Professor Antonina Pereira
Pro-Vice-Chancellor
About
Pro-Vice-Chancellor
Executive Dean – Faculty of Health, Science and Engineering
Executive Dean – Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities
Professor of Neuropsychology and Neuroscience
Director – People & Well-Being in The Everyday (POWER) Research Centre
Principal Investigator – Cognitive Ageing and Dementia Research Lab
Professor Antonina Pereira is Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculties of Social Sciences and Humanities, and Health, Science and Engineering, at the University of Chichester, where she also holds a Chair in Neuropsychology and Neuroscience. As a member of the University’s senior executive leadership, she contributes to institutional strategy. She leads strategic development to support the University’s ambitions for academic excellence, sustainable growth, and societal impact.
Her executive portfolio spans a broad range of academic disciplines, bringing together leadership in education, research, innovation, student experience, financial sustainability and external engagement.
A values-driven higher education leader, Antonina brings over a decade of senior leadership experience in academic strategy, institutional governance, organisational development and inclusive innovation. Her leadership combines a commitment to educational opportunity, social mobility and belonging with a strong focus on strategic delivery, resource stewardship and institutional sustainability.
She has led significant academic portfolio development, supported growth in student recruitment and academic provision, and championed future-facing curricula that respond to evolving workforce needs, technological developments and societal challenges. Her approach is grounded in collaborative leadership, evidence-informed decision-making and the belief that academic excellence and organisational effectiveness must reinforce one another.
Antonina is passionate about the role of Higher Education as a catalyst for social, cultural and economic transformation. She champions interdisciplinary collaboration, research with demonstrable societal impact, knowledge exchange and strategic partnerships with industry, public services and international institutions.
Her work encompasses innovative approaches to employability, entrepreneurship, apprenticeships and workforce development, strengthening the relationship between academic provision, regional priorities and emerging opportunities for growth. She is committed to building an inclusive, ambitious and globally engaged University that delivers meaningful opportunities for students and staff while making a lasting contribution to the communities it serves and to wider society.
Research
As Professor of Research Methods, Neuropsychology, and Neuroscience, Antonina’s research explores Prospective Memory assessment and rehabilitation in prodromal Alzheimer’s disease through behavioural and neuroimaging (fMRI) paradigms. She has secured over €4 million in competitive research funding and led internationally recognised, policy-shaping projects in health, education, and social care.
Her work, supported by the UKRI, the European Regional Development Fund, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, the Bial Foundation, and the Woodger Trust, has advanced understanding of memory, cognition, and the neurophysiological mechanisms of ageing.
Antonina leads collaborative research partnerships across national and international networks, including the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, the Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics at the University of Reading, the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour at Radboud University, and the Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Lisbon.
PhD Supervision
Areas of Supervision: Aging, Alzheimer’s, Cognition, Dementia, Language, Memory, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegenerative Processes, Neuroplasticity, Neurorehabilitation, Quality of Life, Wellbeing.
Supervised to Completion
- 2022 – 2026
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities – University of Chichester
Supervision for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology provided to Susan Hindman. Dissertation entitled “Exploring the Efficacy of Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Training in Schools”.
- 2019 – 2021
Institute of Education, Social and Life Sciences – University of Chichester
Supervision for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology provided toSamuel Baeza. Dissertation entitled “Emotional Labour, Organisational Trust, and Turnover in Social Work” –awarded with minor corrections.
- 2019 – 2021
Institute of Education, Social and Life Sciences – University of Chichester
Supervision for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology provided toSuzanna McGregor. Dissertation entitled “Living out Faith at the Food Bank? Church-based Food Bank Volunteer Work” –awarded with minor corrections.
- 2015 – 2019
Department of Psychology and Counselling – University of Chichester
Supervision for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology provided toShane McLoughlin. Dissertation entitled “Relational Framing Training for Educational Contexts” –awarded with minor corrections.
Key Publications
BOOKS
- Pereira, A. (2010). Enacting the future: New Challenges for the Improvement of Prospective Memory. Saarbrücken: VDM Verlag. ISBN-10: 3639298489; ISBN-13: 978-3639298482.
