Brendan Rooney

Brendan Rooney is an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at University College Dublin (UCD) and Director of the Media and Entertainment Psychology Lab. He also serves as Director of the UCD Psychology Graduate Research Programme. Previously, he held roles at institutions like Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, and Columbia University as a Visiting Scientist.

His research focuses on social cognition, visual perception, and the interplay of cognitive/emotional processes in media, arts, and entertainment contexts. He has collaborated with interdisciplinary teams across creative industries, computer science, and cognitive neuroscience. Key contributions include founding the Psychological Society of Ireland's Special Interest Group for Media, Arts & Cyberpsychology and his fellowship in the Society for the Cognitive Studies of the Moving Image (SCSMI).

Rooney holds a BA, MLitt, and PhD from UCD. He has received awards such as the UCD Teaching Award for excellence in pedagogy, emphasizing innovation and student engagement. His teaching philosophy prioritizes active learning, transferable skills, and community-building. He coordinates modules like Advanced Psychology Seminars and Research Methods & Statistics.

His grants include a 2023-2025 study on psychosocial needs in neuromuscular disorders and a German-funded project on narrative features influencing empathy. Over 127+ publications span topics like VR defusion techniques, music's role in pain management, and cinematic close-up effects on cognition.