Education

Goldsmiths, University of London (Goldsmiths)                                (2021 – 2025)

PhD Psychology

-        Thesis: “Aesthetic Research in Context: Investigating Visitor-Centric Museum Practices Within A Co-Produced, Experimental Framework”

-        Supervisors: Dr. Rebecca Chamberlain, Dr. Guido Orgs

Goldsmiths, University of London (Goldsmiths)                                               (2019 – 2020)

MSc Psychology of the Arts, Neuroaesthetics, and Creativity          

-        Thesis: “Slow Looking at Still Art: The Effect of Manipulating Audio Context and Image Category on Mood and Engagement During an Online Slow Looking Exercise”

-        Supervisor: Dr. Rebecca Chamberlain

-        Graduated with Distinction

University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)                                                                     (2011 – 2014)

BA Visual Studies, Philosophy and Science of Seeing

-        Thesis: “Neural Mandalas: Bridging the Gap between the Cosmos and the Geometric Brain”

-        Supervisors: Dr. Gary Hatfield, Jackie Tileston

-        Graduated summa cum laude with a 3.95/4.0 GPA

-       One of nine to be a Levin Family Dean's Scholar for outstanding academic performance

Rutgers University, New Brunswick (Rutgers)                                                       (2010 – 2011)

Major: Biology/Mathematics

-        Awarded Presidential Scholarship for full-tuition undergraduate study

Academic Positions

Associate Lecturer, Department of Psychology               (2021- 2025)

Goldsmiths, University of London

Research Experience

Research Affiliate, Department of Psychology, New York University, USA                       (2023 – present)

Dr. Denis Pelli

-        Collaborating with current PhD students on a range of projects involving beauty judgements

-        Managing IRB protocols and overseeing project management tasks for the lab

PhD Student, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, UK                                    (2021 – 2025)

Dr. Rebecca Chamberlain / Dr. Guido Orgs

-        Running large-scale, experimental studies on art perception in ecologically valid spaces, specifically investigating the influence of mindfulness, social interaction, liveness, types of guides, and context on individual aesthetic experience and well-being

-        Working in close collaboration with curators and educators at Manchester Art Gallery

Research Assistant, Neurolive, Goldsmiths, UK                                                                      (2021 – present)

Dr. Guido Orgs

-        Assisting with mobile-EEG setup and data collection during live performance events as part of the Horizon-funded research project, Neurolive

-        Previous events include ‘How Shall We Begin Again?’ (2022) / ‘Snakeskin in the Wild’ (2023)

MSc Thesis Student, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, UK                                               (2019 – 2020)

Dr. Rebecca Chamberlain     

-        Conducted the first large between-subjects study on the viewing practice of slow-looking

Research Specialist, Department of Neurology, UPenn, USA                                  (2015 – 2019)

Dr. David Brainard / Dr. Geoffrey Aguirre

-        Conducted human research experiments on melanopsin-mediated pupil function and 3T MRI data on visual impairment for the Human Connectome Project

-        Developed clinical surveys and in-person interview techniques, including the design and implementation of the university’s first automated headache diagnosis tool

-        Managed subject recruitment, consent, and team communication across different lab projects

-        Corresponded and organized collaboration with regulatory agencies and funding sources

Lab Assistant, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, UPenn, USA                  (2012 – 2013)

Dr. Virginia Lee / Dr. John Trojanowski

-        Dissected pathological mice brain tissue using microtome machine 

-        Stained tissue with antibodies to isolate pathogenic Tau protein to study disease transmission

Funding

Goldsmiths Graduate School Grant – £600 (2024)

Goldsmiths Graduate School Grant - £600 (2023)

Goldsmiths Departmental PhD Bursary Studentship (2021)

UPenn College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant - $400 (2013)

Rutgers Presidential Scholarship (2010 )

Honours

IAEA Travel Award (2024)

Levin Family Dean's Scholar (2014)

Rose Undergraduate Research Award (2014)

Charles Wilson Peale Prize for Visual Studies Senior Thesis (2014)

Phi Beta Kappa Society (2014)

President’s Education Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement (2010)

Teaching

Associate Lecturer, Goldsmiths University of London                                                                 (2021 – 2025)

Creativity (MSc)

Information Processing & Cognition (UG Year 1)

Psychology of the Person (UG Year 1)

Biological and Comparative Approaches to Psychology (UG Year 1)

Developmental Psychology (UG Year 2)

Cognitive Psychology (UG Year 2)

Social Psychology (UG Year 2)

Personality and Individual Differences (UG Year 2)

Supervision

Summer Bursary Project – qualitative analysis of museum conversations (UG Year 3)

MSc Thesis Supervision x 2 – coding museum conversations (MSc)

Consulting: Experience Design & Public Programming

2025 - Consultant, Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery, London, UK 

-        Advised on in-house slow looking programming development

-     Developed slow looking materials for Slow Art Day and later gallery use

2019 - Science Advisor, Luxury Escapism, New York, NY                                                   

-        Reviewed and collated research on visual / auditory perception for multi-sensory exhibit design

-        Produced easy-to-read reports with design suggestions based on in-depth literature reviews

-        Collaborated with designers and industry professionals on immersive concepts and execution

Initiatives & Event Leadership

2024 – Founded and co-organized an annual workshop, Crossroads of Research and Experience of Art (CREA), on expertise exchange between psychologists and museum and art practitioners to foster better interdisciplinary collaborations

2024 – Founding member of international research / public impact consortium, Arts for Public Good (APG), in conjunction with researchers at University of Vienna and University of Pennsylvania

Academic Talks & Invited Lectures

Igdalova, A. (2024). Mindful Viewing and Collective Conversations: Investigating Museum Practices Within a Co-Produced, Experimental Framework. Talk presented at: GestalRevision Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.

Igdalova, A. (2024). The Art of Conversation: Group Discussion Heightens Aesthetic Experience and Well-Being in Museum and Lab Environments. Talk presented at: Departmental Research Day, Psychology Department, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK.

Igdalova, A. (2024). Social experiences in the gallery. Talk virtually presented at: In Conversation series at Positive Psychology Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Igdalova, A. (2024). A mindful museum experience. Talk presented at: North West Federation of Museums and Art Galleries In Conversation Event, Manchester, UK

Igdalova, A. (2023). Aesthetic research as experience: Investigating visitor-oriented practices in museum environments. Talk presented at: ARTIS Lab, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Igdalova, A. (2022). Optimized art viewing in the gallery: Practicing neuroaesthetics in an ecologically valid setting. Talk presented at: Eye, Mind, and Image symposium, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Public Engagement & Museum Talks

2025 - Created in-house programming and hosted Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery's first Slow Art Day workshop

2025 - Led a slow looking workshop and event for Alison Watt opening exhibition at Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery

2025 - Delivered a talk at Manchester Art Gallery staff forum on the future of research in art galleries

2023 – Delivered a talk on pursuing academic research as part of a Research Skills seminar for MSc Psychology of the Arts, Neuroaesthetics, and  Creativity students at Goldsmiths, University of London

2023 – Delivered a talk to Manchester Art Gallery staff and volunteer network on collaboration with academic research departments