Professor Kami Koldewyn
Professor in Psychology | Dean of Research for the College of Medicine and Health
 
    Overview
Kami earned a dual BA degree in Music and Philosophy at Pomona College in California. After several years teaching children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders, she returned to graduate school and completed a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of California, Davis in 2009. She then spent four years as a postdoctoral researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, working with Nancy Kanwisher. She joined the faculty at 黑料不打烊 in 2013.
Kami is a Professor in the Department of Psychology in the School of Psychology and Sport Science and is part of the Cognitive Neuroscience research group in the school.
Her research interests include: The development of social perception and social cognition across the lifespan, Autism Spectrum Disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders that affect social perception and cognition, and the brain bases of social perception and social cognition.
Additional Contact Information
Dean of Research for the College of Medicine and Health
Member of the WGSSS Steering Group and EDI advisory Group
Member of the 黑料不打烊 Imaging Centre Steering Group
Lab Website:听
Room 315
Brigantia Building
Penrallt Road
黑料不打烊
LL57 2AS
email:听k.koldewyn@bangor.ac.uk
Telephone: +44(0)1248388581
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Qualifications
- PhD: Visual Motion Processing in Autism
 University of California, Davis, 2009
- BA: Music and Philosophy
 Pomona College, Claremont, California, 1996
- Professional: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy FHEA
Teaching and Supervision
Kami supervises undergraduate and Masters students on projects that encompass a broad range of topics in social perception and social neuroscience.
She is currently supervising four PhD students as first supervisor: Mae Bernard, Laura Jastzrab, Lois Pierce-Jones, and Siwan Roberts. She is 2nd-supervisor for four PhD students: Rebecca Day, Judit Elias Masiques, Deyan Mitev, and Olivia Molina-Nieto,
Her supervision includes one current postdoctoral scholar:
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She teaches a specialist 3rd-year module:听Brain Development and Degeneration and contributes guest lectures to several modules at both Undergraduate and听Masters level.
Research Interests
Our current research program addresses three intertwined questions:
- What is the cognitive and neural architecture of social perception in typical adults?
- How does the social perception system arise and change across typical development?
- How is social perception and its development altered in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and what are the neural bases of these social differences?
To address these questions, we use a variety of methods, including behavioral and eye-tracking paradigms, visual psychophysics and both structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in individuals with developmental disorders as well as typical children and adults.
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Many of the current projects in the lab are focused on the perception and understanding of social interactions viewed from a 3rd-person perspective.
Postgraduate Project Opportunities
Self-funded (inc. agency-funded) projects:听Dr. Koldewyn welcomes informal enquiries from prospective PhD students interested in projects related to听Social Perception or Social Neuroscience, especially those that are interested in how social perception, or the social brain, changes across development and/or across the life-span. She would also welcome students interested in research relevant to neurodevelopmental disorders that affect social perception and/or social cognition, including particularly Autism and Fragile X syndrome.
Publications
2025
- Published
 Mitev, D., Koldewyn, K. & Downing, P., 1 Jan 2025, In: Journal of Neurophysiology. 133, 1, p. 177-192 16 p.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Zeas-Sigu虉enza, A., Ruisoto, P., Koldewyn, K., Muntane, F. & Benach, J., 18 Aug 2025, In: Frontiers in Psychology. 16
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Review article 鈥 peer-review
- E-pub ahead of print
 Daughters, K., Skripkauskaite, S. & Koldewyn, K., 17 May 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Jones, S., Jones, M., Koldewyn, K. & Westermann, G., 1 Jan 2025, In: Developmental Science. 28, 1, e13587.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- E-pub ahead of print
 Martynenko, I., Koldewyn, K. & Downing, P., 4 Jun 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. nsaf057.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Koldewyn, K. & Richardson, H., 13 May 2025, In: Trends in Neurosciences. 48, 5, p. 317-318 2 p.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article
2024
- Published
 Jastrzab Binney, L., Chaudhury, B., Ashley, S., Koldewyn, K. & Cross, E., 21 Jun 2024, In: iScience. 27, 6, 110070.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- E-pub ahead of print
 Gandolfo, M., Abassi, E., Balgova, E., Papeo, L., Downing, P. & Koldewyn, K., 4 Jan 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Current Biology. 34, 9 p.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Jones, S., Jones, M., Koldewyn, K. & Westermann, G., 29 Mar 2024, In: Developmental Science. 27, 4
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Mitev, D., Koldewyn, K. & Downing, P., Aug 2024.
