Below is a list of my talks, panels, and workshops, as well as conference talks and posters presenting our work. If you would like to invite me to speak, please see Talks & Keynotes.
2026
Ludwig, V.U., Lewis, A., Pawelski, J.O., Crone, D.L. Sexuality in well-being science: A large-scale content analysis of leading journals. Poster at the International Academy of Sex Research Annual Meeting, Porto, Portugal, July 13–16, 2026.
Sims, S., Coston, B.E., Ludwig, V.U. Tipping the scale: Reviewing concepts from positively-oriented measures of sexuality. Poster at the International Academy of Sex Research Annual Meeting, Porto, Portugal, July 13–16, 2026. [Presenter: S. Sims]
Ludwig, V.U. Understanding sexual well-being: The emerging science of positive sexuality. Talk and Session Chair, “Positive Sexual Health and Well-Being,” European Conference on Positive Psychology, Dublin, Ireland, July 1–4, 2026.
Ludwig, V.U. What happens when you follow your true interests? From chimpanzees and brain scans to human sexual well-being. Invited talk at the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 30, 2026.
2025
Ludwig, V.U. The untold story: Integrating sexuality into the science of well-being. Invited talk at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, US, December 9, 2025.
Ludwig, V.U. Understanding sexual well-being: The emerging science of positive sexuality. Invited talk at the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 11, 2025.
Sims, S., Crone, D.L., Ludwig, V.U. Let’s (TED)Talk about sex! Examining topics in popular talks on sexuality through natural language processing. Spotlight talk at the MindCore Retreat, Media, US, October 16, 2025. [Presenter: S. Sims]
Ludwig, V.U. Understanding sexual well-being. Talk in the lab of Ilan Dar-Nimrod, Sydney, Australia, July 11, 2025.
Ludwig, V.U. Synchronous smiles and hearts: Dyadic meditations foster human connection in virtual and in-person settings. Talk at the IPPA World Congress on Positive Psychology, Brisbane, Australia, July 2–5, 2025.
Ludwig, V.U., Lewis, A. Exploring the role of sexuality in positive psychology: What is sexual well-being? Workshop at the IPPA World Congress on Positive Psychology, Brisbane, Australia, July 2–5, 2025.
Lewis, A., Pawelski, J.O., Ludwig, V.U. The emerging science of positive sexuality: Definitions, a framework, and future directions. Poster at the IPPA World Congress on Positive Psychology, Brisbane, Australia, July 2–5, 2025. [Presenter: A. Lewis]
Ludwig, V.U., Lewis, A., Mikanik, N., Sims, S., Crone, D.L., Kaufman, S.B., Clifton, J.D.W., Werner, M., Pawelski, J.O., Mitchell, K., Herbenick, D., Coston, B.E. Mapping sexual well-being: Developing a multidimensional, strength-based model and scale. Poster at the International Academy of Sex Research Annual Meeting, Portland, US, June 23–26, 2025.
Ludwig, V.U., Mikanik, N., Lewis, A., Sims, S., Crone, D.L., Kaufman, S.B., Clifton, J.D.W., Werner, M., Pawelski, J.O., Mitchell, K., Herbenick, D., Coston, B.E. Dancing in the rain: Perspectives on ideal sex lives in five thousand U.S. individuals. Poster at the International Academy of Sex Research Annual Meeting, Portland, US, June 23–26, 2025.
Sims, S., Crone, D.L., Mikanik, N., Ludwig, V.U. Let’s (TED)Talk about sex! Natural language processing of themes in popular talks about sexuality. Poster at the International Academy of Sex Research Annual Meeting, Portland, US, June 23–26, 2025. [Presenter: S. Sims]
Ludwig, V.U. Is consent enough? Rethinking love, sex, and relationships. Panel discussion, Veritas Forum, Philadelphia, US, April 8, 2025.
Prieur, L., Ludwig, V.U., Rennie, S.M., Beswerchij, A., Weintraub, D., Berry, B., Wey, J., Candido, K., Platt, M.L. Virtual and in-person connection: The power of shared meditative practices. Poster at the North Carolina Neurological Society Annual Meeting, Durham, US, February 28–March 2, 2025. [Presenter: L. Prieur]
Ludwig, V.U. Understanding sexual well-being: Towards a positive and growth-oriented model. E-poster at the Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health, Atlanta, US, February 27–March 2, 2025.
2024
Ludwig, V.U. Understanding sexual well-being. Talk at the 11th European Conference on Positive Psychology, Innsbruck, Austria, July 12, 2024.
2023
Ludwig, V.U. Deep connection: How to maintain well-being in an insecure world. Talk organized by the MindScience Foundation, San Antonio, US, November 3, 2023.
Ludwig, V.U. Contemplative dyad meditation. Talk and meditation workshop at the AIIR Consulting Summit, virtual, November 2, 2023.
2021
Ludwig, V.U. Subjective well-being predicts foraging behavior in humans. Poster at the Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, virtual, November 8–11, 2021.
Ludwig, V.U. Is kindness the key to happiness? A Philadelphia Citizen event with author and entrepreneur Brad Aronson, April 28, 2021.
2020
Ludwig, V.U., Gupta, V., Crone, D., Ramakrishnan, A., Platt, M.L. The relationship of positive emotions, life satisfaction and self-reported coping behaviors with foraging decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poster at the 18th Annual Meeting of the Society for NeuroEconomics, virtual, October 7–9, 2020.
Ludwig, V.U. Enhancing teamwork: Virtual team exercise. Workshop as part of Wharton Executive Education: Leveraging Neuroscience for Business Impact, September 15, 2020.
