Alex Kafkas

Alex Kafkas is a Lecturer in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Manchester, affiliated with the Division of Psychology, Communication & Human Neuroscience. He holds a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory from the University of Manchester, following an MSc in Cognitive Neuropsychology from University College London and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Athens. His research focuses on long-term memory, amnesia, and ageing, employing techniques like fMRI, EEG, eye-tracking, and neuropsychological assessments. Kafkas co-chairs the divisional ethics panel and serves on the University Research Ethics Committee 2.

Key research themes include the neural substrates of memory, contextual expectations in encoding/retrieval, and translational studies in neuropsychology. Notable contributions include work on hippocampal roles in abstract concepts and thalamic-medial temporal lobe connectivity in familiarity memory. He has secured significant grants, including a £880,000 Medical Research Council award (2024-2028). His teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate programs, including courses on Cognition, Brain and Behaviour, and Advanced Research Methods in Experimental Psychology.

• Education: BSc Psychology (University of Athens), MSc Cognitive Neuropsychology (UCL), PhD Cognitive Neuroscience (University of Manchester)
• Grants: MRC New Investigator Grant (£880k), British Academy/Leverhulme (£10k), NIHR (£2.5k)
• Collaborations: Prof Daniela Montaldi, Prof Andrew Mayes, Dr Jason Taylor (Manchester); Dr Dimitris Tsivilis (Liverpool)
• Awards: Nelson Butters Award (2016), Higher Education Fellowship (2020), Teaching Excellence Award (2021)

His work aligns with UN SDG 3 (Good Health) through studies on neurological conditions like systemic lupus erythematosus. Ongoing projects explore the interplay between expectation, novelty, and memory formation, with applications in clinical and educational settings.