 Research output: Contribution to conference 鈥 Poster
2023
- Published
 Walbrin, J., Almeida, J. & Koldewyn, K., 17 May 2023, In: Journal of Neuroscience. 43, 20, p. 3666-3674
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Skripkauskaite, S., Mihai, I. & Koldewyn, K., Oct 2023, In: Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 76, 10, p. 2303鈥2311 9 p.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Landsiedel, J. & Koldewyn, K., 10 Aug 2023, In: Imaging Neuroscience. 1, 1, p. 1-20 20 p.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Balas, B., Weigelt, S. & Koldewyn, K., Jan 2023, In: International Journal of Behavioral Development. 47, 1, p. 35鈥46
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Jones, S., Jones, M., Koldewyn, K. & Westermann, G., 2 May 2023, PsyArXiv.
 Research output: Working paper 鈥 Preprint
2022
- Published
 Landsiedel, J., Daughters, K., Downing, P. E. & Koldewyn, K., 15 Nov 2022, In: Neuroimage. 262, 119533.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
2021
- Published
 Diveica, V., Koldewyn, K. & Binney, R., 15 Dec 2021, In: Neuroimage. 245, 118702.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Hortensius, R., Kent, M., Darda, K., Jastrzab, L., Koldewyn, K., Ramsey, R. & Cross, E. S., Sept 2021, In: Human Brain Mapping. 42, 13, p. 4224-4241 18 p.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
2020
- Published
 Walbrin, J., Mihai, I., Landsiedel, J. & Koldewyn, K., Apr 2020, In: Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 42, 100774.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Meissner, T., Walbrin, J., Nordt, M., Koldewyn, K. & Weigelt, S., Aug 2020, In: Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 44, 100803.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
2019
- Published
 Walbrin, J. & Koldewyn, K., Sept 2019, In: Neuroimage. 198, September, p. 296-302 7 p.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Stefanou, M. E., Dundon, N., Bestelmeyer, P., Koldewyn, K., Saville, C., Fleischhaker, C., Feige, B., Biscaldi, M., Smyrnis, N. & Klein, C., Mar 2019, In: Biological Psychology. 142, p. 132-139
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Cohen, M. A., Dilks, D. D., Koldewyn, K., Weigelt, S., Feather, J., Kell, A. J., Keil, B., Fischl, B., Z枚llei, L., Wald, L., Saxe, R. & Kanwisher, N., 15 Aug 2019, In: Neuroimage. 197, p. 565-574 10 p.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Newey, R., Koldewyn, K. & Ramsey, R., 23 Jan 2019, In: PLoS ONE. 14, 1, p. e0198867 0198867.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
2018
- Published
 Bestelmeyer, P., Williams, B., Lawton, J., Stefanou, M.-E., Koldewyn, K., Klein, C. & Biscaldi, M., May 2018, In: Clinical Psychological Science. 6, 3, p. 372-381
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Pritchett, B. L., Hoeflin, C., Koldewyn, K., Dechter, E. & Fedorenko, E., Nov 2018, In: Journal of Neurophysiology. 120, 5, p. 2555-2570
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Walbrin, J., Downing, P. & Koldewyn, K., Apr 2018, In: Neuropsychologia. 112, April, p. 31-39
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
2017
- Published
 Isik, L., Koldewyn, K., Beeler, D. & Kanwisher, N., Oct 2017, In: PNAS. 114, 43, p. E9145-E9152
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Quadflieg, S. & Koldewyn, K., 26 May 2017, In: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1396, 1, p. 166-182 17 p.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
2016
- Published
 Semmelmann, K., Nordt, M., Sommer, K., R枚hnke, R., Mount, L., Pr眉fer, H., Terwiel, S., Meissner, T. W., Koldewyn, K. & Weigelt, S., 7 Jul 2016, In: Frontiers of Psychology. 7, 1021.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
2015
- Published
 Deen, B., Koldewyn, K., Kanwisher, N. & Saxe, R., Nov 2015, In: Cerebral Cortex. 25, 11, p. 4596-4609
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Osher, D. E., Saxe, R. R., Koldewyn, K., Gabrieli, J. D., Kanwisher, N. & Saygin, Z. M., 26 Jan 2015, In: Cerebral Cortex. 26, 4, p. 1668-1683
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Saygin, Z. M., Osher, D. E., Koldewyn, K., Martin, R. E., Finn, A., Saxe, R., Gabrieli, J. D. & Sheridan, M., 15 Apr 2015, In: PLoS ONE. 10, 4, p. 1-19
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
2014
- Published
 Koldewyn, K., Yendiki, A., Weigelt, S., Gweon, H., Joshua, J., Richardson, H., Malloy, C., Saxe, R., Fischl, B. & Kanwisher, N., 4 Feb 2014, In: PNAS. 111, 5, p. 1981-1986
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Weigelt, S., Koldewyn, K., Dilks, D. D., Balas, B., McKone, E. & Kanwisher, N., 1 Jan 2014, In: Developmental Science. 17, 1, p. 47-58
