Noura Haddad: Measuring Physiological Response to Space: Magnetocardiographic detection of pre-cognitive cardiac inflammatory responses to architectural environments

Supervisor: Professor Koen Steemers

Research overview:

This doctoral study uses magnetocardiography (MCG) analysis to explore the influence of architectural environments on pre-cognitive physiological responses with a particular emphasis on cardiac inflammatory systems.

If the heart possesses its own form of memory and learning, how do architectural rhythms and spatial resonances interact with this cardiac intelligence in shaping our physiological nervous system’s responses beyond the brain alone? The precise causal

relationship between spatial resonance parameters and cardiac dynamics, and their link to inflammatory vulnerability, is a complex and emerging area of study in the field of neuroarchitecture. While research has established clear connections between the built environment and human physiology, the specific mechanisms are not yet fully understood.

Biography:

Noura is a PhD researcher at the University of Cambridge studying how architectural spatial elements influence human physiology. Drawing on a degree in Architecture and a Master’s in Neuroarchitecture she integrates neuroarchitectural theory with biomagnetic sensing to capture cardiac responses to spatial cues and translate them into actionable, health-supportive design decisions. Her work weaves rigorous design methods with empirical measurement, developing a robust evidence base to guide practice.