Biography

I am a Clinical Psychologist and Neuropsychologist with strong research background in experimental methodology. My research mainly involves clinical applications of basic science research using translational research strategy. My overarching research goal is developing novel cognitive and behavioural interventions for anxiety disorders and depression, and impulse control disorders.

As a clinical psychologist, I have worked for more than two decades in Mental Health services and academia, first in Iran, then in the UK. I have also worked in brain injury rehabilitation centres including the Oliver Zangwill Centre for Neuropsychological Rehabilitation (OZC, Cambridge, UK), Stroke Service (Norwich, UK) and Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre (UK). I worked as Clinical Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the University of East Anglia (UK) before joining Newcastle in September 2012.

I am a Practitioner (Clinical) Psychologist registered with the UK Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC), an accredited Cognitive-Behavioural therapist with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP), and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (AFBPsS). I am a member of the Higher Education Academy (UK).

Qualifications

• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, University of East Anglia - UK, 2010
• Post Graduate Cert in Teach & Learn in Higher Educ, University of Sussex - UK, 2007
• Master of Science (Cognitive Psychotherapy), University of Brighton - UK, 2005
• PhD (Neuropsychology), University of Nottingham - UK, 2001
• Master of Science (Clinical Psychology), Tehran Institute of Psyciatry - Iran, 1991
• Bachelor of Science (Clinical Psychology), University of Tabriz - Iran, 1987

Research

Research keywords

• Experimental Psychopathology, Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM), Anxiety Disorders, Delay Discounting, Prefrontal cortext, Impulsivity, Neuropsychology, Brain Injury and Stroke rehabilitation, Cogntive-Behaviour therapy, Eating disorders

Research expertise

Research Interests:

Experimental Psychopathology

Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) for anxiety disorders and depression

Clinical implications of information processing biases in psychopathology

Cognitive therapy and Computer-aided CBT

Cogntive, Behavioural, and Neurobiological aspects of impulsivity

Prefrontal Coretx and Impulsive Behaviour

Delay Discounting and Psychopathology

Compulsivity and Impulsivity

Neuropsychological research

Stroke and Brain Injury Rehabilitation

Eating disorders and food preference

Cross-cultural Mental Health

Collaboration

I collaborate with my colleagues from various research-led Universities in the UK including Birmingham, Nottingham, Essex, East Anglia, Reading, Oxford, Cambridge, Southampton, and Macquarie University, University of Western Australia, University of New South Wales, University of Melbourne, University of Amsterdam, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (Iran), Isik University (Istanbul, Turkey).

I am a member of the Priory Research Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health and the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) and collaborate with researchers across various disciplines.

Languages

• English
• Persian (Excluding Dari)
• Turkish

Fields of Research

Centres and Groups

Centre

• Hunter Medical Research Institute
• PRC - Priority Research Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health (CTNMH)

Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Clinical Psychology

Teaching expertise

Postgraduate Clinical Psychology Training Program

Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy

Clinical Neuropsychology

Clinical Supervision