I am currently a Research Fellow for the Wales Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (WICN).

My primary research interests fall within the area of visuospatial attention, with the view to further understand attentional biases from a cognitive, neuropsychological and neuroscience perspective. I am particularly interested in the influence of age- and sex-related changes and/or differences on attention: for example, hemispheric differences, hormonally-mediated changes, and differences in strategy choice. Most recently, I have used behavioural and neuroimaging measures (fMRI & DT-MRI) to examine the neural structure and function associated with (healthy) left visuospatial attentional bias (i.e. ‘pseudoneglect’). From a neuropsychological perspective, I am interested in how the cognitive mechanisms and neural circuitry involved in healthy attentional biases are related to visuospatial neglect: a neurological disorder (typically) following right hemisphere damage that affects the spatial allocation of attention; and their implications for the assessment and rehabilitation of the disorder.

Another research interest of mine is the cognitive and affective processes in chronic pain patients: in particular, the associated neural circuitry, individual differences and treatment effects.

Recent Publications

Buck, R., Wynne-Jones, G., Varnava, A., Main, C.J., Phillips C.J. (2009). Working with musculoskeletal pain. Reviews in Pain 3(1); p. 6-10.

Wynne-Jones, G., Buck, R., Varnava, A., Phillips, C.J, & Main, C.J. (In revision). Impacts on work absence and performance: what really matters? Occupational Medicine.

Wynne-Jones, G., Varnava, A., Buck, R., Karanika-Murray, M., Griffiths, A., Phillips, C., & Main, C.J. (In press). Examination of the Work Organisation Assessment Questionnaire in public sector workers. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Varnava, A. , & Halligan, P.W. (In press). Line bisection: does introspection inform cognitive strategy? Neuropsychologia

Varnava, A., & Halligan, P.W. (2008). Comparative measures of represented linear extent: implications for clinical assessment. Applied Neuropsychology, 15 (2), 107-112

Buck, R., Varnava, A. , Wynne-Jones, G., et al. (2008). Health and well-being in work in Merthyr Tydfil: a bio-psychosocial approach. Well-being in Work Stage 2: final report. Commissioned by the Wales Centre for Health and Welsh Assembly Government

Varnava, A. & Halligan, P.W. (2007). Influence of age and sex on line bisection: a study of normal performance with implications for visuospatial neglect. Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition, 14 (6), 571-585.

Buck, R., Phillips, C.J., Main, C.J., Varnava, A., Button, L., Webb, K., Wynne-Jones, G., & Cooper, L. (2007). Well-being in Work Stage 2: interim report. Commissioned by the Wales Centre for Health and Welsh Assembly Government.

Varnava, A., McCarthy, M., & Beaumont, J.G. (2002). Line bisection in normal adults: direction of attentional bias for near and far space. Neuropsychologia, 40, 1372-1378.

Varnava, A. (2002). Postgraduate research at Cardiff University, School of Psychology: Research profile. PsyPAG Quarterly Newsletter, 42, p57-58.

Presentations

Main, C.J., Varnava, A., Buck, R., Wynne-Jones, G., & Phillips, C. (Sept., 2008). Working with health problems: building a fuller picture. Oral presentation at the 3rd ICOH International Conference on Psychosocial Factors at Work, Quebec, Canada.

Varnava, A., Wise, R., & Jones. (2008). The neural basis of left attentional bias on judgments of linear extent as assessed by fMRI and DT-MRI. Poster presented at the Experimental Psychology Society Annual Conference, Liverpool.

Varnava, A. (2008). Health and Well-being in Work. Lecture given to delegates at the Legal & General training course on musculoskeletal disorders and psychosocial influences on capacity, held at Unum Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research, Cardiff University.

Varnava, A., Wise, R., Jones, D., Fraser, C., & Niazy, N. (2007). The neural basis of perceptual bias on line bisection judgments as assessed by fMRI and DT-MRI – work in progress. Poster presented at the Bristol Neuroscience - Young Neuroscientists’ Day, Bristol.

Varnava, A., Wynne-Jones, G., Buck, R., Main, C., & Phillips, C. (2007). Working with common health problems: effects on absence and performance. Poster presented at the BPS Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference, Nottingham.

Webb, K., Buck, R., Main, C., Phillips, C., Varnava, A., Button, L., Cooper, L., & Wynne-Jones, G. (2007). Health, well-being and work in Merthyr Tydfil: an interdisciplinary approach. Poster presented at the 21st European Health Psychology Society Annual Conference, Maastricht, Netherlands.

Varnava, A., & Webb, K. (2007). Well-being in Work Project: A Program of Research. Invited talk at the Unum Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research, Cardiff University, given to representatives of UnumProvident USA, Wales Centre for Health, and Cardiff University.

Webb, K., & Varnava, A. (2006). Well-being in Work Project: A Program of Research. Invited to talk at the Unum Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research, Cardiff University, given to representatives of the Dutch Social Security and Welfare Department, the Wales Centre for Health, the University of Leuven Belgium, and Cardiff University.

Varnava, A., & Halligan, P.W. (2006). Comparative measures of linear extent: line bisection versus line copying. Poster presented at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference, Cardiff.

Varnava, A., & Halligan, P.W. (2006). Influence of age and sex on normal line bisection performance: implications for the assessment of visuospatial neglect. Poster presented at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference, Cardiff.

Varnava, A., & Halligan, P.W. (2004). Cognitive processing of line bisection: evidence from normals and patients with visuospatial neglect. Invited talk at the School of Psychology, Cardiff University.

Varnava, A., & Halligan, P.W. (2003). Unilateral neglect: a question of assessment. Invited talk at Rookwood Rehabilitation Hospital, Department of Clinical Psychology, Cardiff.

McCarthy, M., Varnava, A., & Beaumont, J.G. (2002). Attentional bias for near and far space using a line bisection task. Poster presented at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference, Blackpool.

Varnava, A. (2000). Is hemisphericity a useful concept? Invited talk at the Postgraduate Conference at University College London.

Varnava, A. (1999). Context and initiation of action. Invited talk at the Postgraduate Conference at University College London.

Grants

Varnava, A., & Chambers, C. (2009-2010): The predictive nature of pseudoneglect for simulated visual neglect following unilateral parietal disruption (TBS). Project Grant awarded by the Wales Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. £16,216.

Graham, K., Hibbs, C., Varnava, A., Williams, J., Hollingworth, P., & Lloyd-Jones, T. (2009-2010): Spatial processing and memory in individuals at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Program Grant awarded by the Wales Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. £47,160.

Hall, J., Taylor, A., Hughes, O., Wise, R., Buck, R., Varnava, A. (2008-2010): Imaging neural responses to pain related stimuli in patients with chronic non-malignant pain (CNMP): pre and post a pain management programme. Project Grant awarded by the British Journal of Anaesthesia and the Royal College of Anaesthetists. £58,557.

Taylor, A., Varnava, A., Buck, R., Wise, R., & Hughes, O. (2008-2009): Imaging neural responses to pain-related stimuli in chronic pain patients. Project Grant awarded by the Wales Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. £17,585.

Varnava, A., Wise, R., & Jones, D. (2007-2008): The neural basis of left attentional bias on line bisection judgements as assessed by fMRI and DT-MRI. Pilot Grant awarded by the Wales Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. £4,590.

Useful links

Wales Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience: http://www.wicn.ac.uk/