Dr. Charis Psaltis
Professor
Charis Psaltis was born in Cyprus. He is a Professor of Social and Developmental Psychology at the University of Cyprus. He studied at the Pedagogical Academy of Cyprus (Teacher's Diploma, 1993), at the University of Cyprus (Degree in Primary Education, 1999), and at Panteion University, Athens (Degree in Psychology, 2000). He followed graduate studies at the University of Cambridge (MPhil, 2001 and PhD, 2005, in Social and Developmental Psychology). He also worked as a Post-doctoral researcher at the Oxford Center for the Study of Intergroup Conflict, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford.
Dr. Irini Kadianaki
Associate Professor
I received my first degree in Psychology at the University of Athens in 2005. I completed an MPhil (2006) and a PhD (2010) degree in Social and Developmental Psychology at the University of Cambridge in the UK, with the support of the Alexander Onassis Public Benefit Foundation and Cambridge European Trusts (Vergottis Bursary). I am on the editorial board of the journal “Culture & Psychology”. Since January 2011, I have been working at the Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus.
Dr. Maria Ioannou
Lecturer
Maria Ioannou holds a degree in Psychology (University of Cyprus) and a master's in Psychological Research Methods (University of Oxford). She undertook her doctoral studies in the field of Social Psychology at the University of Oxford as a Commonwealth Scholar. Upon her PhD completion, she returned to the University of Cyprus for two postdoctoral research fellowships and a year-long period of working as a senior researcher at the civil society sector. From 2016 to 2023 she worked first as lecturer and then as assistant professor at the Liberal Arts and Sciences programme of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. She is currently coordinating an Erasmus + funded project entitled Digitizing the Tales of a City sharing the Wisdom of the Other (DigiFolk), an interdisciplinary project aiming at producing story-based interventions targetting host societies's attitudes towards marginalised communities inhabiting different European cities. She has published her work in international refereed journals such as the Journal of Experimental Psychology (JESP), Group Processes and Intergroup Relations (GPIR), and Journal of Applied Social Psychology (JASP). She is currently serving as an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Social Psychology.
Elisavet Panayiotou
PhD Student in Psychology
Eleni Anastasiou
PhD Student in Psychology
Eleni holds a Bachelor’s degree (BSc) in Psychology (with summa cum laude) from the University of Nicosia and a Master’s degree (MSc) in Clinical Applications of Psychology from the University of Warwick. Currently pursuing a PhD in Social Psychology at the University of Cyprus (UCy) under the supervision of Associate Professor Dr. Irini Kadianaki. Eleni's interests revolve around fostering social change for more equitable, psychologically healthier, and peaceful societies. Her PhD research explores the experiences of asylum-seekers with disabilities and healthcare providers in Cyprus, aiming to uncover aspects of asylum-seekers’ intersecting identities influencing healthcare-seeking experiences. Anticipated to provide novel insights for evidence-based advocacy, her work also aims to inform policies, contribute to existing literature, and improve healthcare services for asylum-seekers with disabilities.
Eleni Papachristou
PhD Student in Psychology
Eleni is currently a PhD student in the Department of Psychology, UCY. She holds a MA in School Psychology (2008-2011) and a BA in Psychology (2004-2008). Her thesis is Attitudes of Greek Cypriot Students Towards Immigrants and the Role of vicarious contact as a Means of reducing prejudice in the School Context. The present research aims to study vicarious contact (a type of indirect contact with storytelling) as a means of reducing prejudice against immigrants within a school environment. The research studies: 1) the attitudes of Greek Cypriot students towards immigrants, 2) the degree of contact that exists between Greek Cypriot students and immigrants before the intervention and whether this degree of contact predicts any prejudice and negative intergroup attitudes towards immigrant students, 3) the vicarious contact as a means of reducing prejudice between Greek Cypriot students and immigrants and the mediating role of intergroup anxiety and threats, 4) the role of any previous contact between Greek Cypriot students and immigrants in the results, 5) the duration of the results of the intervention through measurement before the intervention, immediately after and after two months and 6) the experience of the students in the intervention phase through qualitative measurement.
Nikolaos Soros
PhD Student in Psychology
Nikolas Soros is a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cyprus. Holding a Master's degree in Social and Political Theory and a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Internet Studies from the Cyprus University of Technology, he brings a diverse academic background to his current research pursuits. Nikolas's scholarly endeavours primarily revolve around intergroup relations, conflict dynamics, and the role of mass media. His research scope also encompasses audiovisual media and narrative studies.
Christiana Karashiali
PhD Student in Clinical Psychology
Christiana is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Cyprus. She has completed a BSc in Psychology at the University of Surrey and an MSc in Health Psychology at the University College London (UCL). Her thesis aims to: 1) understand how people of different stages after a diagnosis of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) experience their condition and what are the differences in the ways they negotiate and reconstruct their identity, 2) examine how healthcare providers experience working with SCI patients and the professional/institutional and personal challenges they face and 3) understand how each side experiences their communication and how it affects the ways they view their identity. The data will be analyzed through dialogical and thematic analysis. Tailored suggestions will be made as to interventions regarding healthcare communication and self-empowerment of patients.
Andreas Michael
PhD Student in Psychology
Andreas, currently pursuing a Psychology Ph.D. at the University of Cyprus, previously studied psychology at the same institution and completed a master's program in group processes and intergroup relations at the University of Kent. His doctoral thesis centers on examining "Justification mechanisms of the status quo, perceptions of transitional justice, and strategies for resolving the Cyprus problem: A bi-communal study within the Cypriot context." Guided by Professor Dr. Charis Psaltis, Andreas delves into intricate facets of social and political psychology, particularly focusing on the dynamics inherent in the Cyprus issue. His commitment to comprehending and addressing significant societal issues resonates strongly through the depth of his research. Andreas's primary academic interests revolve around intergroup conflicts, alongside a keen focus on environmental psychology and activism.
Ayshe Biyikoglu Turkmen
PhD Student in Psychology
Ayshe Biyikoglu Turkmen is a Ph.D. student in Psychology and a research assistant at the Genetic Social Psychology Lab at the University of Cyprus. Her research focuses on innovative approaches for prejudice reduction, intergroup anxiety, and fostering positive intergroup relations in post-conflict Cyprus. She aims to combine cutting-edge technologies with social psychological interventions to alleviate negative emotions and strengthen community bonds. Ayshe holds a Master of Science in Research Methods in Psychology from the University of Essex, UK (2018), where she studied existential neuroscience and the influence of death reminders on perceptual behavior. She also earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with Criminology from Middlesex University, London.
Chrysilia Gkleka
PhD student in Clinical Psychology
Chrysilia is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Cyprus. She has completed a BSc in Psychology at the University of Reading and an MSc in Psychoanalytic Developmental Psychology at the University College London (UCL). Her thesis aims to explore LGBT+ clients and therapists’ experiences in a therapeutic relationship. Particularly, it seeks to understand a) how clients negotiate their sexual identity in relation to mental health difficulties b) how therapists experience their work with LGBT+ clients and c) how each perceive the other. Data will be analyzed through dialogical and thematic analysis.
Andrea Nicolaou
PhD Student in Psychology
Marina Kyprianou
Marina Kyprianou has a master’s in Social and Cultural Psychology from The London School of Economics and Political Science and currently she is a PhD student at the Department of Psychology at the University of Cyprus. Her research revolves around the topic of political participation and citizenship research specifically how the concept of political participation is constructed amongst the younger generation and how that comes to influence their political participation practices. Her research also delves into assessing how and if the construction of their citizenship identities comes to influence the ways they construct political participation as an abstract concept and their practical involvement in the polity.
