EMBRACE Team
Research Leader, PhD, Örebro University
Inês Trindade is the Research Leader of the EMBRACE Lab and an Associate Senior Lecturer at the Örebro University. Her research and teaching focuses on contextual behavioural science (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, mindfulness, compassion-based interventions) and health psychology topics, in particular, psycho-gastroenterology and psycho-oncology. Inês’ research interests relate to the determinants of psychological and physical health/illness, and to the development and evaluation of face-to-face and digital interventions aiming to improve quality of life and psychosocial functioning, among other health outcomes. She is currently the Principal Investigator (PI) of several multidisciplinary research projects being conducted in Sweden and Portugal. She also serves as Associate Editor for the British Journal of Health Psychology and the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science.
Inês was born and raised in Coimbra (Portugal), where she completed her BSc in Psychological Sciences (2011), MSc in Clinical and Health Psychology (2013), and PhD in Clinical Psychology at CINEICC (University of Coimbra; 2018), at the time led by José Pinto-Gouveia. In Portugal, she also earned specialist certification as a clinical and health psychologist (2019) and acquired her first project grants as PI. She moved to Sweden in 2021 to pursue a Postdoc with Magnus Simrén, at the Institute of Medicine of the University of Gothenburg.
An amateurish dancer and retired keyboardist, her other favorite hobbies are writing and travelling. Her favorite place in the world is the southwest coast of Portugal. She misses the Atlantic ocean tremendously but finds consolation in Sweden’s west coast and infinite lakes.
Inês Trindade
Postdoctoral Research Associate, PhD, Örebro University
Siri Jakobsson Støre is a licensed clinical psychologist holding a specialist degree in clinical psychology (PsyD). She serves as an Assistant Professor at Karlstad University part-time in addition to being a postdoctoral research associate at the EMBRACE Lab. Her primary research and teaching interests lie within clinical and health psychology.
Originally from Oslo, Norway, Siri completed the Master of Science in Psychology Programme in 2013 before relocating to Karlstad, Sweden to pursue a career in Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry (BUP). During her seven-year tenure at BUP she earned her specialist degree in clinical child and adolescent psychology. In 2020, she commenced her PhD in psychology at Karlstad University, successfully defending her thesis in January 2024 titled “Lean, mean sleep machine? Effects and experiences of a sleep robot intervention for adults with insomnia.”
In her leisure time, Siri enjoys being a part of a book and wine drinking circle, although – since embarking on her PhD journey – she primarily indulges in the wine drinking aspect. In theory, she also likes to exercise.
Siri Jakobsson Støre
Research Assistant, PhD, University of Coimbra (Portugal)
Andreia Soares is a Research Assistant at the EMBRACE Lab and a Collaborative Member of the Centre for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioural Intervention (Coimbra, Portugal). She is currently performing field research tasks (e.g. recruitment, screening, psychological interventions implementation, data collection and analysis, reporting, publishing) in the Mind project, while developing her own research project about adaptation to idiopathic scoliosis (Adapt_ISco(o)l). She also collaborates with the Department of Psychology and Education of University of Beira Interior (Covilhã, Portugal) as an Invited Assistant Professor. Her research interests comprise: 1. psychological adjustment to chronic disease (cancer, idiopathic scoliosis); 2. health promotion (health promoting settings or interventions programmes), 3. life events and lifetime transitions (e.g., education-related events/transitions, family-related events/transitions, health-related events/transitions).
Andreia was born and raised in Covilhã, a beautifully located city at the heart of Serra da Estrela (Portugal). By the age of 18, she moved to study at the University of Coimbra, where she completed her BSc in Psychological Sciences (2005), MSc in Clinical and Health Psychology (2007), and PhD in Educational Psychology (2020). Between the last two achievements, she had the opportunity to live and work abroad in Fribourg (Switzerland) and Norwich (United Kingdom) and gave birth to her beloved son.
In her spare time, she loves to perform fun outdoor activities for families, watch thrilling TV series/movies, and to recall a few Latin-American dance moves from her previous classes.