PUBLICATIONS – ARTICLES IN INTERNATIONAL PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS
- Stelz, S., Pereira, A., & Altgassen, M. (2026). Who benefits most? Exploring age effects of episodic future thinking and enactment encoding on prospective memory from childhood to middle adulthood. Memory, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2026.2719615
- King, R. L., Warren, S., Vass, E., Sharpe, B. T., Beaumont, K., Seymour, S., … & Pereira, A. (2026). Cost-effectiveness of a community-based dementia support model: evidence from a real-world economic evaluation. Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12962-026-00782-5
- Hindman, S., King, R., & Pereira, A. (2026). Exploring virtual reality based executive function training for primary-aged students with executive dysfunction: A mixed methods case series. Learning in Context, 3, 100019 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lecon.2026.100019
- Spooner, R., Cleveland, M., Pereira, A., Sharpe, B. T., Newman, H., & Canessa-Pollard, V. (2026). Risk and Protective Factors of LGBTQ+ Identity Abuse in Romantic Relationships: A Scoping Review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 15248380261440363, https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380261440363
- Obine, E. A., King, R., Pereira, A., & Sharpe, B. T. (2026). Fully immersive virtual reality (IVR) for cognitive training in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia: A scoping review. Exploration of Neuroprotective Therapy, 6, 1004144. https://doi.org/10. 37349/ent.2026.1004144
- Docherty, G., Bennett, S., Clements, L., Pereira, A., & Mason, M. (2026). Psychological Well-Being and Adult Ballet: From the Perspective of the Adult Ballet Teacher. Journal of Dance Education, 26(1), 61–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/15290824.2024.2447560
- Webster, R. A. J., Banerjee, M., King, R., Pacella, R., & Pereira, A. (2025). Does Non-Beneficial Nasogastric Tube Feeding Occur During End-of-Life Care? An Audit of Outcomes for Those with a Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool Score of 2. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 28(10), 1309-1316. https://doi.org/10.1177/109662182513647
- Hindman, S., King, R., & Pereira, A. (2025). Virtual Reality Based Executive Function Training in Schools: The Impact of Adaptivity on Executive Function and Motivation. Computers & Education, 105344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105344
- Sharpe, B. T., King, R., Banerjee, M., Keates, S., Tyndall, I., Kooner-Evans, P., Sivyer, L., Cotten, E., Obine, E., Tabet, N., Ronen, I., Davies, N., Lewis, I., Tabbner, S., Wilkins, T. and Pereira, A. (2025) Experiences of individuals living with dementia, caregivers, and service providers regarding independence-enhancing technologies: focus group insights. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 1-41. DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2025.2511996
Teaching
Antonina contributes to postgraduate teaching and supervision in Psychology, leading advanced modules in applied research methods and mentoring early-career researchers in developing evidence-based practice and impact-driven research.
Research Output
Articles
Stelz, S., Pereira, A. and Altgassen, M. (2026) Who benefits most? Exploring age effects of episodic future thinking and enactment encoding on prospective memory from childhood to middle adulthood. Memory, 34 (9). pp. 1166-1183. ISSN 0965-8211 10.1080/09658211.2026.2719615
King, R. L., Warren, S., Vass, E., Sharpe, B. T., Beaumont, K., Seymour, S., Bell, S., Pacella, R. and Pereira, A.et al (2026) Cost-effectiveness of a community-based dementia support model: evidence from a real-world economic evaluation. Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 24 (111). pp. 1-38. ISSN 1478-7547 10.1186/s12962-026-00782-5
Spooner, R., Cleveland, M., Pereira, A., Sharpe, B. T., Newman, H. and Canessa-Pollard, V.et al (2026) Risk and protective factors of LGBTQ+ identity abuse in romantic relationships: a scoping review. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse. pp. 1-16. ISSN 1552-8324 10.1177/15248380261440363
