Dr Antonia Ypsilanti BSc, MSc, PhD, PGCert
Associate Professor in Cognitive Psychology and Psychobiology
Summary
Dr Antonia Ypsilanti is an Associate Professor in Cognitive Psychology and Psychobiology at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. Her research spans across the life span with a focus on the psychological and social determinants of well-being. Her world-leading research involves understanding the impact of persistent loneliness on mental health and the benefits of social connectedness. She also works on how self-perception is related to loneliness and adopts a nuanced approach to loneliness highlighting the importance of individual differences and societal factors that determine the ability to connect with others.
Dr Ypsilanti is the co-Director of the Campaign to End Loneliness one of the largest organizations in the UK working on Tackling Loneliness. She also co-leads the Cochrane Global Ageing Thematic Group, which focuses on evidence synthesis on ageing across the globe. Dr Ypsilanti is widely published and actively collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, bridging research and practice to address contemporary challenges in mental health. She is also dedicated to supporting student learning and development, mentoring the next generation of psychologists.
She is the module leader for the elective Level 6 module "Social, Clinical and Affective Neuroscience" and leads modules in the MSc in Clinical/Cognitive Neuroscience and the MSc Psychology of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
About
Dr Ypsilanti is an Associate Professor in Cognitive Psychology/Psychobiology with a research focus on self-conscious emotions, particularly self-disgust, in lonely individuals and other psychological disorders, including anxiety disorders, insomnia, and depression. She works closely with academic and non-academic patterns across the globe to understand persistent loneliness across the life span, including measuring and understanding cognitive biases and life transitions that may act as tipping points to making loneliness from adaptive problematic. Her research on loneliness involves the following main areas:
- Chronic (persistent) loneliness and its links to physical and mental health across the life span
- Reducing the stigma of loneliness and mental health
- Measuring loneliness and understanding cognitive biases in lonely people
- Developing and evaluating interventions on loneliness
- Workplace loneliness
Her unique contribution is applying theories and research methods from cognitive psychology and neuroscience (e.g., lab-based E-prime measures; skin conductance and other physiological measures; EEG/ERPs, eye tracking; virtual reality) to empirically examine the nature, experience, and effects of loneliness. This has allowed her to produce high-quality research outputs, including the development of new measurement methodologies and theoretical advances in loneliness research.
Having a strong commitment to knowledge exchange synergies, she actively participate under various roles and capacities in leading advocacy groups in the UK (e.g., Campaign to End Loneliness) and internationally (e.g., Global Aging Thematic Group, Cochrane Reviews) to facilitate the translation of her research into impactful solutions for communities. To this end, she has led or co-led large-scale national and international research projects bringing together a complementary mix of academics, practitioners, and policymakers.
Dr Ypsilanti is the first appointed College Ethics Lead for Social Sciences and Arts.
Teaching
Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences
College of Social Sciences and Arts
I am the module leader of Social and Affective Neuroscience (Level 6) and I teach Cognitive Neuroscience Methods and Cognitive Neuroscience Dissertations at Masters level.
Psychology
BSc Psychology
MSc Cognitive/Clinical Neuroscience
MSc in Psychology of Mental Health and Wellbeing (online)
MSc Psychology (online)
Social, Clinical and Affective Neuroscience
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Ethics and Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Methods
Ï㽶ÊÓƵ
Funded Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Projects
Evaluating Befriending interventions to tackle loneliness
Funder: Age UK
Status: Ongoing
Role: Principal Investigator (PI)
Tackling Loneliness Hub Digital Platform (2024)
Funder: Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS)
Status: Awarded
Grant Value: £149,000
Role: Co-Investigator (Co-I)
This project focuses on developing a digital platform as part of the Tackling Loneliness Hub, aiming to provide innovative solutions to social isolation challenges.
Systematic Literature Review on Deprivation’s Impact on Older Adults (2024)
Funder: Age UK
Status: Completed
Grant Value: £46,500
Role: Co-Investigator (Co-I)
co-Led a systematic review to explore how deprivation affects older individuals in the UK and mapped interventions addressing these impacts.
The Chrysalis Project Evaluation (2023)
Funder: Youth Endowment Fund
Status: Completed
Grant Value: £115,000
Role: Co-Investigator (Co-I)
Evaluated the effectiveness of the Chrysalis Project in supporting youth development and well-being.
Supporting Connections Workshop (2023)
Funder: British Red Cross
Status: Completed
Grant Value: £1,500
Role: Expert in the Psychology of Loneliness
Facilitated workshops to equip adults with skills to foster meaningful connections.
Mindful Muscles Project (2023)
Funder: European Commission, Erasmus+ Collaborative Partnerships
Status: Completed
Grant Value: £336,685
Role: Co-Investigator/Acting Principal Investigator
Developed and tested interventions to discourage the use of performance-enhancing drugs in grassroots and recreational sports.
VIRAL: Virtual Reality Learning about Anti-Doping (2023)
Funder: European Commission, Erasmus+ Collaborative Partnerships
Status: Completed
Grant Value: £347,039
Role: Co-Investigator/Acting Principal Investigator
Implemented virtual reality approaches to educate athletes and coaches on anti-doping practices.
