Doctoral Candidates

Mohammad Erfanikia

School of Psychology, University of East Anglia

I am a PhD candidate in the SCALA project (DC13) at the University of East Anglia (UK), where I investigate how spatial language changes across typical ageing using linguistic and experimental methods across different spatial scales. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Persian Gulf University (Iran), and prior to that, I completed an Associate’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. I also earned a double Master’s degree in Cognitive Neuroscience and Clinical Neuropsychology from the University of Granada (Spain) and the University of Padua (Italy), where my thesis focused on a cross-cultural study of the mental timeline. My research interests in spatial cognition and cognitive ageing, combined with a broader curiosity about how humans conceptualize and convey spatial information, motivated me to pursue this exciting PhD opportunity.

Away from research, I enjoy listening to classical music, watching films, cooking, playing the piano, swimming, and spending time in the countryside.

Noemi Furlani

Department of Language and Literature, Norwegian University of Science and Technology

I have a BSc in Physics from the University of Trento (Italy) and a MA in Multilingualism from the University of Konstanz (Germany). I am currently a PhD candidate at the Department of Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and working on motion encoding in typical ageing (SCALA project DC1). In this project I am working on mapping out developmental trajectories in the comprehension and production of biological motion terms and track their processing and use in ageing together with my supervisors: Prof Dr. Mila Vulchanova, Dr. Valentin Vulchanov and Prof Kenny Coventry.

Sergio Cámara

Language and Communication Across Modalities Laboratory, ISTC-CNR

I am a PhD candidate in the SCALA project (DC3) at the Language and Communication Across Modalities Laboratory in Rome, where I investigate the evolution of the multimodality of language in spoken and sign languages across typical ageing, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Olga Capirci. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, as well as two Master’s degrees in Clinical and Health Psychology and in Research in Clinical and Health Psychology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). Building upon my background, I explore how age-related changes in multimodal communication, both in hearing and deaf individuals, relate to cognitive and neuropsychological processes.

Yue Hu

English and American Studies, Friedrich Schiller University Jena

I am a PhD candidate in the SCALA project (DC4) at the department of English and American Studies, University of Jena. Under the supervision of Prof. Holger Diessel, my research investigates the development of egocentric and allocentric spatial expressions (e.g. demonstratives, motion verb, adpositions) across languages, employing both corpus analysis and experimental methods. I hold a BA in Albanian Language and Literature from Beijing International Studies University and an MA in Language and Linguistics from Lancaster University, specializing in corpus linguistics. I also worked as a research assistant at the Brain, Language and Computation Lab at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where I contributed to projects investigating language acuiqistion in VR settings. In my leisure time I enjoy watching movies, hiking, and photographing.

Jorge Ricardo Hidalgo Chagoya

Institute of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University

My current research focuses on using neuroimaging techniques (MEG/MRI) to investigate how typical aging and Parkinson’s Disease affect the processing of spatial language terms, such as demonstratives and spatial prepositions. As a PhD candidate of the SCALA project (DC5), I work under the supervision of Prof. Dr Mikkel Wallentin and Dr. Andreas Højlund. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Clinical Linguistics (EMCL). For my MA thesis, I compared different tasks and metrics to detect syntactic and morphological simplification in the discourse of Spanish speakers with aphasia. Besides language and cognition, I am interested in history, ceramics, bugs and film.

Ayesha Areej

School of Psychology, University of East Anglia

I am working under the supervision of Prof. Kenny Coventry, Prof. Michael Hornberger, and Dr. Louis Renoult at the University of East Anglia as DC14. My PhD research primarily focuses on spatial communication in people at risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically, I aim to explore differences in spatial language and cognition across healthy ageing populations, with and without genetic risk factors, as well as people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. I hold a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in Clinical Linguistics (EMCL). Outside of academia, I enjoy history, politics, films, and music.

Ruslan Davletshin

University Hospital Münster

I am the DC6 PhD candidate in SCALA, investigating spatial communication in patients with autoimmune encephalitis and Alzheimer’s disease at the University Hospital Münster. I obtained my Bachelor’s in Translation and Linguistics from the University of Vienna (Austria) and my Master’s in Cognitive Sciences from the Center for Mind/Brain Sciences in Rovereto (Italy). My interests lie in natural and artificial intelligence, as well as all things language(s).

