Meet the Murrow Media Mind Lab Team

Biography

Dr. Paul Bolls has over 30 years of experience conducting research on how the human mind/brain processes and responds to media content and technology. He is internationally recognized for his expertise in Media Psychophysiology/Neuroscience, a scientific paradigm for investigating brain processes that produce media effects. His research has spanned almost all forms of media content including, advertising, health communication, politics, news, and entertainment. Dr. Bolls has helped train researchers and set up academic and industry research labs in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. He has worked as a Neuromarketing industry consultant since 2012. Clients he has worked with include market research companies as well as NBC-Universal, VISA, and Disney Parks. Dr. Bolls is Montana boy at heart enjoying fly fishing on Montana trout streams whenever possible.

Research Areas

• Applied Neuromarketing Content Testing
• Brain Processes Underlying Media Effects
• Health Communication
• Political Media
• Political Media
• Psychology of Entertainment

Biography

Dr. Yen-I Lee (Ph.D., University of Georgia) is an assistant professor at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication within the Department of Strategic Communication. She is also the Co-Director of Murrow Media Mind Lab. Her primary research is in the areas of health communication and strategic communication, focusing on the role of emotional appeals, visuals, narratives, and technology use in the message design for health crisis and risk campaign messages. Her research objective is to theoretically and practically advance the development of brain-friendly content and technology for positive effects in the fields of health communication and strategic public relations. Dr. Lee accomplishes this through her expertise in the Media Psychophysiology and Neuroscience paradigm specializing in valid applications of physiological indicators such as eye-tracking, EDA (electrodermal activity), heart rate, and facial EMG, in Media Processes and Effects research. Her research has been published in Mass Communication and Society, Journal of Applied Communication Research, International Journal of Strategic Communication, Journal of Health Communication, Health Marketing Quarterly, Social Marketing Quarterly, Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research, Communication Studies, Media Psychology, and Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.

Research Areas

• Media Psychophysiology and Neuroscience
• Media Psychology
• Health Crisis and Risk Communication
• Strategic Public Relations

Biography

Sita Ganugapati is a first-year graduate assistant at the Media Mind Lab. She works as the Lab manager and a research technician while pursuing her research interests in how humans interact with Ai and Parasocial relationships (which is the study of one sided media interactions). In her free time, she enjoys doing yoga and making jewelry when she isn’t swimming.

Biography

Isabelle Martinez is a second-year Advertising major within the Strategic Communication department at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. With a background in neuroscience and a passion for creative communication, Isabelle is particularly interested in applying neuromarketing and psychophysiological research methods to women’s studies and representation in media. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking, listening to music, making art, practicing mindfulness and yoga, and taking long walks to admire and connect with nature.