Dr Julian Basanovic

Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Psychology

My goal is to bridge the gap between basic cognitive science and applied clinical theories and interventions through rigorous experiments and translational research. My research focuses on discovering and understanding the cognitive processes (the split-second decisions the human brain makes before we are even aware of them) that underpin the development and maintenance of our emotions, behaviours, and mental health. Using established and novel experimental paradigms, I investigate how subtle differences in how our mind attends, interprets, evaluates, remembers, and forms expectations, contribute to these outcomes.

In addition to my empirical research, I contribute to the broader academic community as the Secretary Director of the Association for Cognitive Bias Modification and as a member of the Editorial Board for the International Journal of Cognitive Therapy. 

I earned my PhD in Psychology from the University of Western Australia in 2016 (sup. Prof. Colin MacLeod). Following this I worked at the Western Australia Centre for Health and Ageing as the coordinator of a set of cognitive intervention trials aimed at alleviating depression symptoms amongst people with dementia. In 2018 I moved to a Research Fellow position at the Centre for the Advancement of Research on Emotion, University of Western Australia, where my research widely investigated the role of information processing on emotion and behaviour.

I joined the University of Exeter in 2022, and I maintain an Adjunct Resesarch Fellow position at the University of Western Australia.