Yiting Chen

School of Psychology, University of East Anglia

My PhD project (DC15) at the University of East Anglia focuses on spatial communication in individuals with visual impairment. Using behavioural and neuroimaging methods, we aim to explore how spatial communication is affected by sensory loss in ageing. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Chinese Language and Literature, a Master’s degree in Language Studies from City University of Hong Kong, and an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s in Clinical Linguistics (University of Groningen, Ghent University and University of Eastern Finland). Outside of academia, I enjoy photography, watching films, going for walks, bouldering, hiking, and chasing sunsets.

Zeynep Belendir

Language Acquisition and Language Processing Lab, NTNU

I am a PhD candidate in the SCALA project (DC7), a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network, at the Language Acquisition and Language Processing Lab, Department of Language and Literature, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway. I hold an MA in Clinical Linguistics from Middle East Technical University (METU), where I worked on morphological processing in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder. My current research examines spatial language processing in high-functioning autistic adults, with a focus on how these abilities evolve in later life. Under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Mila Vulchanova, I investigate the cognitive and linguistic mechanisms underlying age-related changes in spatial communication, contributing to a broader understanding of neurodivergence and language across the lifespan.

崔华元 CUI Huayuan

Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University

My research investigates the neural correlates of verbal spatial communication, comparing how it is processed in typically aging adults and those with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). My current project particularly focuses on how the brain processes object-centered spatial language, which relies on different cognitive and neural mechanisms than egocentric language. My project specifically examines the role of eye-movement systems and the frontal eye fields in this process, using a combination of online behavioral experiments, magnetoencephalography (MEG), and brain stimulation (TMS-EEG) to understand how these mechanisms change with age and neurodegeneration. The goal is to identify the specific neural deficits that underlie spatial communication difficulties in PD, which could inform future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Wei Xu

School of Computer Science, University of Manchester

I am currently a DC16 candidate in SCALA, specializing in cognitive robotics with a focus on spatial cognition and language. My research explores how embodied factors—such as spatial representations and bodily models—and contextual elements—including object geometry and environmental affordances—shape the development and aging of spatial knowledge and skills. With an academic background in Artificial Intelligence and an MS from Hohai University, I integrate computational methods and cognitive theories to deepen our understanding of human-robot spatial interactions.

Yanglu Zeng

Industrial Engineering of University of Florence

I am a PhD student in the SCALA project (DC9) at Industrial Engineering of University of Florence, where I would focus on discover the robot behavior mode for interaction with human. I hold a BA degree of Electrical Engineering in Hunan University (China), and a MA degree at Technical University Munich. My interest is to develop adaptive robot reasoning and action model basing spatial and language information.

Sebastian Suarez Andrade

Institute for Geoinformatics, University of Münster

I am a PhD researcher in the SCALA project (DC10) at the Institute for Geoinformatics at the University of Münster, where I will investigate spatial communication in mixed reality across the lifespan. I have a background in Geosciences and hold a Master’s degree in Geospatial Technologies from the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s program. My growing interest in MR technologies, spatial cognition, and human-centered design—especially fueled by my spatial cognition and location-based services classes—led me to pursue this amazing PhD position.

Hager Ali Abdelwahid

Institute for Geoinformatics, University of Münster

I am a PhD candidate in the SCALA project, working on verbal navigation support for bicyclists of different ages (DC11). I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from Alexandria University. I also completed a Master’s degree in Geospatial Technologies at the University of Münster, where my thesis focused on bikeability and urban accessibility within the X-minute City concept. Now, in collaboration with beemo GmbH, I will be working on how verbal navigation can help address the complexities of urban cycling. This aligns with my passion for active urban mobility, cycling modeling, and human-centric design.

Sonia M. Simon Sola

Institute for Geoinformatics, University of Münster

I am a researcher on the DC12 project SCALA, which explores spatial communication in both virtual and physical excursions at the University of Münster. I earned an interdisciplinary Bachelor’s degree in psychology and geography from Sarah Lawrence College in the United States. Following graduation, I became increasingly interested in cognitive psychology and linguistics, and graduated from University of the Basque Country in northern Spain with a Master’s degree in cognitive neuroscience and language learning. Now, I’m eager to apply my background in social sciences to the realms of virtual reality, language, and geoinformatics.