معرفی
Dr. Caroline Catmur is a Reader in Cognitive Psychology at King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, where she joined in August 2015. Her research focuses on the psychological and neural mechanisms underlying social cognitive abilities including imitation, empathy, and theory of mind. She leads the Experimental and Social Psychology Research Group (EASY) within the Department of Psychology.
Dr. Catmur earned her PhD in Psychology from University College London and completed her undergraduate studies with a BA in Experimental Psychology from the University of Oxford. Prior to her current position, she served as a Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Surrey. She is also recognized as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy for her contributions to teaching and learning.
Her research program investigates social cognition through multiple lenses, with particular emphasis on how social experience shapes the brain's mirror neuron system, how brain stimulation can illuminate social interaction mechanisms, and how empathic abilities develop. Her work bridges cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and clinical applications, particularly in understanding autism spectrum disorders and alexithymia. She has made significant contributions to understanding the relationship between language development and emotional processing, face perception mechanisms, and the cognitive foundations of theory of mind.
Dr. Catmur's recent publications reveal a strong focus on mental state attribution, with increasing attention to computational approaches to theory of mind and the intersection of artificial intelligence with human social cognition. Her work consistently examines individual differences in social cognitive abilities, particularly regarding autism spectrum conditions and alexithymia, while maintaining a strong foundation in experimental cognitive psychology methods.
- Philip Leverhulme Prize in Psychology from the Leverhulme Trust (2015)
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Dr. Catmur has secured significant research funding from major organizations including the Royal Society, Economic and Social Research Council, Experimental Psychology Society, John Templeton Foundation, and Wellcome Trust. She has led two major research projects: 'The Role of Cultural Evolution in Human Understanding' (2022-2024, John Templeton Foundation) and 'Mirroring intentions? Establishing the contribution of mirror neurons to action understanding' (2016-2019, Leverhulme Trust). Her work has been widely disseminated through numerous peer-reviewed publications and has gained attention in both academic and public spheres.
Dr. Catmur is actively involved with the IoPPN Virtual Reality Research Lab, a world-leading multidisciplinary group dedicated to VR-based research, assessment, and treatments to improve mental health and enhance well-being. She also contributes to the Research Centre for Technology and the Body, exploring how embodied technology shapes human experience from basic tools to modern interfaces.
