It is one of the most beautiful characteristics of being human and I feel lucky to be able to explore these boundaries and see how our body perception can evolve with new experiences. (Text continues below).
I am continually fascinated by brain plasticity which is the ability of our brain to change and reshape in response to factors like learning, aging, or injury.
My name is Dominika Radziun, and I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Brain, Body, and Technology Lab at the Donders Institute. My work focuses on how our brain’s perception of our body can be reshaped by different factors, including tools we use. We examine how tools like finger-extending exoskeletons and devices that enhance our physical abilities, alter people’s sense of their own bodies. This includes behavioural studies, neuroimaging, and computational models, all aimed at uncovering how the brain adapts when its boundaries are pushed.
The question of brain plasticity is not just scientific, it is deeply human. I have spent years researching how brains adapt to significant changes, particularly in individuals with blindness. They develop remarkable abilities to feel their heartbeats, for example, as the brain compensates for the absence of visual input. This flexibility is what makes the human mind so incredible. Our brain learns and adjusts constantly, allowing us to reshape ourselves in ways we are only beginning to understand.
Of course, I experienced challenges during this scientific journey. During my PhD, I set out to explore neuroplasticity in blind participants, but just as my studies began, the COVID-19 pandemic halted everything. Recruitment was nearly impossible, and I feared I would never finish my research. I eventually relocated my studies to a collaborating lab in Poland and continued testing in 2021. Overcoming those obstacles has been one of my proudest moments and a reminder of how persistence is as crucial to science as curiosity.
As a scientist, I feel privileged to be paid to ask big questions and help students grow into researchers themselves. My journey has taken me from Poland to Sweden, Norway, the UK, and now the Netherlands, driven by a passion for understanding how flexible our brains are. A conversation at a conference with Luke Miller, my current mentor, led me to the Donders Institute. His work and the unique environment he fosters here convinced me that this was the perfect place to pursue my research.
If there is one thing I hope you take away from this Brain Museum, it would be this: your brain is a masterpiece in progress. Every day, with every experience, it grows and adapts, reflecting the beautiful complexity of human life.
People of Donders
Behind every scientific discovery lies a story. A story of scientists and staff driven by curiosity and perseverance. What motivates them to delve into the complex world of the brain day in and day out? What continues to fascinate them? What challenges do they face? And what does their work mean to them personally? In the People of Donders series you will meet the people behind the science, discover their passions, and learn what they think is most fascinating about our brains.