Find Academic Supervisors

Dorret I. BoomsmaView profile

Professor

• Behavioral Genetics
• Twin Studies
• Quantitative Genetics
• +7 more

Dorret I. Boomsma is a Full Professor of Biological Psychology at the Free University of Amsterdam and the Free University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, where she has served as Head of Department since 1998. She has built a substantial research group of over 40 people, largely funded through competitive grants and awards received over the past two decades. Her educational background includes a BA in Psychology (cum laude, 1979), MA in Psychophysiology (cum laude, 1983), and a PhD in Quantitative Genetics (cum laude, 1992), all from the Free University of Amsterdam. She also earned an MA in Biological Psychology and Behavior Genetics from the University of Colorado. Professor Boomsma's research focuses on the genetic and biological basis of individual differences in normal and abnormal behavior, health, and cognition. Her work explores etiological pathways to complex behavioral and neuropsychiatric traits and common diseases, with particular emphasis on twin studies and large-scale longitudinal genetic-epidemiological research through the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR). She has made significant contributions to understanding the genetics of twinning and has conducted extensive genetic linkage, association, and expression studies through the NTR Biobank project. Her publication record reflects a strong focus on genetic epidemiology, with numerous high-impact papers in prestigious journals. Her work spans diverse areas including ADHD, migraine genetics, brain development, smoking behavior, and the genetic architecture of complex traits. She has published over 730 papers with more than 19,000 citations, demonstrating the significant impact of her research in the field of behavioral genetics. Her scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards: Spinoza Premium (2002) - the highest scientific award in the Netherlands ERC Advanced Grant (2008) Hendrik Muller Award (2009) from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences KNAW Merian Prize (2011) NARSAD established investigator award (2011) James Shield Award (2002) from the International Society for the Study of Twins Membership in the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences (KNAW) (2001) Professor Boomsma has demonstrated exceptional ability in securing research funding, which has allowed her to grow her research team from 12 members in 1998 to over 40 members by 2009. Her group attracts outstanding PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and professional colleagues. She is also committed to public outreach, ensuring that the results of her scientific work reach beyond academic circles. She directs the Netherlands Twin Register Biobank, a significant resource for genetic epidemiological studies that has enabled numerous genome-wide association studies and other genetic research. Her work with the NTR has established it as one of the world's leading twin registries.

Janet van HellView profile

Professor

• Bilingualism
• Second Language Acquisition
• Neurocognitive Processes in Language Development
• +3 more

Janet van Hell is Professor of Psychology and Linguistics at Pennsylvania State University , where she also serves as Co-Director of the Social, Life, and Engineering Sciences Imaging Center (SLEIC) and Co-Director of the Center for Language Science . She leads the Bilingualism and Language Development (BiLD) Lab , investigating neurocognitive aspects of bilingual language use. Education: Ph.D., University of Amsterdam, 1998 Research Interests: Her work centers on bilingualism , second language acquisition , and the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying language development. Using EEG/ERP , behavioral, and linguistic techniques, her lab explores cross-language interaction, code-switching, and foreign-accented speech comprehension. The ‘brain bus’ , a mobile EEG lab, extends her research into schools and public outreach. Publications Overview: Her recent publications span bilingual phonetics , syntax processing , memory consolidation , and executive control , with a focus on EEG/ERP methodologies and experimental behavioral paradigms . Studies often involve heritage speakers , child bilinguals , and late L2 learners . Advising & Collaborations: Advises numerous PhD students and postdocs, many co-authoring papers (marked with *). Collaborates across Psychology, Linguistics, and Neuroscience departments. Leads outreach via the ‘brain bus’ for public engagement in science. Labs & Centers: BiLD Lab – Bilingualism and Language Development Lab SLEIC – Co-Director, Social, Life, and Engineering Sciences Imaging Center Center for Language Science – Co-Director

• Music Psychology
• Musicology
• Cognitive Psychology
• +1 more

Andreas C. Lehmann is a Professor of Systematic Musicology and Music Psychology whose research bridges cognitive science, performance studies, and psychological mechanisms of musical experience. While his institutional affiliation remains unspecified in the provided text, his collaborative network includes prominent researchers from the University of Hamburg, Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, and State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart. Lehmann's scholarly focus centers on empirical investigations of music's cognitive and physiological impacts, with particular emphasis on deliberate practice efficacy, neurocognitive aspects of musical training, and music-induced emotional modulation of pain perception. His methodological approach integrates meta-analytic techniques, psychophysiological measurements, and longitudinal observational studies to dissect performance science and music cognition phenomena. Analysis of his publication record reveals a consistent trajectory examining how structured musical engagement shapes human cognition and physiological responses. His work demonstrates specialized attention to gender-differentiated effects in music-induced arousal, neural adaptations from early musical specialization, and quantifiable relationships between practice intensity and achievement metrics—contributing foundational insights for evidence-based music education and therapeutic applications.