Biofeedback for Insomniacs through AI (2019)
Funder: Innovate UK, Biomedical Catalyst
Status: Completed
Grant Value: £234,340
Role: Co-Investigator
Pioneered AI-driven biofeedback systems to enhance sleep quality for individuals suffering from insomnia.
GAME: Mitigating Performance Enhancement Culture in Youth (2018)
Funder: European Commission, Erasmus+ Collaborative Partnerships
Status: Completed
Grant Value: £335,901
Role: Co-Investigator
Explored gamified approaches to mitigate the use of performance-enhancing substances among young athletes.
Differential Outcome Effects in Older Patients with Cognitive Impairment (2012)
Funder: Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness
Status: Completed
Grant Value: £44,468
Role: Co-Investigator/National Coordinator
Investigated the differential impacts of interventions on patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s dementia.
SILVER: Intergenerational Learning through Validation, Education & Ï㽶ÊÓƵ (2011)
Funder: European Commission, Grundtvig Learning Programme
Status: Completed
Grant Value: £245,900
Role: Co-Investigator/National Coordinator
Promoted successful intergenerational learning initiatives and evaluated their long-term impacts.
Publications
Journal articles
Robson, A., Ypsilanti, A., Lazuras, L., Powell, P.A., Overton, P.G., & Reidy, J. (2025). Journal of Affective Disorders, 369, 1256-1266.
Lazuras, L., Ypsilanti, A., & Mullings, E. (2024). . International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 31 (3), 372-379.
Lazuras, L., Rowe, R., Ypsilanti, A., Smythe, I., Poulter, D., & Reidy, J. (2022). . Transportation Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 91, 461-471.
Ypsilanti, A., & Lazuras, L. (2022). . Psychiatry Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, 312.
Akram, U., Allen, S., Stevenson, J., Lazarus, L., Ypsilanti, A., Ackroyd, M., ... Irvine, K. (2022). . Journal of Affective Disorders, 297, 634-640.
Ypsilanti, A., Mullings, E., Hawkins, O., & Lazuras, L. (2021). . Journal of Affective Disorders, 295, 1012-1023.
Ypsilanti, A., Gettings, R., Lazuras, L., Robson, A., Powell, P.A., & Overton, P.G. (2020). . Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 559883.
Akram, U., Ypsilanti, A., Gardani, M., Irvine, K., Allen, S., Akram, A., ... Lazuras, L. (2020). . Journal of Affective Disorders, 272, 191-197.
Akram, U., Gardani, M., Irvine, K., Allen, S., Ypsilanti, A., Lazuras, L., ... Akram, A. (2020). . npj Schizophrenia, 6, 15.
Taroyan, N.A., Butnicu, B., Ypsilanti, A., & Overton, P.G. (2020). . Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 14, 7.
Ypsilanti, A., Robson, A., Lazuras, L., Powell, P.A., & Overton, P.G. (2020). . Journal of Affective Disorders, 266, 646-654.
Pavlidis, G., Downs, C., Kalinowski, B., Zwiatek-Barylska, I., Lazuras, L., Ypsilanti, A., & Tsatali, M. (2020). . Journal Of Nursing Management.
Akram, U., Akram, A., Gardani, M., Ypsilanti, A., McCarty, K., Allen, S., & Lazuras, L. (2019). . Sleep medicine research, 10 (1), 49-53.
Lazuras, L., Rowe, R., Poulter, D.R., Powell, P.A., & Ypsilanti, A. (2019). . Frontiers in Psychology, 10.
Akram, U., Ypsilanti, A., Drabble, J., & Lazuras, L. (2019). . Journal of clinical sleep medicine, 15 (3), 525-527.
Ypsilanti, A., Lazuras, L., Powell, P., & Overton, P. (2019). . Journal of Affective Disorders, 243, 108-115.
Ypsilanti, A. (2018). . Palgrave Communications, 4 (1).
Vivas, A., Ypsilanti, A., Ladas, A., Estévez, A.F., Kounti, F., & Magda Tsolaki, M. (2018). . Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 10, 364.
Akram, U., Milkins, B., Ypsilanti, A., Reidy, J., Lazuras, L., Stevenson, J., ... Barclay, N.L. (2018). . Trials, 19.
Lazuras, L., Ypsilanti, A., Powell, P., & Overton, P. (2018). . Motivation and Emotion, 1-14.
Ypsilanti, A., Lazuras, L., Robson, A., & Akram, U. (2018). . Sleep Health, 4 (4), 349-351.
Akram, U., Robson, A., & Ypsilanti, A. (2018). . Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 14 (06), 959-965.
Akram, U., Beattie, L., Ypsilanti, A., Reidy, J., Robson, A., Chapman, A.J., & Barclay, N.L. (2018). . Behaviour Ï㽶ÊÓƵ and Therapy, 103, 18-23.
