Regina Ramirez presenting poster

Author: Regina Ramirez Reza | Major: Psychology | Semester: Fall 2025

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to present my poster, “Gender Differences in Emotional Processing Following Distinct Mindfulness Inductions: Evidence from the Late Positive Potential”, at the International Society for Contemplative Research 2025 Conference, held in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. My poster was based on my honors undergraduate thesis research. Briefly, this study examined whether gender moderated the effect that distinct mindfulness inductions have on late positive potential (LPP), an EEG marker of emotional reactivity. These results indicated that the Open Monitoring (OM) mindfulness induction, which encouraged participants to view their experiences without judgment, selectively reduced the LPP amplitude for men in response to a negative emotionally charged visual stimuli. In other words, men showed less emotional reactivity and processing, as reflected in the LPP neural marker, after practicing the OM induction. These results represent a very interesting finding. When I presented my poster to leaders of contemplative science around the world, they were very impressed, as my study aimed to address a significant gap in the mindfulness literature and encouraged contemplative researchers to consider individual differences, such as gender, when evaluating the effectiveness of mindfulness inductions. My experience presenting my poster was amazing. At first, I was nervous about the type of questions they might ask; however, I found the questions very interesting, and honestly no one asked about something I had not already considered myself.
Being in a space with individuals who share the same passion as I do, let alone leading researchers in the field, was invaluable. This conference truly enlightened me about the direction I want to take in my career. It also allowed me to make meaningful connections. I wish I could
mention everyone I met, because they were all exceptional, and each interaction helped me move closer toward my goal of attending grad school.
Among the experts I had the privilege of meeting was Dr. Todd S. Braver, who has been studying mindfulness for over 25 years at Washington University. His feedback was very insightful, since the collection of the data for the parent study was done at his lab. He was surprised that this research was my undergraduate thesis; he heavily encouraged me to continue doing research and see if I could replicate my findings across different data sets on similar studies. I also met Dr. Taiwani Tidwell, one of the keynote speakers whose talk I was very excited to attend. One of the magical aspects of this conference is that, alongside research presentations, there are workshops on contemplative practices, like workshops on how to do specific meditation. I shared an Ati Yoga session with Dr. Tidwell and, afterward, we talked more about her research and our own mindfulness practices. I also had the opportunity to meet Dr. Resh Singh Gupta, whose research examined the same mindfulness inductions but focused on their effects on different types of anxiety. The work that these researchers are doing is nothing but impressive, and I still cannot believe I got to engage in deep discussions about my research and theirs during the conference.
I want to mention the members of the incredible Contemplative Neurophenomenology lab at the University of Arkansas. All projects we presented drew the attention of many since our studies use EEG, they tend to be very complex. I am beyond grateful to be part of this team and for their invaluable support and guidance, especially from my thesis director Dr. Yanli (Jeff) Lin, who was a celebrity at the conference. I saw his name cited so many times that I lost count. I am very grateful to learn from him every day.
Lastly, I want to mention two main concerns I had going into the conference. First, printing my poster, I was so grateful to have the help from the honors college for printing, and the process was very fast as well. Honestly, the second concern I had was what to wear. If I could give other students advice, it would be to invest in two or three basic formal clothing pieces that you can mix and match. That way you are dressed to impress, and you can build many outfits without overpacking. The other piece of advice I would give students attending their first conference is to enjoy the time that you are there. It is very rare to be in a space where so many people share your interests. Do not be afraid to ask questions during the talks, and to reach out to presenters afterwards, I learned that everyone loves talking about their research.
Overall, this conference was a wonderful experience and an amazing opportunity. I learned so much about myself, who I am as a researcher, and where I want to go, while making some new, meaningful connections along the way. Thank you, Fulbright Honors College, for this opportunity.