Dra. María Beltrán
Presentation
María Beltrán holds a PhD in Architecture and a PhD in Urban Planning and Design. She is currently a Professor and Researcher at the Universidad de Diseño, Innovación y Tecnología (UDIT), where she leads the NEURO-COLAB research group, which specialises in applying neuroscience to design, architecture and urban environments.
Her research focuses on understanding how the design of the built environment influences perception, behaviour, learning and well-being, integrating architecture, neuroscience and design from an interdisciplinary perspective. She is Principal Investigator of competitive projects such as NEU4NEU, devoted to the study of neuroarchitecture applied to educational environments for neurodivergent people, and GIVAH, focused on immersive and generative systems for adaptive design.
She is a member of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA). She qualified as an Architect after an Erasmus stay at Aalto University (Finland) and completed a Master's in Urban Planning and Design at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden). She holds a PhD in Architecture from Universidad CEU San Pablo and a PhD in Urban Planning and Design from the University of Maryland (United States), where she received the ARCC King Medal for Excellence in Architectural and Environmental Research (2020–2021).
Her scientific output is international in scope and addresses neuroarchitecture, evidence-based design, educational environments, spatial perception and the interaction between design, technology and human behaviour.
RESEARCH:
- Neuro-Creativity Co-Lab Research Group: Building Collaborative Convergence in the Design of Everyday Spaces
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/neurocolab/?viewAsMember=true
- NEU4NEU: Neuroarchitecture for Neurodivergents
- GIVAH: Innovation in Hospitality
- NEUROCOM-AI: Neuroarchitecture, Artificial Intelligence and Communication
Programs where they teach