Dr. Matthew Pelowski serves as advisor and co-President of Sambaza Group. As Assistant Professor of Cognitive and Neuroaesthetics in the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Vienna, with a dual affiliation in the Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, Dr. Matthew Pelowski brings a wealth of expertise to his role. He has authored over 40 papers in leading journals, exploring topics such as art experiences in museums across Japan, North America, and Europe. Additionally, his pioneering work includes the development of new behavioral, physiological, and brain scanning methods, particularly in relation to social connections and empathic responses. With several years of experience managing large research projects, Dr. Pelowski has collaborated with partners at institutions in Asia, North America, and Europe. Currently, he serves as the Coordinator for the EU H2020 project “TRANSFORMATIONS: Societal challenges and the arts,” which brings together research institutions in Psychology with art schools and cultural/societal partners. Dr. Pelowski’s contributions to the field have been recognized with prestigious awards, including the Baumgarten Award for outstanding contributions by young scientists from the International Association of Empirical Aesthetics in 2016. In 2020, he received the American Psychological Association Division 10, Society for the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Berlyne Award for outstanding research by a junior scholar.
