Interests
I am interested in the temporal dynamics of human cognition. I focus primarily on goal-directed attention, which is our capacity of prioritising task-relevant information while ignoring. I investigate why our capacity of paying attention has time limitations, and which factors dictate when and why our attention span expires. Also, I study how human observers can instantly detect regularities to predict when and where to focus their attentional resources.
My research relies on behavioural, electrophysiological and neuropsychological methods. I work with various populations: younger and older neuro-typical individuals, patients with brain lesions and children with developmental disorders. As a keen experimentalist, I am interested in developing new methods that can be used in both experimental and clinical settings.
My studies are highly relevant for understanding the underlying mechanisms of attention impairments and difficulties, and for improving methods of cognitive assessment and intervention. More broadly, my work provides a unique framework for understanding how the cognitive system can cope with our environment as it constantly changes.
Biography
I completed two MA degrees in Tel-Aviv University, Israel (Psychology and Education) in 2014. I then awarded a Marie Curie doctorate fellowship and moved to Oxford (Wolfson College) to complete my doctorate training in Experimental Psychology. I was trained at the Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre researching cognitive impairments after stroke (completed in 2018). At the end of 2018 I began my postdoc at the Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity (OHBA) at the Warneford Hospital conducting theoretical research on temporal attention with Prof. Kia Nobre. In 2019 I was appointed as the Psychology Lecturer at Jesus College. In 2021 I completed my postdoctoral training and was appointed as a Departmental Lecturer in Developmental Sciences at the Department of Experimental Psychology, while also taking a lecturer position at St. Hugh’s. In college I act as the Director of Studies in psychology and teaching various undergraduate introductory modules.
Key publications (recent work)
Shalev, N., Boettcher, SEP., Wilkinson, H., Scerif, G., & Nobre, AC (2022). Be there on time : Spatial-temporal regularities guide young children’s attention in dynamic environments. Child Development
Shalev, N., & Nobre, AC (2022). Eyes wide open: regulation of arousal by temporal expectations. Cognition
Shalev, N (2022). Mackworth’s clock is still ticking. Nature Reviews Psychology
Boettcher, SEP*., Shalev, N*., Wolfe, JM., & Nobre, AC (2021). Right place, right time: Spatiotemporal predictions guide attention in dynamic visual search. *equal contribution; JEP: General
Shalev, N., & van Ede, F (2021). About time: modelling dynamic voluntary attention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Shalev, N., Brosnan., MB, & Chechlacz., M (2020). Right lateralized brain reserve offsets age-related deficits in ignoring distraction. Cerebral Cortex Communications
Shalev, N., Steele, A., Nobre, AC., Karmiloff-Smith, A., Cornish, K., & Scerif., G (2019). Dynamic sustained attention markers differentiate atypical development: The case of Williams syndrome and Down’s syndrome. Neuropsychologia
Shalev, N., Bauer., AKR., & Nobre, AC. (2019). The Tempos of Performance. Current Opinion in Psychology
Shalev, N., van Ede, F., & Nobre, AC. (2019). Time for what? Breaking down temporal anticipation. Trends in Neurosciences
Shalev, N., De Wandel, L., Dockree, P., Demeyere, N., & Chechlacz, M. (2018). Beyond Time and Space: The effect of a lateralized Sustained Attention task and Brain Stimulation on Spatial and Selective Attention. Cortex
Shalev, N., Humphreys, G., & Demeyere, N. (2018). Manipulating perceptual parameters in a Continuous Performance Task. Behavior Research Methods
