I am Indira Tendolkar, and as professor of psychiatry, head of the department of psychiatry and a researcher at the Donders Institute. I delve into how our brains integrate emotions and memories, and what this means for our well-being. (Text continues below).
Have you evert thought about how your memories shape your life, guide your decisions, and shape your view of the world? Emotional memory, the ability to link feelings to experiences, has fascinated me throughout my career.
Memories with an emotional charge positively or negatively affect our daily lives. It goes beyond remembering an event. Our brains reinforce these memories with emotional weight, which can influence our outlook on future experiences. Take, for instance, how negative memories can sometimes hinder us from taking on new challenges. This plays a role in mood disorders and is therefore an important topic of my research.
I am convinced that knowledge about emotional memory helps people understand how their thoughts and feelings unconsciously influence their actions and decisions. For me, it is incredibly important to further unravel the science behind this and put it to use in clinical practice. Because the more we understand about these processes, the better we can support people with mental disorders to lead more balanced lives.
What motivates me as a researcher is a deep curiosity about the human mind and a tremendous passion for improvement in healthcare. My years of experience as a clinician guide my research. Every day, I see the challenges my patients face. They motivate me to find treatments that really help them move forward. Among other things, I work on applications of brain stimulation combined with behavioural therapy to help people cope better with their emotions and memories.
My work at the Donders Institute and at Radboud UMC puts me in a unique position where I can combine research with clinical care and teaching. This interplay gives me a broader perspective, something I really appreciate. I am proud of the community we have built over the years and the progress we have made. Our work has led to better insights and methods to help people with mental health problems.
To visitors of the Brain Museum, I would like to share this: appreciate your brain as the most unique organ in your body. The brain is not replaceable like, say, other organs can be. The brain holds all the memories and experiences that shape you as a person. Cherish those memories, learn from them, but also stay curious about what you can still discover.
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.