Obine, E., King, R., Pereira, A. and Sharpe, B. T.et al (2026) Fully immersive virtual reality (IVR) for cognitive training in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia: a scoping review. Exploration of Neuroprotective Therapy, 6. pp. 1-15. ISSN 2769-6510 10.37349/ent.2026.1004144
Hindman, S., King, R. and Pereira, A. (2026) Exploring virtual reality based executive function training for primary-aged students with executive dysfunction: a mixed methods case series. Learning in Context, 3. pp. 1-12. ISSN 3050-578X 10.1016/j.lecon.2026.100019
King, R., Warren, S., Vass, E., Beaumont, K., Seymour, S., Bell, S., Sharpe, B. T., Pacella, R. E. and Pereira, A.et al (2025) Innovating dementia support: an evaluation of cost‐effectiveness and wellbeing outcomes of the Sage House Model. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 21 (S4). p. 1. ISSN 1552-5279 10.1002/alz70858_102222
Sharpe, B. T., King, R., Banerjee, M., Keates, S., Tyndall, I., Kooner-Evans, P., Sivyer, L., Cotten, E., Obine, E., Tabet, N., Ronen, I., Davies, N., Lewis, I., Tabbner, S., Wilkins, T. and Pereira, A.et al (2025) Experiences of individuals living with dementia, caregivers, and service providers regarding independence-enhancing technologies: focus group insights. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 20 (8). pp. 2915-2934. ISSN 1748-3107 10.1080/17483107.2025.2511996
Hindman, S., King, R. and Pereira, A. (2025) Virtual reality based executive function training in schools: the impact of adaptivity on executive function and motivation. Computers and Education, 234. pp. 1-13. ISSN 1873-782X 10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105344
Docherty, G., Bennett, S. J., Clements, L., Pereira, A. and Mason, M. R.et al (2025) Psychological well-being and adult ballet-from the perspective of the adult ballet teacher. Journal of Dance Education, 26 (1). pp. 61-72. ISSN 1529-0824 10.1080/15290824.2024.2447560
Hindman, S., King, R. and Pereira, A. (2024) Virtual reality based executive function training in schools: The experience of primary school-aged children, teachers and training teaching assistants. Computers in Human Behaviour Reports, 16. pp. 1-10. ISSN 2451-9588 10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100500
King, R., Surrell, I., Sharpe, B. T. and Pereira, A.et al (2023) An integrated approach to dementia support: Sage House. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 19 (S20). p. 1. ISSN 1552-5260 10.1002/alz.075707
Tyndall, I., Hartland, T., Banerjee, M., Giacomelli, V., Ball, I., Churchill, S., Pereira, A. and Lowry, R. G.et al (2022) Tailoring sexual health interventions for middle-aged and older adults, including vulnerable populations: A scoping review. International Journal of Sexual Health, 34 (4). pp. 593-613. ISSN 1931-7611 10.1080/19317611.2022.2089313
Covington, L., Banerjee, M., Price, M. and Pereira, A.et al (2022) Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Professionals Working in End-of-Life Care: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Journal of Palliative Care, 38 (2). pp. 225-238. ISSN 0825-8597 10.1177/08258597221100330
McLoughlin, S., Tyndall, I. and Pereira, A. (2020) Convergence of multiple fields on a relational reasoning approach top cognition. Intelligence, 83. ISSN 0160-2896 10.1016/j.intell.2020.101491
McLoughlin, S., Tyndall, I., Pereira, A. and Mulhern, T.et al (2020) Non-Verbal IQ gains from relational operant training explain variance in educational attainment: An active-controlled feasibility study. Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, 5 (1). pp. 35-50. ISSN 2509-3290 10.1007/s41465-020-00187-z
McLoughlin, S., Tyndall, I. and Pereira, A. (2020) Relational operant skills training increases standardized matrices scores in adolescents: A stratified active-controlled trial. Journal of Behavioral Education, 31 (2). pp. 298-325. ISSN 1053-0819 10.1007/s10864-020-09399-x
Gladwin, T. E., Jewiss, M., Banic, M. and Pereira, A.et al (2020) Associations between Performance-based and Self-reported Prospective Memory, Impulsivity and Encoding Support. Acta Psychologica, 206. pp. 1-9. ISSN 0001-6918 10.1016/j.actpsy.2020.103066
Belmar, M., Gladwin, T. E., Reis, L., Pinho, M. S., Silva, D., Nunes, M. V., Raskin, S., de Mendonça, A. and Pereira, A.et al (2020) An Exploration of Prospective Memory Components and Subtasks of the Memory for Intentions Test (MIST). Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology. pp. 1-11. ISSN 1380-3395 10.1080/13803395.2019.1710111
