Tirso Gonzalez Alam

Tirso Gonzalez Alam is a Lecturer in Psychology at Bangor University’s School of Psychology & Sport Science. He holds a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging from the University of York (2020) and an MSc in Clinical Neuropsychology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (2011). His research focuses on understanding how large-scale brain networks, particularly those involving semantic cognition and the default mode network, underpin complex behaviors like language comprehension and contextual decision-making. Key areas include hemispheric differences in semantic processing, functional connectivity gradients, and the interplay between perceptual and higher-order systems.

Education: PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience (University of York, 2020); MSc in Clinical Neuropsychology (National Autonomous University of Mexico, 2011); BSc in Psychology (Anahuac Mayab University, 2005). Research employs fMRI, DTI, TMS, and computational modeling. He has secured funding through the National Council of Science and Technology (Mexico) and holds a UK Global Talent Visa.

Research Interests: Semantic cognition, brain connectivity, hemispheric specialization, neuroimaging techniques (fMRI, MEG), and open science practices. Current projects explore metaphor comprehension, non-literal language processing, and discourse semantics using multivariate fMRI and naturalistic stimuli. He investigates how neural gradients influence post-stroke cognitive deficits and the structural basis of semantic control via white matter tractography.

Scientific Awards: PhD Viva with no corrections (2020), Global Talent Visa (2021), leadership roles in Mexican neuropsychology initiatives. His work has been published in NeuroImage, Brain Structure and Function, and Imaging Neuroscience.

Grants & Collaborations: ERC-funded FLEXSEM project (2023), collaborations with UCL (stroke research), CNRS (structural connectivity), and Queen’s University (visual-DMN pathways). Supervises PhD students in semantic cognition and language impairments.

Labs/Teams: Active in the York Neuroimaging Centre and collaborates with global research networks. Engaged in open science initiatives, promoting data-sharing and reproducibility.