Alex Kafkas

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Personal profile

Overview

I am currently a Lecturer in Cognitive Neuroscience, in the Division of Psychology, Communication & Human Neuroscience, investigating long-term memory and amnesia. I teach on the BSc in Psychology, BSc in Cognitive Neuroscience & Psychology degrees as well as in postgraduate programmes. I am also co-Chair of the divisional ethics panel and a member of the University Research Ethics Committee 2.

Biography

I gained my first degree in Psychology from the University of Athens, followed by an MSc in Cognitive Neuropsychology from University College London (UCL). I obtained my PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory from the University of Manchester. I was a postdoctoral researcher and then a Research Fellow at the University of Manchester since 2012 and I am currently a Lecturer in Cognitive Neuroscience.

Research interests

My research aims to explore both theoretical and translational questions in human memory. My expertise includes the cognitive neuroscience of memory, amnesia and ageing. In my studies, I explore the neural substrates of long-term memory and the various factors that affect memory encoding and retrieval. I conduct behavioural, neuropsychological, neuroimaging (fMRI and EEG) and eye-tracking experiments combining multivariate and univariate analyses techniques.

Teaching

Cognition (PSYC21081) - Year 2 (Unit Lead)

Brain and Behaviour (PSYC11212) - Year 1

Cognitive Neuroscience (PSYC21022) - Year 2 

CogNeuro Tutorials (BIOL20000) - Year 2

Advanced Research Methods in Experimental Psychology (BIOL63121) - MRes Psychology

Academic Tutorials Year 1 (BIOL10000 - BSc Biomedical Science)

Undergraduate and postgraduate (MSc, MRes and MSci) research projects

My collaborations

Prof Daniela Montaldi (University of Manchester)

Prof Andrew Mayes (University of Manchester)

Dr Jason Taylor (University of Manchester)

Dr Dimitris Tsivilis (University of Liverpool)

Memberships of committees and professional bodies

Experimental Psychology Society

Society for Neuroscience

Organisation for Human Brain Mapping

Cognitive Neuroscience Society

British Psychological Society

British Neuroscience Association

Methodological knowledge

Analysis of functional MRI data

Multivariate analysis of fMRI (machine learning)

Eye tracking and pupillometry

Experimental design of behavioural and neuroimaging studies

EEG

Neuropsychological assessment

Qualifications

Ph.D. in Psychology-Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory (University of Manchester)             

M.Sc. in Cognitive Neuropsychology (University College London)

B.Sc. in Psychology (University of Athens, Greece)

 

                                                                                                                                                             

Prizes and awards

Medical Research Council (MRC) - New Investigator Research Grant, £880,000; Project title: The functional role of thalamic-mediated brain networks in memory. Chief Investigator, 2024 - 2028. 

British Academy/Leverhulme Trust - Research Grant, £10,000. Project title: “Exploring the effect of contextual expectations on memory encoding and retrieval using EEG”. Principal investigator (2017-2018)

The Nelson Butters Award by the International Neuropsychological Society for best research by a postdoctoral fellow (07/2016)

NIHR Support Grant - £2,500, Principal investigator (2014 - 2016)

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

  • Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing

Keywords

  • Memory
  • Novelty
  • fMRI
  • Eye tracking
  • EEG
  • Hippocampus
  • Neuropsychology

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