DrNejra Van Zalk

Dr Nejra Van Zalk is a Chartered Psychologist, Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and Associate Professor in Design Psychology at Imperial College London, where she directs the Design Psychology Lab.

Her research develops Design Psychology as an interdisciplinary approach to understanding how designed environments shape human behaviour, experience and psychological wellbeing. Bringing together psychology, behavioural science and design engineering, she investigates the psychological mechanisms through which people interact with products, services and technologies, and how these insights can inform their design and evaluation.

Her work focuses particularly on mental health and digital environments, spanning anxiety and depression, digital mental health interventions, and human interaction with artificial intelligence, virtual reality and robotics. A particular strand of her research examines how digital environments and their design affordances shape young people’s social experiences, behaviour and wellbeing over time.

Dr Van Zalk founded and leads Imperial’s Human Behaviour and Experience (HuBEx) network and co-founded and leads the MSc in Design with Behaviour Science. She also contributes psychological evidence and expertise to public and policy discussions concerning online safety, digital experiences and wellbeing.

For opportunities to join the Design Psychology Lab, visit the Join Us page.