for Luxembourg and Switzerland. Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC 2025), Toronto, Canada, 27-31 July 2025. (doi: 10.1002/alz70860_103879)

Teixeira-Santos, Ana C., Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481 and Leist, Anja (2025) Timing of Mental Health Diagnosis in Older Immigrants and Non-Immigrants: Evidence from SHARE. GSA 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting, Boston, MA, USA, 12-15 Nov 2025. (doi: 10.1093/geroni/igaf122.3674)

Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, McElhinney, Paul ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4319-0225, Allwood-Spiers, Sarah, Paterson, Gavin, Gunamony, Shajan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3146-6079 and Philiastides, Marios G. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7683-3506 (2025) Spatiotemporal dissociation of physical salience and stimulus evaluation in the human midbrain. Current Biology, 35(21), 5167-5178.e6. (doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.09.013) (PMID:41033315)

Teixeira-Santos, A. C. et al. (2025) A randomized clinical trial of mindfulness training versus a health promotion program: Impact on cognitive and mental health in older immigrants. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 25(4), 100642. (doi: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100642)

2024

Carolina Teixeira Santos, Ana, Gomes, Leandro, Pereira, Diana R., Ribeiro, Fabiana, Silva‐Fernandes, Anabela, Godinho, Catarina, Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Federspiel, Carine, Steinmetz, Jean‐Paul and Leist, Anja K. (2024) Exploring the impact of mindfulness training and a health promotion program on cognitive and mental health of older adults. Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC 2024), Philadelphia, USA, 28 Jul - 01 Aug 2024. (doi: 10.1002/alz.087687)

Dalby, Connor, Dibble, Austin Jon, Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Queirazza, Filippo, Sevegnani, Michele ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6773-9481, Harvey, Monika ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1694-1174, Svanera, Michele ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7828-9209 and Fracasso, Alessio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4542-112X (2024) Delineating in-vivo T1-weighted intensity profiles within the human insula cortex using 7-tesla MRI. bioRxiv, (doi: 10.1101/2024.08.05.605123)

2023

Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481 and Philiastides, Marios G. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7683-3506 (2023) Distinct spatiotemporal brainstem pathways of outcome valence during reward- and punishment-based learning. Cell Reports, 42(12), 113589. (doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113589) (PMID:38100353)

2022

Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Conceição, Vasco A., Mesquita, Ana and Seara-Cardoso, Ana (2022) Psychopathic traits and reinforcement learning under acute stress. Journal of Personality, 90(3), pp. 393-404. (doi: 10.1111/jopy.12673) (PMID:34536231)

2021

Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Conceição, Vasco A., Mesquita, Ana and Seara-Cardoso, Ana (2021) Acute stress blunts prediction error signals in the dorsal striatum during reinforcement learning. Neurobiology of Stress, 15, 100412. (doi: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100412) (PMID:34761081) (PMCID:PMC8566898)

Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Conceição, Vasco A., Mesquita, Ana and Seara-Cardoso, Ana (2021) Acute stress impairs reward learning in men. Brain and Cognition, 147, 105657. (doi: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105657) (PMID:33341656)

2019

Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Seara-Cardoso,, Ana, Mesquita, Ana Raquel, de Sousa, Liliana, Oliveira, Pedro, Summavielle, Teresa and Magalhães, Ana (2019) Helping behavior in rats (Rattus norvegicus) when an escape alternative is present. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 133(4), pp. 452-462. (doi: 10.1037/com0000178) (PMID:30896232)

This list was generated on Sat Mar 21 22:54:48 2026 GMT.
Jump to: Articles | Conference or Workshop Item
Number of items: 13.

Articles

Dalby, C., Dibble, Austin, Carvalheiro, J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Queirazza, F., Sevegnani, Michele ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6773-9481, Harvey, M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1694-1174, Svanera, Michele ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7828-9209 and Fracasso, Alessio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4542-112X (2026) Delineating in-vivo T1-weighted intensity profiles within the human insula cortex using 7-tesla MRI. Human Brain Mapping, 47(4), e70486. (doi: 10.1002/hbm.70486)

Carvalheiro, J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Queirazza, F., Pesonen, L., Baldaque, J., Yao, F., Zheng, R. and Philiastides, M.G. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7683-3506 (2026) Punishments enhance reward learning by modulating striatal prediction errors. Journal of Neuroscience, (doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1631-25.2026) (PMID:41735057) (Early Online Publication)

Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, McElhinney, Paul ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4319-0225, Allwood-Spiers, Sarah, Paterson, Gavin, Gunamony, Shajan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3146-6079 and Philiastides, Marios G. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7683-3506 (2025) Spatiotemporal dissociation of physical salience and stimulus evaluation in the human midbrain. Current Biology, 35(21), 5167-5178.e6. (doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.09.013) (PMID:41033315)

Teixeira-Santos, A. C. et al. (2025) A randomized clinical trial of mindfulness training versus a health promotion program: Impact on cognitive and mental health in older immigrants. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 25(4), 100642. (doi: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100642)

Dalby, Connor, Dibble, Austin Jon, Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Queirazza, Filippo, Sevegnani, Michele ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6773-9481, Harvey, Monika ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1694-1174, Svanera, Michele ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7828-9209 and Fracasso, Alessio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4542-112X (2024) Delineating in-vivo T1-weighted intensity profiles within the human insula cortex using 7-tesla MRI. bioRxiv, (doi: 10.1101/2024.08.05.605123)

Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481 and Philiastides, Marios G. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7683-3506 (2023) Distinct spatiotemporal brainstem pathways of outcome valence during reward- and punishment-based learning. Cell Reports, 42(12), 113589. (doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113589) (PMID:38100353)

Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Conceição, Vasco A., Mesquita, Ana and Seara-Cardoso, Ana (2022) Psychopathic traits and reinforcement learning under acute stress. Journal of Personality, 90(3), pp. 393-404. (doi: 10.1111/jopy.12673) (PMID:34536231)

Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Conceição, Vasco A., Mesquita, Ana and Seara-Cardoso, Ana (2021) Acute stress blunts prediction error signals in the dorsal striatum during reinforcement learning. Neurobiology of Stress, 15, 100412. (doi: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100412) (PMID:34761081) (PMCID:PMC8566898)

Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Conceição, Vasco A., Mesquita, Ana and Seara-Cardoso, Ana (2021) Acute stress impairs reward learning in men. Brain and Cognition, 147, 105657. (doi: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105657) (PMID:33341656)

Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Seara-Cardoso,, Ana, Mesquita, Ana Raquel, de Sousa, Liliana, Oliveira, Pedro, Summavielle, Teresa and Magalhães, Ana (2019) Helping behavior in rats (Rattus norvegicus) when an escape alternative is present. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 133(4), pp. 452-462. (doi: 10.1037/com0000178) (PMID:30896232)

Conference or Workshop Item

Santos, Ana Carolina Teixeira, Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481 and Leist, Anja K. (2025) Assessing Disparities in Depression and Loneliness Between Older Immigrants and Natives: A SHARE Data Analysis for Luxembourg and Switzerland. Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC 2025), Toronto, Canada, 27-31 July 2025. (doi: 10.1002/alz70860_103879)

Teixeira-Santos, Ana C., Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481 and Leist, Anja (2025) Timing of Mental Health Diagnosis in Older Immigrants and Non-Immigrants: Evidence from SHARE. GSA 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting, Boston, MA, USA, 12-15 Nov 2025. (doi: 10.1093/geroni/igaf122.3674)

Carolina Teixeira Santos, Ana, Gomes, Leandro, Pereira, Diana R., Ribeiro, Fabiana, Silva‐Fernandes, Anabela, Godinho, Catarina, Carvalheiro, Joana ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-5481, Federspiel, Carine, Steinmetz, Jean‐Paul and Leist, Anja K. (2024) Exploring the impact of mindfulness training and a health promotion program on cognitive and mental health of older adults. Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC 2024), Philadelphia, USA, 28 Jul - 01 Aug 2024. (doi: 10.1002/alz.087687)

This list was generated on Sat Mar 21 22:54:48 2026 GMT.

Grants

Grants and Awards listed are those received whilst working with the University of Glasgow.

  • No pain, no gain: Investigating the influence of punishments on reward learning
    Wellcome Trust
    2025 - 2030
     

Supervision

Supervised Postgraduate Student

  • Luis Eduardo Zambrano Hernandez (Postgraduate)

Supervisor

Teaching

Cognition and behaviour under Stress Level 4 Neuroscience


Joana Carvalheiro