Andreia Soares
Amanuens, Örebro University
Coming from the sunny and windy lands of Skåne in southern Sweden, Benjamin is a second-year student at the Psychology Programme at Örebro University. His position as an Amanuens on the iACTforDGBI project resonates quite well with a recently discovered interest in psycho-gastroenterology. Despite being a newcomer to the fields of psychology and research, Benjamin’s eagerness for new experiences and knowledge is boundless.
Prior to enrolling at Örebro University, Benjamin studied natural sciences and worked in several grocery stores. When he is not busy attempting to grasp the gut-brain connection, you might catch Benjamin trying to outrun his love for pizza (for the third time - third time’s the charm!) or charming others with his Scanian dialect (which often requires a translator for his fellow Swedes).
Benjamin Gürbüz
Research Assistant, MSc, University of Coimbra (Portugal)
Ana is a Research Assistant in the Mind Project. She grew up in a small village in the center region of Portugal, called Anadia. While growing up, she was always interested in health sciences, having started her academic path studying Gerontology at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. Passionate about people, she wanted to study thoughts and behaviours, having moved to Coimbra, where she completed her BSc in Psychological Sciences and MSc in Cognitive and Behavioural Interventions in Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Coimbra. During her internship at the Portuguese Cancer League, she gained experienced in Psycho-Oncology and now aims to look for new ways of improving the well-being and quality of life of patients facing this and other chronic illnesses.
If Ana wasn't a psychologist, she would probably be a baker, given the amount of time she spends in the kitchen playing kitchen wizardry and giving birth to new recipes to share with friends and family.
Ana Soares Pereira
Amanuens, MD, Örebro University / University of Gothenburg
Michaela is a recently-graduated medical doctor (University of Gothenburg) and an Amanuens of the EMBRACE Lab. She works mostly within the iACTforDGBI project She was born and raised in a small town called Uddevalla located on Sweden’s beautiful west coast. Before joining the team, Michaela worked as an Amanuens at the Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg. That’s where she and Inês first met while working together on a study investigating the long-term effects of gut-directed hypnotherapy for IBS patients.
If you are looking for Michaela in her leisure time, you will most likely find her sweating in a gym class, running around in the forest or (being a former yogi) bending herself into questionable positions (the goal is to be able to do the splits for at least 50 more years).
Michaela Blomqvist Storm
Research Assistant, MSc, University of Coimbra (Portugal)
Bruna Veloso is a Research Assistant in the Mind Project. She is a licensed psychologist by the Portuguese Psychologists’ Association. Her research interest is focused on contextual behavioural science, especially compassion-based interventions. She is particularly passionate about the perinatal period and psycho-oncology. Bruna grew up in the city where a common symbol of Portugal, the rooster, originated (if you guessed Barcelos, you’re correct!). Moved by her interest in human behaviour, in 2020 she completed the Integrated Master's in Psychology - Clinical and Health Psychology: Systemic Psychotherapy and Family, at the University of Coimbra. She’s currently attending the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and Counselling, at Portucalense University.
In her spare time, you may find Bruna being a bookworm, wandering around a new city (and spamming her camera roll), watching a comfort sitcom, or playing (losing) a padel match.
Bruna Veloso
Collaborators
Martien Schrooten, PhD, Örebro University
Helena Moreira, PhD, University of Coimbra (Portugal)
Lance McCracken, PhD, Uppsala University
Magnus Simrén, MD PhD, University of Gothenburg
Sanna Nybacka, PhD, University of Gothenburg
Tom van Gils, MD PhD, University of Gothenburg
Gisela Ringström, PhD, Sahlgrenska University Hospital
Sofie Jakobsson, PhD, University of Gothenburg
Filipa Sampaio, PhD, Uppsala University
Sérgio Carvalho, PhD, University of Coimbra (Portugal)
Diogo Carreiras, PhD, University of Coimbra (Portugal)
David Skvarc, PhD, Deakin University (Australia)
Alumni
Joana Marta-Simões, PhD
Joana Pereira, PhD
Helena Pinto, MSc
Diogo Carreiras, PhD