About me:

I am a cognitive neuroscientist interested in memory and aging. I use different neuroimaging modalities (fMRI, MEG) and novel, naturalistic psychological paradigms to investigate how we learn and remember information and how this process changes with age. I am currently based at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University and work with Prof. Richard Henson and Cam-CAN team. My research focuses on investigating what factors affect brain aging and testing theories of cognitive reserve.

I completed my PhD at University of Sussex with Prof. Chris Bird and Prof. Jane Oakhill. I investigated how prior knowledge affects learning and comprehension of novel naturalistic events. Additionally, I tested how different features of a situation are represented during memory. I designed studies using narrative stimuli to also test how our prior knowledge can affect how we segment different experiences into events and can even lead to false memories. I was lucky enough to secure funding for a study visit at Princeton University with Prof. Uri Hasson and Prof. Kenneth Norman, where I worked on applying advanced fMRI analysis tools to test schema theories.

I completed my MSc in Human Cognitive Neuropsychology at University of Edinburgh, where I worked with Dr. Alexa Morcom to investigate how memory control mechanisms change with age. I moved from my home in Bulgaria to the UK to complete my BSc in Psychology at Loughborough University.