Lecturer in psychology at University of Huelva, Spain
Dr. Agar Marín Morales is a Spanish neuroscientist and clinical psychologist specializing in intimate partner violence (IPV), empathy, emotion regulation, and morality. Currently a Juan de la Cierva Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Huelva, her academic path includes an award-winning Bachelor’s in Psychology, two Cum Laude Master’s degrees, and an International PhD with honors from the University of Granada. She has participated in four major national and international research projects and published over a dozen peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals. Dr. Marín Morales’s research focuses on the neural and psychological mechanisms underlying IPV in male perpetrators. Her work bridges neuroscience and clinical psychology to improve treatment methods and understand perpetrator behavior. She has presented her work globally, received several competitive fellowships and awards, and actively contributes to educational and public outreach on gender-based violence.
Notably, she is proficient in developing empathy and social cognition assessment tools and has collaborated on technology transfer projects, including patents. Her scientific communication extends beyond academia to radio, TV, press, and educational institutes, promoting awareness on neurosexism and gender violence.
Professional Profiles
🎓 Education
Dr. Marín Morales holds a distinguished academic record. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Huelva in 2014, graduating with the Extraordinary Award. In 2016, she completed two official master’s degrees, one in Clinical and General Health Psychology (University of Granada) and another in Applied Research to Mental Disorders (University of Huelva), both with Cum Laude distinction. Her doctoral studies culminated in an International PhD with Honors from the University of Granada in 2021. Her thesis explored the neural and cognitive underpinnings of IPV using neuropsychological and neuroimaging tools. Throughout her education, she was awarded competitive national and international grants, completed academic stays in the USA and the Netherlands, and received accolades for academic excellence and social impact.
💼 Experience
Dr. Marín Morales has accumulated rich experience across research, teaching, and clinical domains. She began her research career in 2016 as a Predoctoral Researcher at the University of Granada under Spain’s prestigious FPU grant. After completing her doctorate, she served as a Postdoctoral Researcher on competitive Puente and Margarita Salas grants and later as a Substitute Interim Professor at the University of Huelva. In 2024, she commenced her current role as a Juan de la Cierva Postdoctoral Researcher. Over the years, she has trained PhD students, coordinated large-scale prison-based studies, and led research on empathy, emotional regulation, and neurocognition in IPV perpetrators. Additionally, she has taught more than 450 hours and supervised multiple Master’s theses, contributing to teaching innovation projects and the development of international curricula.
🏆 Awards and Honors
Dr. Marín Morales has received multiple accolades for her academic and research contributions. Her distinctions include the Extraordinary Award for her Bachelor’s degree and Cum Laude mentions in both Master’s and Doctoral programs. Her PhD work earned third place in the 2021 National Award for Doctoral Theses on Gender Violence by the Spanish Government Delegation. She also received first place in Applied Neuroscience from the University of Granada’s Institute of Neuroscience and the Doctoral Thesis Award in the Equality category by the Vice-Rectorate for Equality and Inclusion. Additionally, she won best oral communication awards at the Andalusian Congress of Neuropsychology (2017) and the First GIRN European Conference (2022). She holds multiple competitive fellowships, including the FPU, Puente, Margarita Salas, and Juan de la Cierva. Her work has been featured in major media outlets, increasing public awareness of the neuropsychology behind IPV.
🔬 Research Focus
Dr. Marín Morales’s research is centered on understanding the neurocognitive mechanisms in male perpetrators of intimate partner violence. Her interdisciplinary work merges neuropsychology, social cognition, empathy, morality, and emotional regulation to uncover how brain function relates to violent behaviors. Using functional MRI, behavioral tasks, and psychometric tools, she investigates alterations in default mode network activity, emotional processing, and empathy deficits. Her research highlights the multifactorial nature of IPV, aiming to inform more effective psychological interventions. She has developed specialized empathy tasks and tools to assess social cognition in offenders, including a magnetic resonance task currently under patent. Her work has informed policies, interventions, and public discourse on IPV and has been disseminated in high-impact journals, international conferences, and outreach media.
🧠 Skills
Dr. Marín Morales has developed a robust skill set in research design, data analysis, and functional neuroimaging (fMRI). She is adept at psychometric evaluation, statistical modeling, neuropsychological test interpretation, and moral decision-making paradigms. She demonstrates strong leadership and project management abilities, having coordinated complex prison-based research and led multidisciplinary teams. Her teaching experience spans over 450 hours, with contributions to curriculum development, online learning resources, and international education programs. She also has expertise in grant writing, academic publishing, and peer-reviewing for high-impact journals. Notably, she is proficient in developing empathy and social cognition assessment tools and has collaborated on technology transfer projects, including patents. Her scientific communication extends beyond academia to radio, TV, press, and educational institutes, promoting awareness on neurosexism and gender violence.