Tyndall, I., Waldeck, D., Pancani, L., Whelan, R., Roche, B. and Pereira, A.et al (2018) Profiles of Psychological Flexibility: A Latent Class Analysis of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy model. Behavior Modification. ISSN 0145-4455 10.1177/0145445518820036
Tyndall, I., Waldeck, D., Pancani, L., Whelan, R., Roche, B. and Pereira, A.et al (2018) Profiles of psychological flexibility: A latent class analysis of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy model. Behaviour Modification. ISSN 1552-4167 10.1177/0145445518820036
McLoughlin, S., Tyndall, I. and Pereira, A. (2018) Piloting a Brief Relational Operant Training Program: Analyses of Response Latencies and Intelligence Test Performance. European Journal of Behaviour Analysis. ISSN 1502-1149 10.1080/15021149.2018.1507087
de Mendonca, A., Felgueiras, H., Verdelho, A., Câmara, S., Grilo, C., Maroco, J., Pereira, A. and Guerreiro, M.et al (2018) Memory complaints in amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: more prospective or retrospective? International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 33 (8). pp. 1011-1018. ISSN 0885-6230 10.1002/gps.4886
Pereira, A., Altgassen, M., Atchison, L., de Mendonca, A. and Ellis, J.et al (2018) Sustaining Prospective Memory Functioning in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: a Lifespan Approach to the Critical Role of Encoding. Neuropsychology, 32 (5). pp. 634-644. ISSN 0894-4105 10.1037/neu0000441
Pereira, A., Raskin, S. A., Shum, D. H. K., Ellis, J. and Mills, G.et al (2017) A comparison of laboratory, clinical, and self-report measures of prospective memory in healthy adults and individuals with brain injury. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 40 (5). pp. 423-436. ISSN 1380-3395 10.1080/13803395.2017.1371280
Pereira, A. and Appleton, K. (2017) Behavioural changes in dementia and their impact on professional caregivers: A grounded theory approach. Dementia. pp. 1-13. ISSN 1471-3012 0.1177/1471301217714654
Windless, R. and Pereira, A. (2017) Semantic Processing as a Significant Factor in Non-Focal Prospective Memory Cues. Cognition, Brain, Behavior, XXI (1). pp. 1-12. ISSN 2247-9228
Pereira, A., de Mendonca, A. and Ellis, J. (2016) Prospective Memory in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: in pursuit of an Early Diagnosis. International Journal of Psychology, 51 (S1). p. 865. ISSN 0020-7594 10.1002/ijop.12334
Pereira, A., Meirinhos, V. and Chmiel, N. (2016) Untangling aging effects in Prospective Memory: A complex hierarchical model. International Journal of Psychology, 51 (S1). p. 178. ISSN 0020-7594 10.1002/ijop.12299/pdf
Pereira, A., de Mendonca, A., Silva, D., Guerreiro, M., Freeman, J. and Ellis, J.et al (2015) Enhancing prospective memory in mild cognitive impairment: The role of enactment. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 37 (8). pp. 863-877. ISSN 1380-3395 10.1080/13803395.2015.1072499
Duarte, S., Armstrong, J., Roche, A., Ortez, C., Perez, A., O’Callaghan, M. d. M., Pereira, A., Sanmarti, F., Ormazabal, A., Artuch, R., Pineda, M. and Garcia-Cazorla, A.et al (2013) Abnormal expression of cerebrospinal fluid cation chloride cotransporters in patients with Rett Syndrome. PLOS One, 8 (7). ISSN 1932-6203 10.1371/journal.pone.0068851
Pereira, A., Ellis, J. and Freeman, J. (2012) Is prospective memory enhanced by cue-action semantic relatedness and enactment at encoding? Consciousness and Cognition, 21 (3). pp. 1257-1266. ISSN 1053-8100 10.1016/j.concog.2012.04.012
Pereira, A., Ellis, J. and Freeman, J. (2012) The effects of age, enactment, and cue-action relatedness on memory for intentions in the Virtual Week task. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition: A Journal on Normal and Dysfunctional Development, 19 (5). pp. 549-565. ISSN 1744-4128 10.1080/13825585.2011.638977
Pereira, A., Ellis, J. and Freeman, J. (2011) Acting is the key: new directions for the stimulation of prospective memory in mild cognitive impairment. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 7. S543-S544. ISSN 1552-5260 10.1016/j.jalz.2011.05.1534