Dr. Thuy-vy T. Nguyen
Principal Investigator
Thuy-vy is a social psychologist working at Durham University and an ESRC grantee. She is interested in anything related to solitude and why we as social animals both hate and crave it at the same time. She has a sweet spot for history, anthropology, and biology, and likes to read about how those disciplines think about solitude. She also loves ballroom dancing, rock climbing, and building miniature houses.
Dr. Delali Konu
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Delali is an early career social and cognitive psychologist, interested in everyday subjective experiences such as solitude and mind wandering. She is always looking to combine experience sampling with different research techniques. She loves exploring new places and growing indoor plants. Delali also enjoys salsa dancing, and watching films and performances that express human experiences.
Paul Burgum
Ph.D. Candidate
Paul is a social, sport and performance psychologist. He is a member of the Durham ARCTIC multidisciplinary research group. He is interested in understanding humans' abilities for feats of endurance and to overcome adversity to flourish. Paul enjoys running, outdoor pursuits, rugby, and most of all, time with his family and son Pavel.
Pearl Tshimbalanga
Senior Research Assistant
Pearl is a recent psychology graduate from Durham University. She is interested in both social and cognitive psychology. Her dissertation thesis investigates the intersection between race and the bystander effect. Beginning this September, Pearl will pursue a Ph.D. at University of Leeds, and her research focuses on the decolonisation of psychological research and its practices.
Mingyao Xiong
Lab Manager
Mingyao is a final-year undergraduate student in Psychology at Durham University. Her thesis explores the utility of cognitive tests for detecting pathological ageing. In the 2023-24 academic year, she will pursue a Masters in Clinical Neuroscience. She is interested in how to improve the well-being of patients with neurological or psychological diseases. In her leisure time, Mingyao loves traveling (over 50 cities so far), dancing, and watching films and TV shows.
Julie Weissova
Assistant & Analyst
Julie is a final-year undergraduate student in psychology at Durham University. Her main interest is social cognition; her dissertation explored the link between political conservatism and thinking styles. She organised an international conference on the neuroscience of children at risk and is preparing a related longitudinal study. Alongside, Julie enjoys watching classic films or football and running.