Adam Clark ArcadiView profile

Associate Professor

• Biological Anthropology
• Primate Behavioral Ecology
• Chimpanzee Communication
• +4 more

Adam Clark Arcadi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences. His research centers on wild chimpanzee communication—both vocal (e.g., pant hoots) and percussive (e.g., buttress drumming)—and its implications for understanding social organization and language evolution. Fieldwork is primarily conducted in Kibale National Park, Uganda, with cross-site collaborations to study regional behavioral variations. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1991. His academic interests span Biological Anthropology Primate Behavioral Ecology and Conservation Human Evolution Chimpanzee Social Behavior Arcadi's research integrates audiovisual analysis of chimpanzee communication to explore gait influences on drumming, lateralization in locomotion, nonlinear acoustics in vocalizations, and cultural transmission. His work bridges primatology with evolutionary linguistics, examining how gestural/vocal communication informs language origins. Key themes include individual distinctiveness, population-level variations, and socioecological drivers of behavior. His publications trend shows sustained focus on chimpanzee communication mechanics (1993–2018), with increasing methodological sophistication in audiovisual analysis. Early work (1990s) established foundational patterns in pant hoots and drumming, while later studies (2000s–2010s) incorporated biomechanics, neuroethology, and cross-population comparisons. The 2018 book synthesizes decades of field research on chimpanzee social behavior. As an educator, Arcadi teaches courses including Human Evolution: Genes, Behavior, and the Fossil Record (ANTHR 1300) and The Natural History of Chimpanzees and the Origins of Politics (ANTHR 2310) for Spring/Fall 2025. He supervises undergraduate/graduate independent studies (ANTHR 4910/7910) and honors theses (ANTHR 4983/4984), indicating active mentorship. Fieldwork in Uganda involves collaboration with international researchers, though specific grants are unmentioned. His laboratory operations center on longitudinal field studies in Kibale National Park, with data collection spanning acoustic analysis, behavioral observation, and ecological monitoring. Current course schedules confirm ongoing academic engagement through 2025.

Nicola HodgesView profile

Professor

• Motor Learning
• Sport Psychology
• Skill Acquisition
• +4 more

Nicola Hodges serves as Professor and Associate Director of Graduate Affairs in the School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, at the University of British Columbia. Her research integrates sport psychology and behavioral neuroscience to investigate motor skill development, with expertise in action anticipation, observational learning, and coaching science. She actively supervises graduate students in Kinesiology MA, MSc, and PhD programs while leading the Motor Skills Lab and collaborating with the Origins of Balance Deficits and Falls Research cluster. Hodges' research examines cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying motor learning through experimental paradigms in soccer, baseball, and swimming. Key interests include visual-kinesthetic motor imagery interactions , error-based observational learning , and individual differences in imagery ability . Her work reveals how practice structure, diversity, and prediction errors influence skill acquisition, with implications for optimizing coaching strategies and rehabilitation protocols. Current projects explore aphantasia's impact on motor cognition and handedness effects in sport anticipation. Recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate methodological innovation using eye-tracking, neurophysiological measures, and sport-specific tasks. Her research consistently addresses the interdependence of visual and kinesthetic representations during learning, with growing focus on real-world applications in youth sports development and clinical voice disorders. No specific scientific awards are listed in her current profile, though her extensive publication record indicates significant scholarly impact. Hodges currently supervises PhD candidate Carrie Peters (researching motor system involvement in action observation) and expresses strong interest in interdisciplinary collaborations, undergraduate research mentorship, and cluster-based grant partnerships. Her supervisory approach emphasizes purposeful practice frameworks and perceptual-cognitive skill development. She directs the Motor Skills Lab at UBC's War Memorial Gymnasium, conducting behavioral and neurophysiological research on motor control. Her affiliations include the Origins of Balance Deficits and Falls Research cluster and UBC's Exercise, Kinesiology and Health Seminar series, reflecting commitment to translational research and academic community engagement.

