Dr D. Atanassova (Dimana)

My research aims to provide a neurocognitive explanation of antisocial and externalising behaviour across the lifespan. Using community samples and developmental cohorts, I investigate how psychopathic and callous-unemotional traits relate to impairments in reinforcement learning, maladaptive decision-making, and empathy. I combine computational modelling, including hierarchical Bayesian approaches, with electrophysiology with the goal of uncovering the latent mechanisms behind these behavioural deficits.
A core part of my work focuses on development: I examine how the early caregiving environment shapes socio-cognitive processing, viewing neurocognitive differences as adaptations to early social experiences. This perspective frames divergent developmental trajectories as resilience strategies.