Positive Psychology Center
Vera Ludwig, Ph.D., is the founding director of the Human Sexuality and Well-Being Project at the Positive Psychology Center, University of Pennsylvania. As a recipient of the NIH's Stephen I. Katz Early Stage Investigator Grant, she serves as the principal investigator on a 5-year, NIH-funded R01 project on sexual well-being. The aim is to develop a comprehensive model and measurement scale of sexual well-being—a crucial but often neglected aspect of public health.
Drawing from a diverse background in science, including biological psychology, neuroscience, and positive psychology, as well as methods from Eastern wisdom traditions such as meditation, she brings an interdisciplinary approach to her work. Dr. Ludwig’s research interests have spanned three main areas: decision-making, human connection, and positive sexuality. She uses interdisciplinary methods to study the human experience, aiming to provide insights that enhance people’s well-being.
Dr. Ludwig completed her Ph.D. in Psychology in 2014 at Humboldt-University Berlin, specializing in cognitive neuroscience. Previously, she obtained a BSc in Psychobiology at the University of Amsterdam, followed by a MSc in Human Cognitive Neuropsychology from the University of Edinburgh. She also conducted post-doctoral research in Berlin and at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University. From 2020-2024, she served as Research Associate and Senior Research Investigator in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, conducting research with the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative.
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