Personal statement

I completed my PhD at Goldsmiths, University of London. My doctoral thesis was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and explored broader differences in personality and social perception associated with synaesthesia and neural mechanisms underlying social perception in typical adults.

My main research interests include synaesthesia, social perception, interoceptive sensitivity, alexithymia, ASMR and non-invasive brain stimulation.

I have published my research in various scientific journals and presented my findings at conferences in Europe, the USA and Australia.

Previously I worked as an Associate Lecturer at Goldsmiths University of London and as a Lecturer at James Cook University in Singapore. 

Academic qualifications

  • PhD, Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, 2012 - 2016
  • MSc, Cognitive Neuroscience (Distinction), Birkbeck College University of London, 2010 - 2011
  • BSc, Psychology (Hons), Birkbeck College University of London, 2006 - 2009.

Professional qualifications

  • Fellow - Higher Education Academy

Teaching specialisms

  • Social and Developmental Psychology (PSY4001-20)
  • Research Methods in Psychology (1) (PS4002)
  • Biological and Cognitive Psychology (PS5007)
  • Advanced Cognitive and Biological Psychology (PS6028)
  • Dissertation Module (PS6002). 

Conference organisation

  • UK Synaesthesia Association Conference, Goldsmiths University of London (12-13th April 2014).

Impact 

  •  

Research outputs

article

Janik McErlean, A.B, Walsh, J, Katie, N and Paige-Shannon, H (2026) 'The modulatory effects of autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) on pain.' PAIN Reports, 11 (5). e1487. ISSN 2471-2531

article

Hostler, T.J et al (2024) 'Research priorities for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response: an interdisciplinary Delphi study.' Multisensory Research, 37 (6-8). pp. 499-528. ISSN 2213-4794

article

Janik McErlean, A.B, Ellis, L and Walsh, J (2022) '鈥淣o pain, no gain鈥�: the impact of autonomous sensory meridian response on pain perception.' Perception, 51 (8). pp. 565-577. ISSN 0301-0066

article

Janik McErlean, A.B and Lim, L.X.C (2020) 'Relationship between parenting style, alexithymia and aggression in emerging adults.' Journal of Family Issues, 41 (6). pp. 853-874. ISSN 0192-513X

article

Janik McErlean, A.B and Osborne-Ford, E.J (2020) 'Increased absorption in autonomous sensory meridian response.' PeerJ, 8. e8588. ISSN 2167-8359

article

Janik McErlean, A.B and Michael, B (2018) 'Increased misophonia in self-reported Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.' PeerJ, 6. e5351. ISSN 2167-8359

article

Janik McErlean, A.B and Banissy, M.J (2017) 'Assessing individual variation in personality and empathy traits in self-reported Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.' Multisensory Research, 30 (6). pp. 601-613. ISSN 2213-4794

article

Janik McErlean, A.B and Banissy, M.J (2017) 'Color processing in synesthesia: what synesthesia can and cannot tell us about mechanisms of color processing.' Topics in Cognitive Science, 9 (1). pp. 215-227. ISSN 1756-8757

article

Janik McErlean, A.B, Susilo, T, Rezlescu, C, Bray, A and Banissy, M.J (2016) 'Social perception in synaesthesia for colour.' Cognitive Neuropsychology, 33 (7-8). pp. 378-387. ISSN 0264-3294

article

Janik McErlean, A.B and Banissy, M.J (2016) 'Examining the relationship between schizotypy and self-reported visual imagery vividness in grapheme-color synaesthesia.' Frontiers in Psychology, 7. e131. ISSN 1664-1078

article

Janik McErlean, A.B, Rezlescu, C and Banissy, M.J (2015) 'Enhancing anger perception with transcranial alternating current stimulation induced gamma oscillations.' Brain Stimulation, 8 (6). pp. 1138-1143. ISSN 1935-861X

article

Banissy, M.J, Tester, V, Muggleton, N.G, Janik McErlean, A.B, Davenport, A, Franklin, A, Walsh, V and Ward, J (2013) 'Synesthesia for color is linked to improved color perception but reduced motion perception.' Psychological Science, 24 (12). pp. 2390-2397. ISSN 0956-7976

article

Kanai, R, Bahrami, B, Duchaine, B, Janik McErlean, A.B, Banissy, M.J and Rees, G (2012) 'Brain structure links loneliness to social perception.' Current Biology, 22 (20). pp. 1975-1979. ISSN 0960-9822

conference_item

Janik McErlean, A.B (2016) Social perception in grapheme-colour synaesthesia. In: Australasian Society for Social and Affective Neuroscience Annual Meeting, 23 - 24 June 2016, Sydney, Australia.

conference_item

Janik McErlean, A.B, Susilo, T, Rezlescu, C and Banissy, M.J (2014) Enhancing facial emotion recognition with tACS induced gamma oscillations. In: Fourteenth Annual Meeting of the Vision Sciences Society, 16 - 21 May 2014, St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA.

conference_item

Janik McErlean, A.B (2013) Synaesthesia: an extraordinary account of human perception and cognition. In: Science: Polish Perspectives, 15 - 16 November 2013, University of Cambridge, UK.

conference_item

Janik McErlean, A.B (2013) Synaesthesia for colour is linked to reduced motion perception. In: Synaesthesia: Discussing a Phenomenon in the Arts, Humanities and Neuroscience, 5 - 6 July 2013, Glaskasten, Berlin, Germany.

conference_item

Janik McErlean, A.B, Walsh, V and Banissy, M.J (2012) Inducing beta oscillations in the human visual cortex modulates gestalt perception. In: Magstim Neuroscience Conference, 12 - 13 May 2012, University of Oxford, UK.