معرفی
Dr. Karen Lander is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Manchester, serving as Director of Education for the Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience. She holds a PhD from the University of Stirling (1999) and previously worked as a Research Fellow there. Her research focuses on the role of motion in face recognition, individual differences in facial perception, and applied forensic contexts such as CCTV analysis. Key collaborations include work with Professors Miyuki Kamachi (Kogakuin University) and David White (UNSW), as well as Drs. Markus Bindemann and Natalie Butcher. She teaches courses on Perception and Action, Clinical Neuropsychology, and Cognitive Neuroscience. External roles include serving as an External Examiner for BSc Psychology at Coventry University since 2023.
Her research explores how facial motion aids recognition of degraded faces, particularly in forensic settings, and investigates the neural underpinnings of face processing. She has examined individual variation in face recognition abilities, linking these to traits like extraversion and empathy. Notable projects include studies on super-recognizers, developmental prosopagnosics, and the impact of mindfulness on facial identification. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to justice and innovation.
Teaching responsibilities span undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including MRes programs in Cognitive Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology with Data Science. Her research has been featured in media outlets like BBC Worklife and The Conversation, addressing topics such as face blindness and the link between introversion and face recognition difficulties.
