Daniel Pearson

Daniel Pearson is a cognitive psychologist at the School of Psychology, University of Sydney, where he has been a faculty member since 2023. His research focuses on how learned experiences and reward-related stimuli (e.g., monetary, food-related, or drug-related cues) influence perception, selective attention, and cognitive control.

Education:

• Bachelor of Advanced Science (Psychology), UNSW Sydney, 2011
• Master of Psychology (Clinical), UNSW Sydney, 2019
• PhD in Psychology, UNSW Sydney, 2019

His work employs behavioral, eye-tracking, and electrophysiological techniques to investigate the cognitive and neural mechanisms of visual cognition, with applications in real-world contexts (e.g., designing alerts and warnings) and psychopathology (e.g., substance use disorders, compulsive behaviors). Recent research highlights interactions between reward processing, attentional capture, and decision-making, particularly in anxiety and schizophrenia.

Scientific Awards:

• Combined PhD/Clinical Masters Thesis Prize, UNSW, 2019
• Dean's Award for Outstanding PhD Thesis, UNSW, 2019
• Faculty of Science Writing Scholarship, UNSW, 2019
• School of Psychology Award, Postgraduate Research Competition, UNSW, 2017
• Research Training Program Scholarship, 2015-2019
• Academic Achievement Award, UNSW, 2008

Current research students: Amy CHONG’s project explores the relationship between attention and psychological disorders using a transdiagnostic approach. Dr. Pearson has received the 2023 New Academic Hire Start Up Funding to support his research at the University of Sydney.