Lazuras, L., Ypsilanti, A., Lamprou, E., & Kontogiorgis, C. (2017). . Substance Use and Misuse, 52 (7), 950-958.
Räisänen, T., Ypsilanti, A., Ropes, D., Vivas, A.B., Viitala, M., & Ijäs, T. (2014). Examining the requirements for an intergenerational learning game. Education and Information Technologies, 19 (3), 531-547.
Ypsilanti, A., Vivas, A.B., Räisänen, T., Viitala, M., Ijäs, T., & Ropes, D. (2014). Are serious video games something more than a game? A review on the effectiveness of serious games to facilitate intergenerational learning. Education and Information Technologies, 19 (3), 515-529.
Ypsilanti, A., Hatzitaki, V., & Grouios, G. (2009). Lateralized effects of hand and eye on anticipatory postural adjustments in visually guided aiming movements. Neuroscience letters, 462 (2), 121-124.
Ypsilanti, A., Ganou, M., Koidou, I., & Grouios, G. (2008). Digit ratio (2D:4D) in individuals with intellectual disability: investigating the role of testosterone in the establishment of cerebral lateralisation. Laterality, 13 (6), 527-544.
Ypsilanti, A., & Grouios, G. (2008). Linguistic profile of individuals with Down syndrome: comparing the linguistic performance of three developmental disorders. Child neuropsychology : a journal on normal and abnormal development in childhood and adolescence, 14 (2), 148-170.
Ypsilanti, A., Grouios, G., Zikouli, A., & Hatzinikolaou, K. (2006). Speed of naming in children with Williams and Down syndromes. Journal of intellectual & developmental disability, 31 (2), 87-94.
Ypsilanti, A., Grouios, G., Alevriadou, A., & Tsapkini, K. (2005). Expressive and receptive vocabulary in children with Williams and Down syndromes. Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 49 (Pt 5), 353-364.
Fotiadis, F., Grouios, G., Ypsilanti, A., & Hatzinikolaou, K. (2005). Hemiplegic shoulder syndrome: possible underlying neurophysiological mechanisms. Physical Therapy Reviews, 10 (1), 51-58.
Conference papers
Barikoukis, V., Tsiatsos, T., Politopoulos, N., Stylianidis, P., Ziagkas, E., Loukovitis, A., ... Antonia, Y. (2020). A Serious Game Approach in Mitigating Performance Enhancement Culture in Youth (GAME Project). In Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, (pp. 733-742). Springer International Publishing:
Lazuras, L., Ypsilanti, A., Barkoukis, V., Stylianidis, P., Politopoulos, N., & Tsiatsos, T. (2020). . Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 1058-1064.
Barkoukis, V., Tsiatsos, T., Politopoulos, N., Stylianidis, P., Ziagkas, E., Lazuras, L., & Ypsilanti, A. (2019). . Proceedings of the 15th International Scientific Conference "eLearning and Software for Education" : New technology and redesigning learning spaces, 3, 451-455.
Griva, E., Chostelidou, D., Ypsilanti, A., & Iliadou, S. (2014). Students Attending a Bilingual Primary School: A Record of a Language Biography. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116, 1319-1323.
Book chapters
Ropes, D., & Ypsilanti, A. (2016). . In Antoniou, A.-.S., Burke, R.J., & Cooper, C.L. (Eds.) The aging workforce handbook: individual, organizational and societal challenges. (pp. 299-322). Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited:
Theses / Dissertations
Hawkins, O.J. (2024). . (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Ypsilanti, A.
Robson, A.C. (2022). . (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Ypsilanti, A., Lazuras, L., Reidy, J., Overton, P., & Powell, P.
Presentations
Ypsilanti, A., Weston, A., & Lazouras, L. (2019). Self-disgust and self-compassion mediate the relationship between loneliness and mental health outcomes. Presented at: Emotions Conference, Tilburg, Netherlands
Ypsilanti, A., Donaldson, L., & Lazouras, L. (2019). Self-disgust mediates the relationship between stigmatization and mental health in individuals with cleft lip and palate.
Ypsilanti, A., Shaban, U., Darbishire, B., Serby, M., & Taroyan, N. (2018). Choosing your battles: Investigating positivity bias in older adults using a lexical decision task. Presented at: International Federation on Ageing 14th Global Conference, Toronto, Canada
Ypsilanti, A. (2018). Self-disgust mediates the relationship between loneliness and depression in adults. Presented at: British Psychological Society Annual Conference, East Midlands Conference Centre
Other activities
Member of the European Society of Cognitive Psychology (ESCOP).
Certified Neurofeedback Therapist (Atlantis Software) by the Institute of EEG Neurofeedback (IFEN), Germany.
Member of the editorial board and a reviewer of the Multilingual Academic Journal of Education and Social Sciences.
Organizing committee of the Conference by the Society of Applied Neurosciences in 2012
Organising and Scientific committee of the Student Spring Symposium of the International Faculty of the University of Sheffield.
RT3 Leader, 8th Annual South East European Doctoral Student Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Postgraduate supervision
I welcome PhD supervision on loneliness projects
Media
Psychology