Gillian ForresterView profile

Professor

• Evolutionary Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Comparative Cognition
• +3 more

Professor Gillian Forrester is a distinguished academic holding dual roles as Professor of Comparative Cognition at Birkbeck, University of London, and Professor of Evolutionary & Developmental Psychology at the University of Sussex. She serves as Deputy Dean for the School of Science at Birkbeck and leads the Comparative Cognition Group, focusing on cognitive evolution and development across species. At the University of Sussex, she is Academic Lead for Public Engagement, driving initiatives like the Me, Human project to promote science accessibility and advocacy for women in science. Education: BSc in Cognitive Science (University of California, San Diego); PhD in Experimental Neuroscience (University of Oxford) Affiliations: Founder/Director of the Me, Human project; Co-Director of the SOFAR Network (Supporting Female Academics) Her research explores cognitive evolution in humans and primates, with emphasis on motor biases, lateralization, and developmental markers for neurodiversity. Key areas include infant gaze patterns, primate handedness, and evolutionary links between motor skills and social cognition. Funded by the Leverhulme Trust and Simons Foundation, her work bridges academia and public engagement through media appearances (BBC, CNN), festivals, and educational programs like the Baby Grow project. Awards: Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Authority; Daphne Jackson Trust Research Fellowship Grants: Leverhulme Trust; Simons Foundation She actively collaborates with institutions globally, including the BBC and Royal Society, and has published extensively in journals like Scientific Reports , Cortex , and Animal Behaviour . Her outreach includes hosting events like Think Again! and contributing to TV series such as BBC’s Secrets of the Brain .

• Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
• Neuroimaging
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• +4 more

Dr. Naomi Driesen is a Research Scientist in Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, specializing in neuroimaging and the prefrontal cortex’s role in schizophrenia. She holds a PhD from the University of Memphis (1997), MA from the University of Virginia (1989), and BA from Yale University (1984). Her research focuses on schizophrenia, cognitive neuroscience, and the effects of ketamine on brain function, with over 20 years of publications in peer-reviewed journals. Notable studies include investigating ketamine’s impact on psychopathology and functional connectivity differences between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. She collaborates on clinical trials involving AMPA receptor modulation and cannabinoid receptor imaging. Dr. Driesen’s work bridges neuroimaging, pharmacology, and psychiatric disorders, contributing to understanding cognitive deficits and therapeutic interventions.

Mike NichollsView profile

Professor

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Laterality
• Spatial Attention
• +12 more

Professor Mike Nicholls is a full-time faculty member at Flinders University, holding a Strategic Professorship in Psychology within the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work. He is Director of the Brain and Cognition Laboratory and currently serves as Dean of Research for his college. Previously, he was a professor at the University of Melbourne for 17 years. His educational background includes a BArchSt from the University of Adelaide (1985–1987), a BA (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Adelaide (1998), and a PhD in Experimental Psychology from King’s College, Cambridge (1990–1993), funded by a Cambridge Commonwealth Trust scholarship. Mike Nicholls’ research is centered on cognitive neuroscience, particularly the study of behavioral and perceptual asymmetries related to brain lateralization. His work investigates handedness, spatial attention in clinical and healthy populations, language, facial expression perception, and the role of eye movements. He explores how attention is controlled by the brain across sensory modalities and spatial dimensions. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on how social context influences perception, body image, facial judgments, and attentional processes, often employing neuroimaging and psychophysical methods. His 15 most recent articles (2023–1996) span topics including inattentional blindness, social modulation of visual perception, reinforcement learning in visual cortex, and attentional distortions in spatial cognition. These works reflect a consistent interest in the neural and cognitive underpinnings of lateralized behavior and attention, with applications in both healthy and clinical populations. Scientific Awards: Outstanding Academic Mentor Award, Australian Psychological Society (2020) Mike Nicholls has supervised numerous research students and PhD candidates, with advising interests in laterality, attention, and cognitive neuroscience. He has secured substantial research funding, including multiple ARC Discovery and Linkage Grants, with recent projects focusing on decision aids in complex environments, augmented reality for defense, and attentional asymmetries in navigation. He has also held editorial roles in journals such as Laterality and the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology , and currently serves on the ARC's Medical Research Advisory Group. He leads the Brain and Cognition Laboratory at Flinders University, a research team dedicated to understanding cognitive processes and their neural representations, particularly in the context of brain asymmetry and attentional control.

