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Delali Konu
Research Associate

Profile

Biography

I am an early career researcher with a deep interest in social psychology, specifically how our thoughts and attitudes about one another influence the ways in which we interact. I have a mixed methods research profile with expertise in behavioural science, quantitative and qualitative methods. My doctoral work focused on self-generated thought and investigated which behaviours, brain processes, contexts and individual differences underpin our thought content. During my first Research Associate position, I supported projects which aimed to investigate people’s experiences with spending time alone including the influence of solitude on behaviour, emotion, and cognition. In my second position, I supported projects which aimed to understand the influence of online misogyny on behaviours and experiences such as in relationships and mental health. In my third, I supported projects related to improving the infrastructure of digital research. I am currently working as a Research Associate supporting projects related to tackling online misogyny. I enjoy being an active member of my research environment by engaging with research dissemination, department activities and supporting junior researchers.

Study

  • PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Department of Psychology, University of York, York (October 2019-September 2022)
  • Master of Psychology (Neuroimaging and Neuroscience), Department of Psychology, University of York, York (September 2014-June 2018)

Career

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate (Social Origins Lab: HATESHIELD Project), Department of Psychology, University of York, York, UK (July 2025-present)
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate (Smart Data Donation Service), Department of Psychology, University of York, UK (December 2024-July 2025)
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate (Social Origins Lab), Department of Psychology, University of York, Durham, UK (May 2022-November 2024)
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK (October 2022- May 2024)
  • Research Assistant, University of York, York (July 2018- August 2019)
  • Research Assistant, University of York, York (March 2017- June 2019)

 

Departmental roles

  • Department Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Staff Champion, Department of Psychology, University of York, York (March 2025-present)
  • Department Athena Swan Policy Review Working Group Member, Department of Psychology Equality and Diversity Committee, University of York (June 2024-September 2024).
  • Departmental Ethnic Minority Student Representative, Department of Psychology, University of York, York (September 2020- September 2022)

Research

Overview

HATESHIELD Project

Projects

I currently support research related to online misogyny.

Research group(s)

Social Origins Lab, LifeLike Lab

Grants

Department of Psychology, University of York, PhD Scholarship Funding (October 2019-September 2022)

Collaborators

  • Professor Harriet Over, Department of Psychology, University of York
  • Dr David Zendle, Department of Psychology, University of York
  • Professor Cade McCall, Department of Psychology, University of York

Publications

Selected publications

  • Over, H., Bunce, C. J., Konu, D., & Zendle, D. (2024). What do we need to know about the manosphere and young people’s mental health?. Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
  • Konu, D., Mckeown, B., Turnbull, A., Ho, N. S. P., Karapanagiotidis, T., Vanderwal, T., McCall, C., Tipper, S.P., Jefferies, E. and Smallwood, J. (2021). Exploring patterns of ongoing thought under naturalistic and conventional task-based conditions. Consciousness and cognition, 93, 103139.
  • Konu, D., Turnbull, A., Karapanagiotidis, T., Wang, H. T., Brown, L. R., Jefferies, E., & Smallwood, J.
    (2020). A role for the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in self-generated episodic social
    cognition. NeuroImage, 218, 116977.

Full publications list

  • Konu, D., Mckeown, B., Turnbull, A., Ho, N. S. P., Karapanagiotidis, T., Vanderwal, T., McCall, C.,
    Tipper, S.P., Jefferies, E. and Smallwood, J. (2021). Exploring patterns of ongoing thought under
    naturalistic and conventional task-based conditions. Consciousness and cognition, 93, 103139.
  • Konu, D., Turnbull, A., Karapanagiotidis, T., Wang, H. T., Brown, L. R., Jefferies, E., & Smallwood, J.
    (2020). A role for the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in self-generated episodic social
    cognition. NeuroImage, 218, 116977.
  • Over, H., Bunce, C., Konu, D., & Zendle, D. (2025). Editorial Perspective: What do we need to know
    about the manosphere and young people's mental health?. Child and Adolescent Mental Health,
    30(3), 272-274.
  • Nguyen, T. V., Konu, D., Tetteh, D., Tshimbalanga, P., Weissova, J., & Xiong, M. (2026). “I got all sorts
    of solitude, but that solitude wasn't mine”: A mixed‐methods approach to understanding aloneness
    during becoming a mother. British Journal of Psychology, 117(1), 192-216.
  • Nguyen, T. T., Konu, D., Forbes, S. (2023). Investigating solitude as tool for downregulation of daily
    arousal using Ecological Momentary Assessments. Stage 1 Registered Report accepted at Journal of
    Personality.
  • Smallwood, J., Turnbull, A., Wang, H. T., Ho, N. S., Poerio, G. L., Karapanagiotidis, T., Konu, D., ... &
    Jefferies, E. (2021). The neural correlates of ongoing conscious thought. IScience, 24(3), 102132.
  • Murphy, C., Wang, H. T., Konu, D., Lowndes, R., Margulies, D. S., Jefferies, E., & Smallwood, J. (2019).
    Modes of operation: A topographic neural gradient supporting stimulus dependent and independent
    cognition. NeuroImage, 186, 487-496.

Contact details

Delali Konu
Research Associate
Department of Psychology
University of York
Room PS/C/124b

External activities

Invited talks and conferences

  • Konu, D., (2023, 5th October). Exploring Links Between Emotion and Everyday Experiences (Symposium Chair and talk). Emotions 2023 Conference (in person), Tilburg University (Tilburg).
  • Konu, D., (2022, 14th July). Understanding the persistence of self-generated thought (talk & Q&A). Experimental Psychological Society Meeting (in person), University of Sterling (Sterling).
  • Konu, D., (2022, 17th March). Exploring patterns of thought under varying task-based conditions (talk and Q&A). Mind Brain Body Symposium (online), Max Plank Institute (Berlin). 

Teaching

Undergraduate

  • York Global Summer School Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of York, York (June 2022-July 2022)
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Psychology, University of York, York (October 2019-March 2022)