Eleni Vasilaki is Professor of Cognitive Psychology in Education at the Department of Primary Education, University of Crete, and currently Vice Head of the Department. She is an Educational Psychologist and Cognitive Scientist whose work lies at the intersection of cognitive psychology, educational psychology, neuroscience and the learning sciences. She studied Psychology at the University of Dundee and the University of Edinburgh in Scltland, and received advanced research training at the University of Cambridge, including the Laboratory of Consciousness and Cognition and the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit. Her research examines how cognitive, emotional and motivational processes influence learning, academic achievement, self-regulation and well-being across educational settings. Her expertise includes working memory and academic performance, anxiety and mathematics anxiety, metacognition, self-regulated learning, cognitive load and multimedia learning, cognitive flexibility, psychometric assessment and validation, learning difficulties and inclusive education, positive education, growth mindset, mindfulness, educational well-being and happy schools. A distinctive feature of her work is the application of advanced cognitive theories of emotion generation, Processing Efficiency Theory and Prototype Theory to the study of learning, emotional functioning and educational outcomes. Her research employs experimental, longitudinal, mixed-methods and psychometric approaches, and is characterized by interdisciplinary collaboration with psychologists, neuroscientists, educational researchers and technology specialists. Her current research agenda focuses on Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence in Education, Self-Regulated Learning, Social and Emotional Learning, Growth Mindset, Mindfulness, Educational Well-being, and the inclusion of vulnerable and underrepresented learners. Through her research, she seeks to develop evidence-based educational practices that promote academic success, psychological well-being and lifelong learning.

She has established long-standing collaborations with internationally renowned scholars and research groups, including the University of Cambridge, the Medical Research Council, the City University of New York (CUNY) and Royal Holloway University of London. She also develops and delivers English-taught courses through the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) framework, integrating internationalization-at-home practices and cross-cultural academic engagement into higher education.

KEY RESEARCH AREAS: Cognitive Psychology and Learning Sciences, Working Memory and Academic Performance, Mathematics Anxiety and Academic Emotions, Cognitive Load, Multimedia Learning and Cognitive Flexibility, Human-Centred AI in Education and Educational Technology, Self-Regulated Learning, Metacognition and Study Strategies, Growth Mindset and Educational Well-being, Psychometric Assessment and Validation, Learning Difficulties and Inclusive Education, Mindfulness in Education and Resilience, Happy schools and evidence-based educational interventions

Curriculum Vitae