PhD candidate
Ece holds a BA in Psychology and an MSc in Clinical Neuropsychology from Tilburg University. During her master's, she completed an internship at the Cognitive Neuropsychology Laboratory at Tilburg University, where she gained research experience in EEG, behavioral experiments and digital interventions, particularly using VR. For her master's thesis, she investigated the impact of subclinical autistic traits on the neural tracking of audiovisual speech using EEG. After completing her master's, she conducted a research internship at the Multimodal Imaging and Physiology Lab at Bogazici University, where she participated in projects combining EEG, fMRI and physiological measures. Before starting her PhD, she worked at a startup developing VR-based neuropsychological interventions. Ece is currently a PhD candidate, working under the supervision of Merel Keijzer, Sarah Janus and Josh Prada. Her research interests include language, cognition and dementia, with a particular interest in how digital technologies can support research and care.
Project Description
Dementia care can be particularly challenging for migrant populations, as language barriers may hinder communication and limit person-centered care. Although the importance of language in dementia care is increasingly recognized, little is known about whether providing support in a person’s home language can have benefits beyond facilitating communication.
As part of the NWO Vici-funded CAREful about Language project, Ece’s PhD project, CARE-scapes: The role of language in person-centered acute dementia care for migrants, investigates whether home-language input can support psychosocial wellbeing and cognitive functioning among migrants living with dementia during acute hospitalization. Focusing on Turkish and Persian speaking migrants, the project examines whether immersive VR experiences incorporating content in participants’ home language can reduce behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and improve quality of life. It also draws on longitudinal data to investigate how multilingual language experiences relate to psychosocial health, cognitive functioning and hospitalization outcomes.
By investigating language not only as a means of communication but also as a potential therapeutic resource, the project aims to contribute to more person-centered and equitable dementia care for migrant populations.
