Professor Elisa Raffaella Ferrè's Inaugural Lecture - Prisoners of Gravity: How Gravity Shapes Our Brain and Behaviour
When:
—
Venue:
Birkbeck Clore Management Centre
Weightlessness is like a new toy you get to unwrap every day, again and again – and it’s a great reminder, too, that you need to savour the small stuff, not just sweat it. - Astronaut Chris Hadfield
Gravity is so fundamental to life on Earth that we rarely stop to think about it - until it changes. Every living organism has evolved under the constant pull of 1g (9.81 m/s²), shaping everything from our biology to our behaviour. Deep within our inner ears, tiny sensors called vestibular otoliths act as natural accelerometers, continuously tracking gravity’s force and direction. Our brain relies on this information to perceive our surroundings, move through space, and even shape our thoughts.
But what happens when gravity is no longer what we expect? Is our brain hardwired for Earth’s gravity, or can it adapt to weightlessness? How does it feel to be on Mars where gravity is just a third of what we are used to?
In this talk, I will explore how gravity shapes our behaviour, drawing on my research that integrates psychophysics, neuroimaging, computational modeling, and space science. I will reveal how altered gravity affects perception, motor control, and decision-making, and examine whether the human brain can truly adapt to life beyond Earth.
Join me for a fascinating journey into how gravity shapes us - both on Earth and beyond.
Biography
Elisa Raffaella Ferré is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in the School of Psychological Sciences at Birkbeck University of London. She earned her
PhD in Psychology from the University of Pavia in Italy in 2012 and joined Birkbeck in 2021, after holding academic positions at University College London (UCL) and Royal Holloway University of London.
Prof Ferré has quickly established herself as a world-leading researcher in the cognitive neuroscience of the vestibular system, employing a distinctive approach to vestibular research. Her work has had a broad impact, transforming our understanding of the vestibular system across psychology, clinical vestibular research, and human space exploration.
She has led numerous research projects published in prestigious journals, such as Current Biology, Psychological Science, and Cortex. Her work has been featured in major media outlets, including New Scientist, BBC Science Focus Magazine and The Guardian.
Prof Ferré has co-created innovative projects that merge art and science, such as VESTIBULAR_1 (2021) and The Zero Gravity Band (2019).
She serves as Vice President of the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA) and collaborates with the European Space Agency (ESA) Education and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) on initiatives like Access to Space for All. She also acted as mentor for the UNOOSA Space4Women program which empowers young women to pursue careers in space science.
Prof Elisa Raffaella Ferré's inaugural lecture will be introduced by Prof Rick Cooper, Dean of the Faculty of Science at Birkbeck University of London. Prof Patrick Haggard, from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, will provide concluding remarks.
The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception in the Clore Foyer.
Contact name:
Chris Fray