Stephen D. ChristmanView profile

Professor

• Cognitive Psychology
• Handedness
• Hemispheric Asymmetry
• +2 more

Stephen D. Christman is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toledo, affiliated with the College of Arts and Letters. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley (1988) and leads research in the Cognitive Neuropsychology Lab. Education: Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1988 His research focuses on Cognitive Psychology , particularly Handedness , Hemispheric Asymmetry , Episodic Memory , and Visual Perception . He investigates how interhemispheric interaction influences memory, decision-making, and personality traits. Recent publications highlight trends in handedness research spanning Political Psychology , Memory Encoding , and Interhemispheric Communication . Articles from 2020–2021 examine links between handedness and political behavior, while 2017–2018 studies focus on memory retrieval using fNIRS and motor manipulation. Key co-authors include John D. Jasper, Andrew Geers, and R. E. Propper. His work has been cited extensively in Psychology , Neuroscience , and Public Health domains.

John D JasperView profile

Professor

• Judgment and Decision Making
• Cognitive Psychology
• Risk Perception
• +6 more

John D Jasper serves as a Professor and Chair in the Department of Psychology within the College of Arts and Letters at the University of Toledo. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa (1995) and maintains an active research program focused on cognitive processes related to decision making. His educational background includes doctoral training at the University of Iowa, where he completed his Ph.D. in 1995, establishing the foundation for his career in experimental psychology with a cognitive focus. Dr. Jasper's research interests center on judgment and decision making processes, with particular expertise in how handedness relates to hemispheric asymmetry in cognitive processing. His work explores risk perception, attitude formation, information integration, and individual differences in decision-making strategies. He has made significant contributions to understanding how numerical literacy (numeracy) affects health and risky decisions, as well as how brain lateralization influences cognitive biases. His research often employs computerized process-tracing techniques to examine the temporal dynamics of decision processes. Analysis of his publication record reveals a consistent focus on the intersection of cognitive neuroscience and decision science, with a particular emphasis on how individual differences (especially related to handedness and hemispheric specialization) affect judgment and choice. His work spans health decision making, risk perception, and cognitive biases, with numerous publications in top journals across psychology, neuroscience, and decision science fields. Dr. Jasper directs the Decision Research Lab at the University of Toledo, where he conducts experimental studies on cognitive processes underlying human decision making. His collaborative work, particularly with Stephen D. Christman (with whom he has 15 co-authored publications), has been influential in establishing connections between cerebral asymmetry and cognitive processing styles.

Jacques PrieurView profile

Researcher

• Comparative Developmental Psychology
• Primate Communication
• Laterality Studies
• +4 more

Jacques Prieur is a post-doctoral researcher and Project Director at the Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, within the Comparative Developmental Psychology group led by Prof. Dr. Katja Liebal. His research focuses on great apes’ multimodal communication and laterality, particularly exploring mechanisms of gesture acquisition and development in gorillas. He investigates the Social Negotiation hypothesis through comparative studies of primate communication to understand human language origins. Key research interests include manual laterality in non-human primates, the evolutionary roots of human handedness and language, and the interplay between social interaction and gestural meaning construction. His work spans captive chimpanzees and gorillas, analyzing factors influencing gestural laterality and communication dynamics. Prieur’s publications (2012–2019) address topics like primate gesture laterality, human handedness variability, and cross-species communication patterns. He actively supervises thesis and internship projects related to these themes. His 2015 doctoral thesis at University of Rennes 1, France, explored intraspecific gestural laterality in chimpanzees and gorillas.

Manisha ShahView profile

Professor

• Development Economics
• Applied Microeconomics
• Global Health
• +6 more

Manisha Shah is a Professor of Public Policy at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. She is also a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a Faculty Affiliate at UC Berkeley's Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA), and a Research Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). Prior to joining UCLA, Shah was an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at UC Irvine. Shah received her Ph.D. in agriculture and resource economics from UC Berkeley. Her academic journey reflects a strong commitment to addressing critical development challenges through rigorous economic analysis. As a development economist, Shah's primary research spans several critical areas including: The economics of sex markets and HIV/AIDS prevention Child health and development Sanitation interventions and their health impacts Gender-based violence and women's wellbeing Public works programs and their economic effects Shah's research is characterized by extensive fieldwork across multiple countries including Mexico, Ecuador, Indonesia, India, and Tanzania. Her recent work has particularly focused on understanding the impacts of sanitation interventions, the effects of lockdowns on gender-based violence during the pandemic, and mental health interventions for adolescent girls in low- and middle-income countries. She frequently employs randomized controlled trials to establish causal relationships in development contexts. Her scientific contributions have been recognized through prestigious affiliations including: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Faculty Research Fellow UC Berkeley's Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) Faculty Affiliate Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) Research Fellow Shah serves as an editor at the Journal of Health Economics and an Associate Editor at The Review of Economics and Statistics. Her research has been generously supported by major foundations including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the World Bank, and the National Science Foundation. Her work consistently bridges disciplinary boundaries, combining economics with public health and gender studies to address complex development challenges with practical policy implications.

