Nicole Ruta

Dr. Nicole Ruta is a Senior Research Fellow at the School of Divinity, University of St Andrews. Her research focuses on interdisciplinary studies at the intersection of psychology, art, and neuroscience. She holds expertise in aesthetic experience, space perception, and the application of visual properties in architecture and design.

Education: Nicole completed her PhD investigating visual perception in peripheral vision and its artistic representations. She has collaborated with experts in fine art, computer engineering, and neurobiology across institutions including Cardiff Metropolitan University and the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at St Andrews.

Research Interests: Nicole explores how visual properties influence perception and emotional responses. Her work includes analyzing curvature effects in art and architecture, psychological implications of text in religious imagery, and the geometry of visual space. She has developed innovative imaging technologies through the Fovography project and validated user-end technologies at Fovotec.

Key Projects: Current projects include a multidisciplinary investigation with Brendan Wolfe and Dhanraj Vishwanath on text in religious imagery. Past work includes a Wellcome Trust-funded study on artistic manipulation and mindfulness.

Honors: Recipient of a Wellcome Trust Seed Award (2015-2020) for research on artistic imagery and mindfulness.

Professional Activities: Nicole organized exhibitions like 'Art as Revelation' (2021) and co-led the TheoArtistry: Text & Image Scheme. She contributes to datasets on visual contour analysis and perceptual evaluation frameworks.