Anna Ball successfully graduated on the 3rd of July 2012 and was awarded with a Dr. rer. nat in Psychology. Anna conducted a huge, highly complex and perfectly designed study in which she analyzed the alterations of hormones, brain asymmetries, psychophysical markers, social cognitive features, and motivational scores during the menstrual cycle. Anna departed in her study from an evolutionary perspective in which she proposed that cognitive changes during the menstrual cycle have to be seen as behavioral adaptations that increase the fitness of the individual. Going even a step further, she also assumed that alterations of brain asymmetries could represent the mean to achieve these behavioral changes. Anna tested three groups of subjects: normally cycling females, young female subjects that use a vaginal contraceptive ring (thereby preventing a normal cycle), and young men. In the end, she was rewarded with a large number of results that show how alterations of hormones affect various alterations of cognition, motivation, brain states, and strategic behavior. The committee was truly impressed with Anna's contributions and decided to award her the doctorate title with the grade magna cum laude.

CONGRATULATIONS ANNA !!!