Ludwig, V.U. NeuroBiz Now! Panelist at The Neuroscience of Wellness, virtual discussion, May 14, 2020.
Ludwig, V.U. Wharton Neuroscience Panel: Leading in the next decade. Panelist at the AIIR Consulting Summit 2020 – Celebrating 10 Years of Coaching Innovation, Philadelphia, US, February 5, 2020.
2019
Ludwig, V.U. Effortless self-regulation: How awareness may foster goal-congruent behavior. Invited talk at the Character Lab, Philadelphia, US, June 10, 2019.
Ludwig, V.U. Positive sexuality: A scientific perspective on our love lives. Invited talk at the Kortizes Symposium 2019, Nuremberg, Germany, April 13, 2019.
2018
Ludwig, V.U. Can being in the “here and now” help you achieve your goals? On the relation of self-control and mindfulness. Talk at the Motivation Lab, New York University, New York, US, December 12, 2018.
Ludwig, V.U. Positive sexuality. Talk at the Positive Psychology Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, US, January 24, 2018.
Ludwig, V.U. Mindful goal-pursuit: When the pain of doing something hard no longer hurts. Talk at the Character Lab, Philadelphia, US, January 23, 2018.
Ludwig, V.U. Improving self-regulation: Effects of hypnosis, autosuggestion and mindfulness. Invited talk at the Jha Lab, University of Miami, Miami, US, January 12, 2018.
2017
Ludwig, V.U. Gesunde Willensstärke entwickeln durch Achtsamkeit [Developing healthy willpower by means of mindfulness]. Invited talk at the “Gründerinnenfrühstück” [Breakfast for Female Founders], Berlin, Germany, September 22, 2017.
Ludwig, V.U. Impulse and self-control: Hypnosis, autosuggestion and mindfulness. Invited talk at Nora Volkow’s lab meeting at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Washington, US, September 14, 2017.
Ludwig, V.U. Willensstärke und Achtsamkeit [Willpower and mindfulness]. Public talk, Wangerooge, Germany, August 16, 2017.
Ludwig, V.U. On the relation of willpower and mindfulness. Invited talk at the Alumni Talk Series of the Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Berlin, Germany, June 1, 2017.
2015
Ludwig, V.U. Mit Suggestion und Autosuggestion ungesunden Versuchungen widerstehen [Resisting unhealthy temptations by means of suggestion and autosuggestion]. Invited talk at the annual meeting of the Milton-Erickson Gesellschaft für Klinische Hypnose, Bad Kissingen, Germany, March 19–22, 2015.
Ludwig, V.U. Impulsivität, Selbstkontrolle und hypnotische Suggestibilität [Impulsivity, self-control, and hypnotic suggestibility]. Invited talk at the annual meeting of the Milton-Erickson Gesellschaft für Klinische Hypnose, Bad Kissingen, Germany, March 19–22, 2015.
2014
Ludwig, V.U. Can the neuroscience of addiction tell us anything about free will? Invited talk at the symposium “Free Will: Philosophy meets Neuroscience”, Tel Aviv, Israel, March 25–27, 2014.
2013
Ludwig, V.U.*, Nüsser, C.*, Goschke, T., Wittfoth-Schardt, D., Wiers, C.E., Erk, S., Schott, B.*, Walter, H.* Delay discounting without decision-making: Medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala activations encode immediacy and correlate with impulsivity and anxious-depressive traits. Poster at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, US, November 9–13, 2013. [*equal contributions]
Ludwig, V.U.*, Nüsser, C.*, Goschke, T., Wittfoth-Schardt, D., Wiers, C.E., Erk, S., Schott, B.*, Walter, H.* Delay discounting without decision-making: Medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala activations encode immediacy and correlate with impulsivity and anxious-depressive traits. Poster at the Annual Conference of the Society for Neuroeconomics, Lausanne, Switzerland, September 27–29, 2013. [*equal contributions]
2012
Ludwig, V.U., Stelzel, C., Krutiak, H., Magrabi, A., Steimke, R., Rangel, A., Kathmann, N., Walter, H. Post-hypnotic suggestions for disgust diminish value signals in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex during decisions about unhealthy snacks. Poster at the 16th Meeting of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness, Brighton, UK, July 2–6, 2012.
Ludwig, V.U., Stelzel, C., Krutiak, H., Magrabi, A., Steimke, R., Kathmann, N., Walter, H. Value signal modulations in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex induced by post-hypnotic suggestion. Poster at the 18th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping, Beijing, China, June 10–14, 2012.
Ludwig, V.U., Stelzel, C., Krutiak, H., Magrabi, A., Steimke, R., Kathmann, N., Walter, H. The effects of hypnotically induced food aversion on reward processing: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Poster at the 2nd Einstein Fellowship Symposium on Decision-Making, Berlin, Germany, May 24–25, 2012.
2011
Ludwig, V.U., Krutiak, H. Die Auswirkung hypnotisch-induzierter Lebensmittel-Aversionen auf die Aktivierung des Belohnungssystems im Gehirn [The effect of hypnotically induced food aversions on the activation of the brain’s reward system]. Talk at the annual meeting of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hypnose und Hypnotherapie e.V., Bad Lippspringe, Germany, November 20, 2011.
Ludwig, V.U. Hypnosis as a tool in cognitive neuroscience. Talk at the seminar “Current Issues in Philosophy and Neuroscience,” Venice, Italy, April 17–21, 2011.
2010
Ludwig, V.U., Adachi, I., Matsuzawa, T. The origins of synaesthesia: Chimpanzees and humans share pitch–luminance mapping. Poster at the 14th Meeting of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness, Toronto, Canada, June 24–27, 2010.