Dayanne S. Antonio

Dayanne Antonio is a Ph.D. student and Teaching Assistant in Kinesiology at Florida International University, where she investigates how stress induced through exercise reveals and strengthens human resilience. Her academic journey began in Brazil with a degree in Physical Education. She conducted early research on injury recovery in cyclists and running performance in recreational athletes, later earning a Master’s degree from the Federal University of Paraná, where she explored critical speed and the psychophysiological markers of perceptual acuity in recreational and elite runners.
Currently working in the EEG Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Marcelo Bigliassi, Dayanne’s research focuses on how acute and chronic eustress—induced through protocols like the cold pressor test and high-intensity exercise—can reveal individuals’ tolerance levels and shape adaptive brain and body responses. Using tools like EEG, heart rate variability, electrodermal activity, and machine learning models, she examines how physical and psychosocial stressors influence brain connectivity and self-regulation. Her goal is to better understand how the body and brain adapt to challenging situations, offering insights into how exercise-based stress may not only test but also build our capacity to cope, recover, and grow.