I studied affective and clinical psychology at the University of Geneva, where I completed a PhD in psychology under the supervision of Dr. Olga Klimecki, Prof. Dr. David Sander, and Prof. Dr. Eran Halperin.

During my PhD, I worked on how emotion regulation interventions can promote conflict resolution in various kinds of conflicts. We conducted several studies in a variety of situations, ranging from interpersonal conflicts in romantic couples to intergroup conflicts in Israel. In particular, I focused on how compassion training can help reduce tension in conflict and enhance social connectedness.

I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Geneva and teach at the Geneva School of Social Sciences. I participate actively in a wide range of public communications (podcasts and media) and knowledge transfer events by giving workshops (on the role of emotions in conflict) to people from diverse disciplines and backgrounds.

Research interests: emotion, emotion regulation, compassion, conflict-resolution interventions, interpersonal and intergroup relations.

PUBLICATIONS

Scientific Articles

2023

• Cernadas Curotto, P., Halperin, E., Sander, D., & Klimecki, O. (2023). Getting closer: compassion training increases feelings of closeness toward a disliked person. Scientific Reports, 13, Article 18339. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-45363-1

2022

• Cernadas Curotto, P., Sander, D., d'Argembeau, A., & Klimecki, O. (2022). Back to the future: A way to increase prosocial behavior. PLoS One, 17(8), Article e0272340. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272340

• Cernadas Curotto, P., Sterpenich, V., Sander, D., Favez, N., Rimmele, U., & Klimecki, O. (2022). Quarreling after a sleepless night: Preliminary evidence of the impact of sleep deprivation on interpersonal conflict. Affective Science, 3, 341-352. doi: 10.1007/s42761-021-00076-4

2019

• Cernadas Curotto, P., Halperin, E., Sander, D., & Klimecki-Lenz, O. M. (2019). Emotions in attacker-defender conflicts [Commentary]. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 42, Article e120. doi: 10.1017/s0140525x19000918

CONFERENCE CONTRIBUTIONS

Oral Communications

• Cernadas Curotto, P. (2023, June). L'entraînement à la compassion et à la régulation émotionnelle comme outils pour la résolution de conflits [Compassion training and emotion regulation as tools for conflict resolution] [Invited presentation]. Mediator Breakfast of the Chambre Suisse de Méditation Commerciale, Geneva, Switzerland.

• Cernadas Curotto, P., & Klimecki, O. M. (2022, November). Compassion training and its benefits [Oral presentation]. Presentation given on the occasion of the Year of Mental Health at the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, Geneva, Switzerland.

• Cernadas Curotto, P. (2019, Octobre). Amour, Passion, Jalousie [Présentation orale]. Présentation donnée en marge de L'Occupation, représentation donnée au Théâtre Forum Meyrin, Genève, Suisse.

• Cernadas Curotto, P., Sander, D., Halperin, E., & Klimecki, O. M. (2019, July 10-13). Changing negative attitudes with compassion training and reappraisal training in order to promote conflict resolution [Conference presentation]. Conference of the International Society for Research on Emotion (ISRE), Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

• Cernadas Curotto, P., & Zaharia, A. (2019, June 13). Hot-blooded – Cold-blooded: How to manage emotions? [Conference presentation]. 21^st Colloquium of Collège de Médecine de Premier Recours (CMPR), Lausanne, Switzerland.

• Cernadas Curotto, P. (2019, May). Our emotions as tools for conflict resolution [Oral presentation]. Interdisciplinary seminar on "Challenge of the interdisciplinarity: The alternative settlement of conflicts", Geneva, Switzerland.

• Cernadas Curotto, P., Sander, D., Halperin, E., & Klimecki, O. M. (2019, February 7-8). Emotion-based interventions to promote conflict resolution [Conference presentation]. Annual Research Forum of the Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, Geneva, Switzerland.

• Cernadas Curotto, P., Klimecki, O. M., & Lack, J. (2018, November 7). The Impact of neurosciences on the future of alternative dispute resolution and process design. [Conference presentation]. The 1^st International Conference on Innovations in Conflict Resolution and Mediation, Tel Aviv, Israel.

• Cernadas Curotto, P. (2018, October). Emotion-based interventions in order to promote conflict resolution [Oral presentation]. Meeting between the UN Leaders, the University of Geneva and Geneva Science Policy Interface, Geneva, Switzerland.

• Cernadas Curotto, P. (2018, Septembre 16). Études comparant les effets de la méditation et de la réévaluation cognitive sur la résolution de conflit [Présentation orale]. Atelier "Approches scientifiques sur le rôle des émotions dans les conflits pour les médiateurs", Genève, Suisse.

• Klimecki, O. M., Varone, C., & Cernadas Curotto, P. (2018, January 14-15). Emotion in conflict [Oral presentation]. Basel Peace Forum, Basel, Switzerland.

• Klimecki, O. M., & Cernadas Curotto, P. (2018, January). Premiers résultats empiriques pour promouvoir la résolution des conflits [First empirical results for promoting conflict resolution] [Invited presentation]. Mediator Breakfast of the Chambre Suisse de Médiation Commerciale, Geneva, Switzerland.

Posters

• Cernadas Curotto, P., Sander, D., Halperin, E., & Klimecki, O. M. (2019, March 28-29). Changing attitudes and emotions with compassion training and reappraisal training to promote conflict resolution [Poster session]. 4^th Workshop of Understanding Others–Integration of Social Cognitive and Affective Processes, Munich, Germany.

• Cernadas Curotto, P., Sander, D., Favez, N., Sterpenich, V., Rimmele, U., & Klimecki, O. M. (2019, February 27). Sleep deprivation and its impact on interpersonal conflict [Poster session]. Annual Meeting of the Swiss Stress Network, Basel, Switzerland.

• Cernadas Curotto, P., Sander, D., Favez, N., Sterpenich, V., Rimmele, U., & Klimecki, O. M. (2018, April 4-5). Sleep deprivation and its impact on interpersonal conflict [Poster session]. Consortium of European Research on Emotion (CERE), Glasgow, United Kingdom.

• Cernadas Curotto, P., Barsics, C., Klimecki, O. M., Sander, D., D'Argembeau, A., & Van der Linden, M. (2018, February 7). The influence of future thinking on prosocial behavior [Poster session]. Swiss Center for Affective Sciences Annual Research Forum, Geneva, Switzerland.

• Cernadas Curotto, P., Barsics, C., Klimecki, O. M., Sander, D., D’Argembeau, A., & Van der Linden, M. (2017, October 11-12). The influence of future thinking on prosocial behavior [Poster session]. 1^st Workshop of Understanding Others-Integration of Social Cognitive and Affective Processes, Jena, Germany.

• Cernadas Curotto, P., Vetois, M., Bogacz, F., & Klimecki, O. M. (2017, October 7). Factors that lead to conflict escalation and interventions that promote conflict resolution [Poster session]. United Nations Geneva Open Day, Geneva, Switzerland.