Biography

I am a PhD candidate in my final year in the School of Psychology. I am currently collaborating with the Virtual Reality Lab at the Behavioral Science Institute of Radboud University in the Netherlands for my PhD projects.

Prior to UEA, I completed an MRes in Computer Sciences at Bournemouth University in England (2022) and an MSc in Experimental Psychology at the University of Milan-Bicocca in Italy (2021). I hold a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from Izmir University of Economics in Turkiye, where I spent the final year at Maynooth University in Ireland (2010).

My academic journey started as an Academic Visitor at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London, where I independently secured a grant from the Turkish Ministry of Health in 2017 to pursue my passion in research. Before academia, I worked as a Psychologist specialising in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) at the Turkish Ministry of Health (2010-2020). I am now a Full Member of the British Psychological Society in the UK.

Research

With interdisciplinary background in Psychology and Computer Sciences (Digital Health), I am especially interested in VR and AI. My research is driven by a passion to advance the prevention and treatment of mental health problems across clinical and sub-clinical populations (e.g., depression, anhedonia, social anxiety, alexithymia, cybersex, ADHD, PTSD).

My PhD research examines how cognitive biases (attention bias in facial emotion processing, interpretaiton bias in decoding emotional and social cues, and approach-avoidance behaviors) contribute to the experience of loneliness, using virtual reality as an experimental tool to create ecologically valid, yet controlled, environments by simulating social interactions for behavioral assessments. 

Research interests: Loneliness, interpersonal relationships, digital psychology, Virtual Reality (VR) therapies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions in mental health, smartphone applications and serious video games for chronic physical and mental health conditions, human-computer interaction, and persuasive and assistive technologies in mental health.

Academic values: Having studied and worked in several countries (Turkiye, Ireland, Italy, the UK, and the Netherlands), I have developed a deep appreciation for diverse international perspectives and remain strongly committed to academic freedom and intersectionality. I am a strong advocate for autonomy in science.

When I am not writing my PhD thesis, I enjoy playing board games, engaging in deep existential conversations with friends, getting lost in the hidden streets of Norwich, cycling through nature, exploring new cultures through travel, and practicing belly dancing. Having been raised by the Aegean coast in Izmir, I feel especially at peace and most at home by the Norfolk seaside.