Biography
I am a cognitive, educational and experimental psychologist broadly interested in (reading and) visual narratives comprehension, and recently interested in the development of serious games and game-based learning (GBL), together with new ways of teaching in HE.I earned an International PhD Cum Laude in an Excelence Seal Doctoral Programme at UAM.
I graduated with Honours in Highschool. Then I studied the BSc in Psychology at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), where I graduated First Class Honours (ranking 3rd position in my promotion), and an MSc Degree in Methodology for Health and Behavioural Sciences taught between UAM, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) and Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM).
I developed my PhD with an FPI grant funded by UAM in the field of visual narratives, reading/viewing comprehension and eye-tracking. I have wide knowledge in these areas and also in statistics, data analysis, research design and methods, and other methodological topics.
I have experience in researching and teaching at the University, and I have worked for six months at Brain & Education Lab., at Leiden University (The Netherlands) as PhD Researcher, for six months as a Postdoctoral Research Technician at UAM in a nationally funded project, and for two years as a Postdoctoral Fellow Researcher at the Nottingham-Trent University (UK), with a Margarita Salas grant, a competitive grant under the "Next Generation EU" European funding.
Among my teaching experience, I have worked at UAM, UNED-Girona, Universidad Isabel I de Castilla and UNIR (Spain), and I have also taught for a PIR Academy, Adelante Formación en Psicología Clínica, in Spain, having recently earned a post as Associate Teacher at UL.
I was awarded with the Rafael Burgaleta Award from Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos (COP) de Madrid for developing an open-ended evaluation system for Schools, and several different grants along my pre and postdoctoral career.
At the moment, I am diving into teaching innovation, driven by my interest in serious games, GBL, gamification, transmedia narrative, alternate reality games, and new ways of teaching and assessing, which I am sure will bring in the near future a fresh whole new way of seeing teaching in Higher Education.
Research Interests
- Teaching innovation.
- GBL, Gamification, Serious Games, Transmedia Narratives.
- Visual Narratives and Visual Narrative Grammar.
- Eye-tracking and eye-movements.
- Reading Comprehension.
- Age differences (children studies and comparative studies).
Professional Activities
Employment
- 2022 Nottingham Trent University - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- 2021 Universidad Isabel I de Castilla - MRP and Placement supervisor
- 2021 UNED-GIRONA, Educational Psychology Dept. (Distance Education National University) - Associate Lecturer
- 2021 International University of La Rioja (UNIR) - Placement and MRP Supervisor
- 2019 Universidad Autonoma de Madrid - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- 2018 Academia Adelante Formacion para el PIR - Teacher
- 2018 Holocubierta Editorial, The Hills Press, HT Publishers - Translator, spelling & grammar proof-reader, editorial and style reviewer
- 2014 Universidad Autonoma de Madrid - PhD Researcher
Award
- 2021 - Margarita Salas' Postdoctoral Fellowship
- 2018 - Estancias Breves. [Stay Abroad Grant].
- 2015 - First prize 'Ex Aequo' at the XXI Edition of 'Rafael Burgaleta' Psychology Award
- 2014 - FPI-UAM
- 2013 - Beca de Inicio de Estudios de Postgrado. [Beginning of Postgraduate Studies Grant].
- 2012 - Beca de Colaboración. [Collaboration Grant].
- 2008 - Los 100 de la UAM
- 2008 - Matrícula de Honor. [Honours Mention].
Education
- 2019 Autonomous University of Madrid - PhD
- 2015 Autonomous University of Madrid, Complutense University of Madrid, Distance Education National University. - MSc
- 2013 Autonomous University of Madrid - BSc
Language
- English
- Spanish
- Catalan
Association
- Lecturer Accreditation (Spain), ANECA (National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation)
- Member, Psychonomic Society
Research Collaborators
- Jose Antonio Leon - International Collaboration Type - Autonomous University of Madrid -Spain -PhD supervisor and currently collaborator
- Ricardo Olmos - International Collaboration Type - Autonomous University of Madrid -Spain -PhD supervisor and currently collaborator
- Inmaculada Escudero - International Collaboration Type - Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia (UNED) -Spain
- Victoria Plaza - International Collaboration Type - Autonomous University of Madrid -Spain
- David Crundall - International Collaboration Type - Nottingham Trent University -England
- Editha Van Loon - International Collaboration Type - Nottingham Trent University -England
- Javier Roca - International Collaboration Type - University of Valencia -Spain
- Pilar Tejero - International Collaboration Type - University of Valencia -Spain