Alexandru BERCEANU

Vice-Rector for Research

Email: alexandru.berceanu@unatc.ro
Website: http://alexandruberceanu.org
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9115-9399

BIO

Alexandru I. Berceanu is the UNATC Vice-rector for research and development. He is Associate professor in the Animation and Interaction Department at the National University of Theatre and Film “I.L. Caragiale” in Bucharest, Romania, where he also teaches in the Community and Therapeutic Theatre master’s program. He initiated the International Centre for Research and Education in Innovative and Creative Technologies (CINETic), as well as its master’s program in Interactive Technologies for Performing and Media Arts.

He is a mixing-realities director and researcher conducting interdisciplinary research at the intersection of art and neuroscience. Starting with his doctoral studies, his research has centred on aggressive and prosocial behaviour, using drama and immersive environments as investigative tools to develop emotional regulation through gamified approaches and theatrical representation. His results are published in international journals such as Frontiers in Psychology, eNeuro or NeuroImage, Drama Therapy Journal. His artistic work covers interactive-media installations, VR, immersive environments, and theatre. He developed the T-NET method for developing emotional regulation capacity for teenagers through theatre improvisation.

Co-president of CNCS Humanities Commision and member of CNCS (Romanian Research Council) and extended board member of IsFAM, International Society for Arts and Medicine, PI, manager and team member of cultural, artistic projects and research grants with a total value of more than 10 million euros.

PUBLICATIONS

2025

Sofonea, A., Boldasu, R., Papasteri, C. C., Benescu, V., Podina, I. R., Vasilescu, R. I., Carcea, I., & Berceanu, A. I. (2025). Decreased levels of stress and increased group closeness during theatre training exercises. Drama Therapy Review, 11(2), 157–187. https://doi.org/10.1386/dtr_00169_1

2024

Berceanu, A. I., Papasteri, C., Sofonea, A., Boldasu, R., Niță, D., Poalelungi, C., Froemke, R., & Carcea, I. (2024). Oxytocin predicts positive affect gains in a role-play interaction. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1258254. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1258254
Berceanu, A. I. (2024). Unit 4 overview: Symmetry research in neuroaesthetics. In T. Balinisteanu & K. Priest (Eds.), Neuroaesthetics (pp. 147–163). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42323-9_11
Tomescu, M. I., Van der Donck, S., Perișanu, E. M., Berceanu, A. I., Alaerts, K., Boets, B., & Carcea, I. (2024). Social functioning predicts individual changes in EEG microstates following intranasal oxytocin administration. Psychophysiology, 61, e14581. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.14581

2023

Berceanu, A., Basica, C., Verma, P., & Alessandrini, P. (2023). Accessible co-creativity with AI through language and voice input. In Proceedings of the International Conference on AI and Musical Creativity. AIMC 2023. https://aimc2023.pubpub.org/pub/lo8xj7sb
Berceanu, A. (2023). Cercetarea artistică: Practici și metode. Presa Universitară Clujeană.
Tomescu, M. I., Papasteri, C., Sofonea, A., Berceanu, A. I., & Carcea, I. (2024). Personality moderates intra-individual variability in EEG microstates and spontaneous thoughts. Brain Topography, 37(4), 524–535. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10548-023-01019-x (listed under 2023 heading but dated 2024)

2022

Berceanu, A. I. (2022). Am fugit de teatru la dramAcum. In L. Malița (Ed.), Să nu privești înapoi. Comunism, dramaturgie, societate. Presa Universitară Clujeană.
Tomescu, M. I., Papasteri, C. C., Sofonea, A., Boldasu, R., Kebets, V., Pistol, C. A. D., Poalelungi, C., Benescu, V., Podina, I. R., Nedelcea, C. I., Berceanu, A. I., & Carcea, I. (2022). Spontaneous thought and microstate activity modulation by social imitation. NeuroImage, 249, Article 118878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.118878
Cîrneci, D., Onu, M., Papasteri, C. C., Georgescu, D., Poalelungi, C., Sofonea, A., Pușcașu, N., Tănase, D., Rădeanu, T., Toader, M. Y., Dogaru, A. L., Podină, I. R., Berceanu, A. I., & Carcea, I. (2022). Neural networks implicated in autobiographical memory training. eNeuro, 9(6), ENEURO.0137-22.2022. https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0137-22.2022
Berceanu, A. I., Papasteri, C. C., Sofonea, A., Boldasu, R., Niță, D., Poalelungi, C., & Carcea, I. (2022). Role-play regulates positive emotions and prosocial attitudes [Preprint]. OSF Preprints. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/r6cpn

2020

Berceanu, A., Ionescu, C., & Kerek, P. (2020). Attempts at participatory art or cracks in the pedestal of the statue. In C. Modreanu (Ed.), A history of Romanian theatre from communism to capitalism (pp. 91–98). Routledge.
Berceanu, A. I. (2020). Mixând medii, la est de transmedia / Mixing media: East of transmedia. In I. Popovici & M. Brandão (Eds.), Open access: An introduction to transmedia (p. 213). Editura Tact.
Berceanu, A. I., Matu, S., & Macavei, B. I. (2020). Emotional and cognitive responses to theatrical representations of aggressive behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 1785. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01785
Papasteri, C. C., Sofonea, A., Boldasu, R., Poalelungi, C., Tomescu, M. I., Pistol, C. A. D., Vasilescu, R. I., Nedelcea, C., Podina, I. R., Berceanu, A. I., Froemke, R. C., & Carcea, I. (2020). Social feedback during sensorimotor synchronization changes salivary oxytocin and behavioral states. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 531046. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.531046
Onu, M., Cîrneci, D., Papasteri, C. C., Georgescu, D., Berceanu, A. I., & Carcea, I. (2020). Modificări în conectivitatea funcțională a stării de repaus într-un studiu folosind stimularea naturalistică. Psihologia, 24(3), 245–258.

2019

Berceanu, A. I. (2019). Răsturnând paradigma pedepsei: O imagine în mișcare a reprezentării violenței în spectacol și media. Editura Universitară.
Gherghescu, I., Belciu, E., Burloiu, G., Ilicevici, V., Vasile, D., Hodea, M. C., Făcăeru, C., Mischie, I., Ungureanu, A., & Berceanu, A. I. (2019). Transversal competences in bachelor programs for creative industries. CINETic Review, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.37130/CINETrev.2019.12

2018

Pistol, C., Berceanu, A. I., Papasteri, C. C., Sofonea, A., Boldașu, R., Picu, C., Titieni, A., Murgu, H., Podina, I., Cîrneci, D., Nedelcea, C., Barborică, A., Mândruță, I., Froemke, R. C., & Carcea, I. (2018, October). Imitation behavior in stress management and prosocial attitudes [Poster presentation]. Society for Social Neuroscience Annual Meeting (S4SN), San Diego, CA, United States.
Onu, M., Cîrneci, D., Papasteri, C., Georgescu, D., Berceanu, A. I., & Carcea, I. (2018). Extrastriate cortex connectivity may define interoceptive/exteroceptive mental states [Manuscript submitted for publication].

2015

Crețu, C., Berceanu, A. I., & Burloiu, G. (2015). Muzică interactivă de scenă pe baza EEG / EEG-based interactive stage music. Information and Communication Technologies in the Musical Field, 6(2), 83–91.
Berceanu, A. I., Burloiu, G., Cîrneci, D., & Crețu, C. (2015). Extinderea performativității printr-o interfață BCI. Studia Dramatica, 60(2), 125–137.