Dr Christodoula K. Gavriel is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Limassol. She holds a PhD in Cognitive Psychology, an MA in Cognitive and Educational Psychology, and a BA in Psychology from the University of Cyprus. Her research explores spatial processes related to human movement, using behavioral methods and Virtual Reality technologies to examine how people perceive and respond to their immediate surroundings, also known as peripersonal space (PPS).

She is the Principal Investigator of the PERiFORM project: “Pushing boundaries: Peripersonal space as a tool to improve sports performance”, funded by the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) under the RESTART 2016–2020 framework (POST-DOC/0524/0011). The project investigates how athletes perceive and interact with PPS and how targeted virtual reality training can enhance spatial awareness and performance under pressure. More information is available on the project webpage:
https://www.uol.ac.cy/en/periform/

Dr Gavriel has taught at both the University of Cyprus and the University of Limassol, delivering undergraduate and postgraduate courses such as Psychobiology, Cognitive Neuroscience in Educational Psychology, Introduction to Psychology, and Contemporary Theories of Human Development. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes connecting psychological theory with real-world application, encouraging critical thinking, and supporting diverse student needs across traditional and distance learning environments.