Firat Soylu

HIGHLIGHTED PUBLICATIONS

1. Soylu, F. (2024). A new ontology for numerical cognition: Integrating evolutionary, embodied, and data informatics approaches. Acta Psychologica, 249, 104416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104416
2. Soylu, F., May, K.*, & Kana, R. (2023). White and Gray Matter Correlates of Theory of Mind in Autism: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study. Brain Structure and Function. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-023-02680-5
3. Salehzadeh, R.*, Soylu, F., & Jalili, N. (2023). A comparative study of machine learning methods for classifying ERP scalp distribution. Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express, 9(4), 045027. https://doi.org/10.1088/2057-1976/acdbd0
4. Anchan, M.*,& Soylu, F. (2023). Language Matters: Mathematical Learning and Cognition in Bilingual Children. In Katherine M. Robinson, Donna Kotsopoulos, & Adam Dubé (Eds.). Mathematical Learning and Cognition in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence: Integrating Interdisciplinary Research into Practice. New York City, New York: Springer Publishing
5. Rivera, B.*, & Soylu, F. (2021). Incongruity in Fraction Verification Elicits N270 And P300 ERP Effects. Neuropsychologia, 161(August), 108015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.108015
6. Soylu, F., Lester, F., & Newman, S. (2018). You can count on your fingers: The role of fingers in early mathematical development. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 4(1), 107–135. https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.v4i1.85 

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Firat Soylu is an associate professor of educational psychology and neuroscience at The University of Alabama. His research focuses on mathematical cognition, embodied cognition, structural and functional correlates of learning and cognition in the brain, and implications of neuroscience studies for education. He uses behavioral, MRI, EEG, and computational modeling methods in his research. He completed his dissertation on the embodiment of arithmetic processing in the Cognitive Neuroimaging Lab, and received a dual PhD in Instructional Systems Technology and Cognitive Science from Indiana University, Bloomington in 2011. Following that, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Connected Learning and Computer Based Modeling at Northwestern University for three years.

In 2014, Dr. Soylu joined The University of Alabama as an assistant professor of educational psychology and neuroscience. While at UA, he has led the development of the Educational Neuroscience PhD Concentration and the Educational Neuroscience BSc program (edneuro.ua.edu). He also directs the ELDEN Lab, where he mentors undergraduate and graduate students across different programs and collaborates with colleagues at UA and other institutions. Dr. Soylu currently serves as the program coordinator for the Educational Neuroscience Program and the Alabama Life Research Institute (ALRI) neuroscience theme director.

Teaching philosophy

Dr. Soylu teaches educational psychology and neuroscience courses. His courses cover best practices in research methods, open science, implications of neuroscience research for education, embodied approaches to learning and cognition, and analytical skills needed for educational psychology, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience research. His classes balance theory with practical, hands-on experiences.