Andrew Kolarik

Andrew Kolarik is a Lecturer in Psychology at the School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, and a member of the Auditory Perception Group at Cambridge University. His research focuses on auditory perception, particularly how sensory impairment affects spatial awareness and how blind individuals develop enhanced auditory abilities.

Dr. Kolarik earned his BA in Psychology from Cardiff University in 2003 and completed his PhD in 'Binaural Resolution' at the same institution in 2006. His academic career includes postdoctoral positions at Cardiff University (studying vision science and eye movements in aging populations), Anglia Ruskin University (Vision and Eye Research Unit), Cambridge University (working with Professor Brian Moore), and the Centre for the Study of the Senses at the University of London (with Sir Colin Blakemore).

His research examines how sensory impairment affects spatial awareness, particularly investigating whether supra-normal performance for auditory spatial tasks among blind listeners can be explained by cross-modal cortical reorganization. He uses virtualization techniques and self-report methodologies to determine whether accurate internal representations of auditory space are formed without visual input and under what conditions blind individuals demonstrate enhanced hearing abilities. His work also explores spatial awareness, speech perception among hearing impaired and blind listeners, and how echolocation can guide locomotion.

Dr. Kolarik has published extensively in top journals including Psychological Review, PLoS One, Attention, Perception & Psychophysics, and Hearing Research. His publications have accumulated hundreds of citations and significant attention across academic and popular media platforms.

His professional recognitions include:

• Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol), 2019
• Chartered Scientist (CSci), 2019
• Fellow of the British Society of Audiology (FBSA), 2022
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), 2018

Dr. Kolarik is an active member of the academic community, serving as a peer reviewer for journals like Attention, Perception & Psychophysics, and regularly participating in academic events including invited talks at institutions such as Durham University, Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, and Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. He is currently accepting PhD students and continues to advance research in auditory perception and sensory impairment.