Ismael Pedraza

Ismael Alfonso Pedraza Ramírez is a PhD candidate in the Performance Psychophysiology group at the Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln (DSHS Cologne). His research explores heart rate variability (HRV) as a physiological index of stress, recovery, and autonomic regulation with a focus on how these processes shape cognitive and motor performance under pressure or demanding conditions.

Ismael's scholarly work spans a substantial number of peer-reviewed publications, conference contributions, and reviews. Notably, his recent article "Zooming in on Decision Making in Esports: Exploring the Perceptions of Expert Players and Coaches" (2025) investigates decision–making processes in esports, combining psychological and performance-oriented perspectives. ResearchGate In addition, he co-authored studies on psychophysiological stress in esports training and competition contexts, contributing to our understanding of how autonomic dynamics reflect real-world performance demands. 

Within our Performance Psychophysiology group, Ismael plays an active role not only in his doctoral research but also in planning and executing experimental protocols, coordinating data collection and processing, and contributing to interdisciplinary collaborations. His work helps bridge basic psychophysiological research with applied performance science particularly in high-demand domains such as sport and esports thereby supporting the translation of scientific insights into practical performance and health contexts.