Shape Neurocognitive Performance: Evidence from a VR-fNIRS study
- Poster presentation at the 6th International Mobile Brain/Body Imaging Conference, Berlin, Germany. 08/2026
- Oral presentation at the Eye Tracking Interest Group Zurich (ETIZ) Meeting 2025, Zurich, Switzerland. 10/2025
- Oral presentation at the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA) Conference 2025, San Diego, USA. 09/2025
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Figure © Jiaona
Preprint: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/47r5n_v1
07/2026
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Photo © Jueun Lee
Abstract accepted for the IAPS-CS Network Culture & Space Meetings 5 Article Selection. Full paper in preparation.
07/2026
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Dinning table is one of the most basic and common components of home, while eating habits can vary dramatically from one context to another. Dining tables come in different shapes, dinning space comes in different forms. This volume collects dinning-table-related memories and dinning space typologies from a variety of backgrounds, to explore where the sence of home come from.
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Some may not identify a temporary student residence - an apartment/ a
room in shared flat/ a studio as home, but for many international students themselves, the place to live is the most important thing they can rely on when they are alone in a distant and unfamiliar city. Student residence is also, for many people, the first place that is exclusive to them and completely under their own choice and control. This volume records how they made "a place to live" become "home".
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(visual story)
In this time of globalisation, the same IKEA furniture can be purchased almost anywhere in the world. With these furniture, referring to the IKEA model, one can quickly assemble a homely look. However, when home becomes a replicable commodity that has lost its uniqueness, how is the meaning of home expressed? Is IKEA-type-home a solution or a pity?
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Cyberworld is an extension of the real life, and it is also a carrier of emotions. Cyber-platforms offer a place of creative freedom where "home" can converge on the ideal indefinitely. In video-games, players build their home to protect themselves, to refuel and store the loot, to place decorations or to invite other players......while the so-called-home might be a tent, a house, a castle, a city or simply a check-point on the ground.
This volume explores the extended concept of home in the cyberworld.
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(mapping)
Everyone see and measure the city in their own way, especially when Berlin is such a diverse and multi-culture city. Even 15 kilometres distance could be nothing if it's to get to the only shop in Berlin that sell a type of hometown-flavour snack, meanwhile 15-mins-walk to supermarket could be a wate of time. An immigrant family might set their boundary of homely zone by local immigrants community, but the boundary might also not exist after the transnational moving. This volume collects those personal mapping of Berlin under various perspectives.
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In this volume we try to catch the moments that make a place or a space become meaningful. The collection of these moments shapes habitations and lives.
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(Modelling)
The corners that make people feel at home.
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majiaohu@gmail.com
Linkedln
Orcid
Master project: Across the horizon, home stories in Berlin.
10/2021-10/2024
B.A. in Architecture, Universität der Künste Berlin(UdK), Berlin, Germany. Grade 1.7/6.0 (GPA 3.7)
Bachelor project: Jugendtreff+ in der Düttmann-Siedlung.
09/2017-09/2021
Hu, J. & Sztuka, I. M., Pohlmann, K., Tawil, N., & Kühn, S. Max Planck Institute for Human Development | Preparing submission |
- Poster presentation at the 6th International Mobile Brain/Body Imaging Conference, Berlin, Germany. 08/2026
- Oral presentation at the Eye Tracking Interest Group Zurich (ETIZ) Meeting 2025, Zurich, Switzerland. 10/2025
- Oral presentation at the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA) Conference 2025, San Diego, USA. 09/2025
Environmental and Neurobiological Interactions In Migrant Mental Health: A Systematic Review
Sztuka, I. M., Hu, J., Kühn, S. Max Planck Institute for Human Development | Preprint: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/47r5n_v1 |
07/2026
Homemaking as Belonging: Female Migrants' Spatial Strategies for Grounding in Berlin
Hu, J. | Abstract accepted for the IAPS-CS Network Culture & Space Meetings 5 Article Selection. Full paper in preparation. | 07/2026
Peer review activities
Journal of Environmental Psychology
| 5 reviews |
University of Zurich, Department of Geography, Zurich, Switzerland
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Sara I. Fabrikant.
Assisted with the project: Map-assisted wayfinding in virtual urban environments: How do landmark visualization and environmental familiarity shape spatial learning, An EEG & Eye-tracking study.
09/2025-09/2026
Student Research Assistant
Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Center for Environmental Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Simone Kühn.
- Assisted with systematic review for a publication comparing urban and natural environments.
- Implemented multiple questionnaires and tasks using Inquisit, PsychoPy, and Unipark.
- Collected data in the fMRI and VR laboratories.
- Handled fNIRS and eye-tracking equipment set up for VR studies.
- Developed 3D models in Unity for use in VR studies.
- Pre-processed images in Photoshop and performed pixel analysis using Python.
10/2023-09/2025
WePro Consulting & Management, Hamburg, Germany
- Created illustrations for exhibitions and publications
05/2025-08/2025
Illustrator
MARKK, Museum of Ethnology, Hamburg, Germany
- Created illustrations for exhibitions and publications
02/2023-04/2023
Lead Graphic Designer
The International Center for Music and Arts(remote), Beijing, China
- Designed logos, posters, banners, brochures, business cards, and other promotional materials.
