Dragan Rangelov

Dr. Dragan Rangelov is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience at the School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology. He holds a PhD in Systemic Neuroscience from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and leads the Economic Brain Lab, focusing on the neural basis of risky choices and metacognition. His research integrates behavioral testing, brain imaging (EEG, MEG, MRI), and non-invasive neuromodulation (TMS, neurofeedback) to explore perception, attention, memory, and decision-making in health and disease.

His educational background includes:

• PhD, Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
• MSc, Neuro-Cognitive Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
• BSc (Hons), Psychology, University of Belgrade, Serbia

Dr. Rangelov’s research interests center on the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying decision-making, with a focus on metacognition, perceptual processing, and working memory. He investigates how the brain adapts to environmental changes and trauma, particularly in stroke patients, and plans to extend this to anxiety, depression, and compulsive gambling. His work combines computational modeling with high-temporal-resolution neuroimaging to dissect the dynamics of evidence accumulation and attentional control.

His recent publications reveal a strong trend in understanding the neural underpinnings of decision-making, with emphasis on metacognitive processes, sensory adaptation, and working memory. Key themes include the role of the centro-parietal positivity (CPP) in metacognition, parallel evidence accumulation in perceptual decisions, and white matter microstructure's influence on memory precision. His work frequently appears in top journals such as Journal of Neuroscience, PNAS, and Cerebral Cortex.

Dr. Rangelov serves as an Associate Editor for:

• Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics
• Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance
• Cortex (2024)

He is actively funded by major grants, including:

• Australian Research Council: 'Understanding the neural dynamics of integrated perceptual decisions' (2022–2025)
• Australian Research Council: 'Cognitive control of attention and its role in regulating brain function' (2012–2018)
• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft: 'Effects of task-irrelevant features over cognitive control' (2012–2017)
• Swinburne University: 'Monitored Minds: Neurosurveillance and Dehumanisation in the Modern Workplace' (2025–2026)

He supervises Honours, Master’s, and PhD students and collaborates extensively with researchers such as Prof. Jason Mattingley. He leads the Economic Brain Lab, which investigates risky choices and metacognitive training, aiming to improve behavior and well-being in both clinical and general populations.