PhD Student
Contact Details
Website: www.larisadinu.com
Email: l.dinu@ucl.ac.uk or larisa.dinu@kcl.ac.uk
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larisa-dinu-psychology/?originalSubdomain=uk
Department of Psychology
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience
King’s College London
Max Planck UCL Institute for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research
University College London
Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development
Department of Psychological Sciences
Birkbeck, University of London
Supervisors
Dr Eleanor Dommett (KCL)
Dr Tobias Hauser (UCL)
Prof Tim Smith (Birkbeck)
Dr Paola Pinti (Birkbeck)
Research Interests
How can we capture neurocognitive developmental differences using more naturalistic methods? I am interested in the design and validation of naturalistic methods of studying cognition, and in the measurement of dynamic cognitive changes across the lifespan.
My research involves methods such as fNIRS, virtual reality, eye-tracking and mobile apps, all applied to the study of cognition in real-life settings or using more naturalistic paradigms.
Teaching
Graduate Teaching Assistant, King’s College London (2022 – present): Origins of Individual Differences (BSc Psychology – 2nd year); Psychology and Development (BSc Psychology – 1st year).
Education
PhD Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience – King’s College London & University College London & Birkbeck (2021 – present)
MSc Psychiatric Research – King’s College London (2018-2019) – Distinction
BSc (Hons) Psychology – University of Northampton (2015-2018) – 1st class
Research Experience
- Research Assistant, Behaviour Change and Health, University College London (May 2021 – February 2023)
iDEAS trial – RCT evaluating the effectiveness of a smartphone app, Drink Less, compared with standard digital care in reducing alcohol consumption
Supervisors: Dr Claire Garnett & Gemma Loebenberg
- Research Assistant, Psychology, King’s College London (September 2019 – October 2021)
Effects of cardio and non-cardio exercise on ADHD symptomology and other research studies in the Dommett ADHD Lab
Supervisor: Dr Ellie Dommett
- Research Assistant, Psychology, King’s College London (April 2020 – October 2020)
Taking education online during the COVID-19 pandemic
Supervisors: Dr Nicola Byrom, Dr Ellie Dommett, Dr Juliet Foster, Prof Sally Everett
- Research Assistant, Psychology, King’s College London (January 2019 – June 2020)
PGR wellbeing and mental health
Supervisor: Dr Nicola Byrom
- Research Assistant, Psychosis Studies, King’s College London (September 2019 – March 2020)
Investigating working memory and GABAAa5 receptor binding in the healthy brain using PET-MR
Supervisor: Dr Gemma Modinos
Publications
Measuring neurodevelopment of inhibitory control in children using naturalistic virtual reality
Generative AI–Enabled Therapy Support Tool for Improved Clinical Outcomes and Patient Engagement in Group Therapy: Real-World Observational Study
Modeling the Potential Health, Health Economic, and Health Inequality Impact of a Large-Scale Rollout of the Drink Less App in England
Evaluating the effectiveness of the Drink Less smartphone app for reducing alcohol consumption compared with usual digital care: a comprehensive synopsis from a 6-month follow …
The effects of tryptophan loading on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in adults: A remote double blind randomised controlled trial (vol 8, e0294911, 2023)
Conference Posters
Dinu, LM., Pinti, P., Tachtsidis, I., Smith, T. (2022). Validating A Virtual Reality Inhibitory Control Paradigm For Capturing Naturalistic Neurocognitive Developmental Differences In Children And Adults Using fNIRS (Inhibiting Reality). Flux, Paris, France (September 2022)
Dinu, LM., Georgescu, AL., Singer, B.F., Overton, P., Dommett, E.J. (2022). Identifying sign-tracking and goal-tracking behaviours in humans – an eye-tracking translational study. Federation of European Neuroscience Societies, Paris, France (July 2022)
Dinu, LM., Kirkland, A., Maunder, R., Morgado, A. (2018). The dark side of university group work. Learning and Teaching Conference, University of Northampton, Northampton, England (May 2018)
Dinu, LM., Pinti, P., Tachtsidis, I., Smith, T. (2022). Validating A Virtual Reality Inhibitory Control Paradigm For Capturing Naturalistic Neurocognitive Developmental Differences In Children And Adults Using fNIRS (Inhibiting Reality). Flux, Paris, France (September 2022)
Dinu, LM., Georgescu, AL., Singer, B.F., Overton, P., Dommett, E.J. (2022). Identifying sign-tracking and goal-tracking behaviours in humans – an eye-tracking translational study. Federation of European Neuroscience Societies, Paris, France (July 2022)
Dinu, LM., Kirkland, A., Maunder, R., Morgado, A. (2018). The dark side of university group work. Learning and Teaching Conference, University of Northampton, Northampton, England (May 2018)
Invited talks and symposia
Loebenberg, G., Dinu, LM. (2022). Bot or not? Pitfalls and good practices in data management in digital alcohol research. INEBRIA, Edinburgh, Scotland (September 2022)
Dinu, LM. (2022). Let’s talk about doctoral researchers. Being a researcher in 21st century academia (BEAR), University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium (May 2022)
Kirkman, A., Dinu, LM. (2019). Improving the wellbeing and mental health of postgraduate research students. National Postgraduate Conference, University of York, York, England (July 2019)
Awards/Funding
PhD studentship: London Interdisciplinary Doctoral Programme (LIDo), funded by BBSRC
Public engagement small grant: Centre for Doctoral Studies and the Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund (2022-2023)