Center for Applied Neuroscience (CAN)

The Center for Applied Neuroscience (CAN) was established in 2010 and it is the only Center of its kind in Cyprus. This major infrastructure project is funded through the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation (on the basis of European and National funding) and co-funded by the University of Cyprus.

The aim of the CAN is to study human normal and abnormal behavior and mental processes with procedures, methods, and theoretical approaches that are informed by contemporary neuroscience and biological perspectives of behavior. CAN’s purpose is to develop a cutting-edge research agenda in the applied neuroscience and neurobehavioral research in Cyprus and internationally.

The CAN’s mission in terms of community service focuses on providing resources and opportunities that foster critical and creative thinking through research, education, training, consulting, and program development for schools, hospitals, and other organizations in Cyprus.

CAN has developed partnerships with people both in Cyprus and abroad, specializing in the fields of Psychology, Electrical Engineering, Information Systems and Statistics, and with organizations who can offer in specialist areas, such as the Institute of Neurology and Genetics and the American Heart Institute.

CAN’s research interests focus on people with neurological disorders, learning or developmental disorders, emotional reactions of children (such as aggressive behavior, social isolation, functional social behavior), and with evaluation of behavior and psychopathology in children.

Students interested in participating in research can contact CAN’s Administrative support at 22 89 5190 or at [email protected].

For more information visit the CAN’s website https://www.cancyprus.org/

 

Neurocognitive Research Lab (Updated July 2008)

The Neurocognitive Research Lab, directed by Fofi Constantinidou is housed in the Department of Psychology at the new wing of the central campus. The lab is part of a newly designed laboratory suite that houses the Neuro Cognitive Research Laboratory, the Epxerimental Psychology Laboratory, the Psychophysiology Laboratory, and the Social Psychology Laboratory. The lab consists of one large room with an oneway observation window and is equipped with current neuropsychological/cognitive tests, research protocols and materials required for the ongoing projects, as well as networked computers. There is an adjacent observation room (shared with the Psychobiology Laboratory) used for data recording and observation.

Currently the following research projects are being conducted in collaboration with local research centers such as the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics and international organizations including Miami University (USA), the Centre for Neuro Skills (USA), and Special Tree Rehabilitation Center (USA):

1. The Effectiveness of a systematic categorization program in patients with traumatic brain injury: Clinical trials.

2. Effects of native language, age, and education on cognitive performance.

3. The effects of neurological disease on memory abilities.

Several undergraduate and graduate students participate in research projects each year via independent studies, undergraduate and master’s theses, and doctoral research. Students interested in participating in research at the lab should contact Dr. Constantinidou at 22 89 2078 or at [email protected] . For more information go to https://www.ucy.ac.cy/goto/neurocognitive/en-US/HOME.aspx

 

Epxerimental Psychology Laboratory

The Experimental Psychology Lab (EPL) is directed by Marios Avraamides and has been established with funding from the European Research Council. The EPL employs several scientists at various points in their careers including postdoctoral scientists, graduate and undergraduate research assistants, and other students interested in conducting research in topics relating to spatial cognition, attention, and perception. The personnel of the EPL conduct their research using a variety of tools including personal computers and Virtual Reality (VR) technology. For more information about the research conducted in the lab as well as its current members you may visit its home on the web at: http://experimentalpsych.com

 

Social and Developmental Psychology Labs

Welcome to the Social and Developmental Psychology labs. Human beings are social-psychological subjects from birth to death. To the extent that we are interested in the development of individuals, we are interested in how the cognitive and psychosocial development of individuals is affected by social interactions and the historical and sociocultural context of a society. On the other hand, social processes often studied in social psychology like intergroup relations, interpersonal processes, social influence, social representations, attributions, cooperation and competition cannot be taken as given and uniform irrespective of the developmental level of the person.

All these processes take different forms at different ages and have different developmental trajectories; therefore an understanding of these processes requires the formulation of ontogenetic questions. “The fact that both of these approaches have a common beginning and are inspired by common interests is impressive. Through their different traditions and methodologies, a deep similarity that ties them together is generated. It is as if Social Psychology and Developmental Psychology are interested for the same subject, Social Psychology for the space, through the outer environment and Developmental Psychology for the time, through the inside environment. Thus, they constitute two views of the same science, where one tries to resolve, on a group level, the same question the other one tries to resolve on an individual level” (Moscovici, 1990).

Clinical Psychology & Psychophysiology Lab

The Clinical Psychology & Psychophysiology Lab, directed by Georgia Panayiotou and George Spanoudis, is located at the new wing of the central campus. The lab consists of one large room with an oneway observation window and is equipped with the BIOPAC system for psychophysiological recording, as well as networked computers. The lab is also equipped with a high-density EEG/ERP recording system (an unshielded 128-channel BIOSEMI Active-Two) for data acquisition with typical and atypical populations, and the latest software in modeling source generators. Theanalysis software packages used for processing EEG/ERP data are BESA, EEGlab, and Matlab routines; Stimuli are presented to the participants through the Presentation or E-prime software. This equipment is used to study behavioural measures (response times, error rates), and psychophysiological markers (ERPs). Other physiological measures that we use routinely in our research include electrodermal and cardiovascular acivity, facial muscle (EMG) response, and startle reflex. There is an adjacent observation and control room (shared with the Neurocognitive Research Lab) used for data recording and observation. The lab is primarily focused on investigating individual differences that underlie clinical symptoms and behavior, primarily through examination of psychophysiological indicators. Currently, the following research projects are being conducted, with funding by the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation:

 

Developmental Psychopathology Lab

The Laboratory of Developmental Psychopathology was founded in the Department of Psychology of the University of Cyprus by Dr. Costas A. Fantis. Following the perspective of Developmental Psychopathology, we combine questions about developmental change and psychopathology. Our research focuses primarily on investigating the development of various psychopathological problems, such as attention deficit disorder and behavioral disorders, from preschool to adolescence. The research methodology we employ is a combination of longitudinal, psychophysiological, and neuropsychological research as well as intervention studies. For more information, please email us: [email protected]

 

Memory & Attention Development Lab

The Memory and Attention Development Lab specializes on the study of cognitive and brain development and functioning from early childhood to young adulthood through behavioural, neuroscience, and molecular genetics methods. The lab carries out research on attention, memory, and learning, including related disorders and syndromes. It maintains its international standing through collaborations with various research groups around the world. The MADLab is directed by Dr. Andria Shimi.