Dr Eva Balgova

PhD (Bangor University), MSc (Bangor University), BSc (University of Liverpool), FHEA

Eva has been a Lecturer in Psychology at Aberystwyth University since September 2022. She completed her PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience at Bangor University and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). She also holds an MSc in Clinical and Health Psychology from Bangor University and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Liverpool. Her research focuses on two main areas: (1) exploring the relationship between semantic, social, and affective processing, with a particular focus on how conceptual knowledge supports social interactions; and (2) investigating the role of higher-order cognitive processes (e.g., semantic cognition and executive functions) in obstacle detection, negotiation, and navigation. She is particularly interested in the neural mechanisms underlying these abilities and studies them using a multi-method approach that combines behavioural experiments, neuroimaging, and non-invasive brain stimulation techniques. She collaborates closely with researchers at the Bangor Imaging Unit and the Aber Stroke Group. Eva teaches on biopsychology-related modules, including Behavioural Neuroscience and Brain, Behaviour & Cognition. She supervises undergraduate dissertation projects and provides academic and pastoral support to students in her role as a Personal Tutor. Eva also leads the department’s Recruitment, Marketing, and Admissions team.