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Kim, S. Y., Burris, J., Bassal, F., Koldewyn, K., Chattarji, S., Tassone, F., Hessl, D. & Rivera, S. M., Mar 2014, In: Cerebral Cortex. 24, 3, p. 600-613
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Yendiki, A., Koldewyn, K., Kakunoori, S., Kanwisher, N. & Fischel, B., Mar 2014, In: Neuroimage. 88, p. 79-90
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Fischer, J., Koldewyn, K., Jiang, Y. V. & Kanwisher, N., Mar 2014, In: Clinical Psychological Science. 2, 2, p. 214-223
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Koldewyn, K., Hanus, P. & Balas, B., Aug 2014, In: Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. 21, 4, p. 969-975
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
2013
- Published
 Balas, B. & Koldewyn, K., 1 Nov 2013, In: Neuropsychologia. 51, 13, p. 2876-2881
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Weigelt, S., Koldewyn, K. & Kanwisher, N., 11 Sept 2013, In: PLoS ONE. 8, 9, p. e74541
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Farzin, F. & Koldewyn, K., 13 Nov 2013, Comprehensive Guide to Autism. 2014 ed. p. 2743-2754
 Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding 鈥 Chapter
- Published
 Koldewyn, K., Jiang, Y. V., Weigelt, S. & Kanwisher, N., 1 Oct 2013, In: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 43, 10, p. 2329-2340
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Wang, J. M., Koldewyn, K., Hashimoto, R. I., Schneider, A., Le, L., Tassone, F., Cheung, K., Hagerman, P., Hessl, D. & Rivera, S. M., 30 Oct 2013, In: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 6, p. 297
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Koldewyn, K., Weigelt, S., Kanwisher, N. & Jiang, Y., 1 Jun 2013, In: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 43, 6, p. 1394-1405
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
2012
- Published
 Saygin, Z. M., Osher, D. E., Koldewyn, K., Teynolds, G., Gabrieli, J. D. & Saxe, R. R., 1 Feb 2012, In: Nature Neuroscience. 15, 2, p. 171-337
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Weigelt, S., Koldewyn, K. & Kanwisher, N., 1 Mar 2012, In: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 36, 3, p. 1060-1084
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
2011
- Published
 Hessl, D., Wang, J. M., Schneider, A., Koldewyn, K., Le, L., Iwahashi, C., Cheung, K., Tassone, F., Hagerman, P. J. & Rivera, S. M., 1 Nov 2011, In: Biological Psychiatry. 70, 9, p. 859-865
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Selmeczy, D., Koldewyn, K., Wang, J. M., Lee, A., Harvey, D., Hessl, D. R., Tassone, F., Adams, P., Hagerman, P. J. & Rivera, S. M., 1 Dec 2011, In: Brain Imaging and Behavior. 5, 4, p. 285-294
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Koldewyn, K., Whitney, D. & Rivera, S. M., 1 Sept 2011, In: Developmental Science. 14, 5, p. 1075-1088
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
2010
- Published
 Weigelt, S., Koldewyn, K. & Doerhrmann, O., 1 Aug 2010, In: Journal of Neurophysiology. 104, 2, p. 581-583
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Adams, P. E., Adams, J. S., Nguyen, D. V., Brunberg, J. A., Tassone, F., Zhang, W., Koldewyn, K., Rivera, S. M., Grigsby, J., Zhang, L., DeCarli, C., Hagerman, P. J. & Hagerman, R. J., 1 Apr 2010, In: American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics. 153B, 3, p. 775-785
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Koldewyn, K., Whitney, D. & Rivera, S. M., 1 Feb 2010, In: Brain: A journal of Neurology. 133, 2, p. 599-610
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
2008
- Published
 Hessl, D., Tassone, F., Cordeiro, L., Koldewyn, K., McCormick, C., Green, C., Wegelin, J., Yuhas, J. & Hagerman, R. J., 1 Jan 2008, In: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 38, 1, p. 184-189
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Koldewyn, K., Hessl, D., Adams, J., Tassone, F., Hagerman, P. J. & Hagerman, R. J., 1 Jun 2008, In: Brain Imaging and Behavior. 2, 2, p. 105-116
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
2007
- Published
 Bulakowski, P. F., Koldewyn, K. & Whitney, D., Mar 2007, In: Vision Research. 47, 6, p. 810-817 8 p.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
- Published
 Adams, J. S., Adams, P. E., Nguyen, D., Brunberg, J. A., Tassone, F., Zhang, W., Koldewyn, K., Rivera, S. M., Grigsby, J., Zhang, L., DeCarli, C., Hagerman, P. J. & Hagerman, R. J., 28 Aug 2007, In: Neurology. 69, 9, p. 851-9 9 p.
 Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥 Article 鈥 peer-review
Activities
2025
- Neuroscience is advancing rapidly, offering profound insights into the human brain while raising complex ethical questions. Neuroethics sits at the intersection of neuroscience, philosophy, and policy, addressing dilemmas such as cognitive enhancement, brain privacy, and the ethics of neurotechnology. Here, we particularly address how neuroethics applies to neurodegenerative disorders. What are the implications of early diagnosis? How do we balance innovation and treatment with patient autonomy, especially as cognitive decline affects decision-making? What are the societal and moral consequences of genetic screening or neurotechnology for these conditions? Join this 黑料不打烊 webinar for an introduction to these complex societal challenges. - 15 Jul 2025 Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Public lecture/debate/seminar (Speaker)
2023
- 黑料不打烊 Community Day was an event that welcomed the local community to explore the University and learn about its significant contributions to the social, economic, environmental, and cultural life of North Wales and beyond. The event showcased a range of activities. Our department of Psychology participated with a stall, offering various engaging activities for attendees, highlighting some of the department's work. - 14 Oct 2023 Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor)
2022
- We seek to (1) develop a bilingual screening tool to quickly and accurately identify children with complex needs who are referred to the Miles Dyslexia Centre, allowing them to be immediately referred to an appropriate practitioner for a full assessment; (2) scope the current situation and measure waiting times for local children with social difficulties with a level of precision, taking a look at the impact of the pandemic on both waiting times and how assessments are carried out (e.g., remote assessment, bilingual assessment); (3) build and coordinate a group of researchers, educational practitioners, and clinical practitioners with the aim of moving towards an integrated assessment and care system for children with learning difficulties and ASD. Including clinical practitioners is essential, since a complete assessment would need to be a team effort between community, educational, and clinical (NHS) services. Our longer-term aim is to establish a BU Neurodevelopmental Centre that would not only push forward cutting edge translational neurodevelopmental research, but would also service the needs of children locally and nationally (via remote assessment and intervention) and which we hope will serve as a blueprint for excellence in provision within both 鈥渞emote鈥 rural areas and bilingual contexts. - Funding awarded through the 黑料不打烊 Innovation and Impact Award (Research Wales Innovation Funding). Value = 拢46,582 - 4 May 2022 鈥 30 Apr 2023 Activity: Other (Contributor)
2019
- 29 Apr 2019 Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
- 5 Apr 2019 Activity: Examination (Examiner)
- 8 Mar 2019 Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
- 2019 鈫 Activity: Other (Reviewer)
- 2019 鈫 Activity: Other (Reviewer)
2018
- 30 Oct 2018 Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
- 11 Sep 2018 鈥 12 Sep 2018 Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Organiser)
- 18 May 2018 鈥 23 May 2018 Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Speaker)
- 8 Mar 2018 Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
- 25 Jan 2018 Activity: Examination (Examiner)
2017
- 18 May 2017 鈥 25 May 2017 Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Participant)
- 24 Apr 2017 鈥 27 Apr 2017 Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Speaker)
- 14 Feb 2017 Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
- 2017 Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor)
- 2017 鈥 2019 Activity: Other (Reviewer)
2016
- Public Lecture - 28 Apr 2016 Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Speaker)
2015
- 27 Aug 2015 鈥 28 Aug 2015 Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
- 28 Mar 2015 鈥 31 Mar 2015 Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
- 12 Feb 2015 Activity: Types of External academic engagement - Invited talk (Contributor)
- 2015 Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor)
2014
- 5 Jul 2014 Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Speaker)
- Talk given at at Durham University, UK - May 2014 Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
- 29 Apr 2014 Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
- Online article - 2014 Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor)
Projects
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01/10/2020 鈥 01/08/2022 (Finished) 
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30/03/2017 鈥 31/12/2199 (Active) 
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01/11/2014 鈥 01/08/2022 (Finished) 
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01/10/2014 鈥 28/02/2023 (Finished) 
Other Grants and Projects
Social Interaction Perception and the Social Brain Across Typical and Atypical Development - Becoming Social听
ERC Starting Grant: 拢1,157,461.00
30/03/17 - 30/03/22
Developmental Change in the Posterior Superior Temporal Sulcus
Royal Society: 拢14,929.00
1/11/14听鈫捥31/10/15
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Person Perception in Typical and Atypical Development
British Academy:听拢9,681.00
1/10/14听鈫捥30/09/16