- Managed and maintained media accounts.
02/2021-09/2023
Architect Internship
Yu Architectural Design Consulting | Beijing, China
- Renovation of Shenzhen Nanshan District No.1 Science and Technology Kindergarten, China
- Participated in pre-design, 3d model building, and renderings.
02/2023
Co-founder&Architect
The Rhythm of Bamboos, Yanghou village, Fujian Province, China (built in 08/2021)
- Funded by the Prince Claus Fund and the Goethe Institute.
- Designed and built a 75 m² sustainable bamboo pavilion for women and children in rural village.
- Conducted a two-week field study on local architectural history and traditional bamboo crafts.
- Organized the feminist exhibition "woman in 24 hours" and board game workshop for children.
05/2020-10/2021
Architect Internship
Aditec Planungsbüro | Kassel, Germany (online)
Renovation of an old building facade in Kassel
- Supported the preparation of the building survey of an office building in Kassel
- Participated in the basic evaluation and the preliminary planning of the office building
- Cooperated in the development of the material specification
11/2020
Architect Internship
Meta Architecture Office | Beijing, China
- Design of three visitor centers in Xiong'an New Area, China
- Participated in pre-research and predesign
- Responsible for the drawing of two visitor centers and renderings
09/2019
2024
Scholarship: Jost-Vieth-Stipendium from UdK's architecture program
2022
Competition: Women's Pavilion 2021 Architecture Competition from Volume Zero, top 50
2021
Scholarship: Rainbow Scholarship from CRN-Chinese Rainbow Network
2021
Funding: Cultural & Artistic Responses to Environmental Change from Prince Claus Fund & Goethe Institute for the sustainable project: the Rhythm of Bamboos (14.000 EUR)
2020
2025
NIRx-MES workshop about fNIRS skills in MPIB, Berlin, Germany
2025
MR Safety Training, hygiene training and data privacy training in MRI Lab, MPIB, Berlin, Germany
2023
Training and Research workshop about SDG from Crowd4SDG partners and UN Institute with Top 50 design team award
2021
Universität der Künste Berlin(UdK), Berlin, Germany. Published in Journal NO. 23
- Project: Der nicht mehr einsame Ahorn (Architectural Design) | Role: Architect
2023
She is an Architect 2022
Hosted by RIBA Business Information Consulting, Shanghai, China
- Project: The Rhythm of Bamboos (Pavilion Design) | Role: Co-founder
2022
Media Architecture Biennale 2020 (Virtual Exhibition)
The Bartlett Fifteen Show 2020 (Virtual Exhibition)
The Holy Art Gallery Eternity 2022 (Virtual Exhibition)
- Project: Son et Culinaire, Interactive Audiovisual Performance | Role: Visual Designer
2020-2022
Virtual Walks by CITYMAKERS Berlin
CITYMAKERS, Langhansstr. 86, Berlin, Germany
- Project: Wonderland of Berlin (Film) | Role: Editor & Animator
2020
Her Story by Chinese Rainbow Network (Virtual Exhibition)
- Project: Raumerkundung (Comic) | Role: Author
- Project: Scope (Short Film) | Role: Director & Editor
2020
Bauhaus_interventionen #1: Sitzen
Bauhaus Design Museum Berlin, Germany
- Project: Schaukelpferd (Furniture Design) | Role: Designer
2018
2025-now
China Marriage Equality Advocacy Network, Graphic designer (remote)
2020
Beijing LGBT Center (NGO), Graphic designer (remote)
2020
- fNIRS, EEG, Eye-tracking, Python, R.
- ArchiCAD, SketchUp, AutoCAD, Rhino, Unreal Engine, Unity, QGIS
- Photoshop 2026, InDesign 2026, Illustrator 2026, After Effects 2026, Premiere Pro 2026, Procreate.
- Microsoft Office, Zotero, Github, Inquisit, Unipark, PsychoPy, ImageJ.
Last Updated 24.10.31
(Architectural Design)
Role: Co funder and architect
A sustainable bamboo pavilion for women and children in rural village, China, Received funding from the Prince Claus Fund and the Goethe Institute. Exhibited at She is an Architect 2022 hosted by RIBA Business Information Consulting (Shanghai).
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Role: Illustrator
Illustrations for exhibitions and publications by MARKK Museum.
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Role: Architect
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(Interior Design)
Role: Architect
Kyun-Labo
Address: Bikini Berlin EG,
Budapester Str. 38-50, 10787 Berlin
Interior Designer: Jiaona Hu
Area: Around 64 m^2
Year: 2025 (concept/under construction)
Photographs & Renderings: Jiaona Hu
Role: Visual Designer
Son et Culinaire is an interactive audio-visual performance, merging sound, dance and culinary processes. The project brings to life the performative & ritual aspects of a meal’s production in a performance environment, breathing new life into everyday actions and behaviours.
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Role: Illustrator
Illustrations for exhibitions.
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