Uri GneezyView profile

Professor

• Behavioral Economics
• Experimental Economics
• Decision Making
• +3 more

Uri Gneezy is the Epstein/Atkinson Chair in Behavioral Economics and Professor of Economics and Strategy at the Rady School of Management, UC San Diego. Previously, he held positions at the University of Chicago, Technion, and the University of Haifa. He earned his Ph.D. from Tilburg University's Center for Economic Research. His research bridges behavioral economics and real-world applications, focusing on incentives, deception detection, and field experiments. Key topics include the effects of small/large incentives, Pay-What-You-Want pricing, and interventions to promote positive behaviors. His work spans experimental methodologies, including studies on lying, trust, and decision-making under observation. Notable contributions include analyses of gender differences in competitiveness, the impact of exercise on academic performance, and the role of cognitive biases in economic outcomes. Publications include best-selling books like The Why Axis (2013) and Mixed Signals (2023). His research has appeared in top-tier journals such as the American Economic Review , Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , and Management Science . Gneezy’s interdisciplinary approach integrates insights from psychology, economics, and organizational behavior to address practical challenges in education, health, and business strategy.

Paul RodwayView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Artificial Intelligence attitudes
• Behavioral lateralization
• Aesthetic perception
• +3 more

Dr. Paul Rodway is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Chester, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Society. He serves as the Department of Psychology's Academic Integrity Officer for Levels 5 and 6. With a career spanning multiple institutions including the University of Bradford and Abertay University, Dr. Rodway has established himself as a key figure in psychological research. Education: PhD in Experimental Psychology (University of Sussex, 1996), MSc in Intelligent Systems (Brunel University London, 1992), BSc Psychology (University of East London, 1990) Dr. Rodway's research focuses on Artificial Intelligence attitudes , behavioral lateralization , aesthetic perception , and decision-making factors . His work explores hemispheric specialization in humans and animals through studies on side preferences, limb dominance, and emotional processing asymmetries. Current research examines AI's educational impact and develops psychometric scales for measuring technology attitudes. Recent publications analyze AI adoption challenges in education, cross-cultural AI perceptions , and evolutionary theories of handedness . His empirical studies on art appreciation and consumer behavior reveal fascinating insights into shared semantic interpretations and spatial biases. As a dedicated educator, Dr. Rodway teaches Biological Psychology and Cognitive Psychology across undergraduate and postgraduate programs. He supervises research dissertations at all levels and has contributed to curriculum development through course design for biological psychology modules. Professional activities include membership in the Higher Education Academy since 2011 and extensive peer review experience for academic journals since 2000. His research on primate social networks and animal personality traits demonstrates interdisciplinary breadth.

Eszter SomogyiView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Developmental Psychology
• Social Learning
• Body Awareness
• +5 more

Dr. Eszter Somogyi is a Senior Lecturer and Associate Head (Global Engagement and Education Partnerships) in the School of Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Portsmouth. With a PhD in autism spectrum disorder research from Paris Descartes University, she has held positions at institutions including Eötvös Loránd University and Paris West–Nanterre University. Her work bridges developmental psychology, human-robot interaction, and educational interventions. Education: Health Psychology (MSc), PhD in Sociocognitive Development Key Research Themes Infant social learning and intention attribution Prosocial behavior in early childhood Mindfulness programs in schools Body awareness through tactile/motor training Recent publications focus on Child Development (2023), Mindfulness (2024), and Neurorobotics (2018). She received the Research in Paris award (2012) and leads international education partnerships. Scientific output trends reveal interdisciplinary work across Psychology, Robotics, and Public Health . Teaching includes undergraduate and Masters-level modules in Psychology and Health Psychology. Scientific Awards : Research in Paris award (2012) She coordinates international student recruitment , contributes to PhD supervision , and manages counselling course partnerships with Eastleigh College. Her lab explores infant motor development and human-robot interaction .