Ms. Sonali Aatrai
Assistant Professor

Sonali Aatrai is a cognitive neuroscience researcher, currently pursuing her Ph.D. at the
Advanced Technology
Development Centre, IIT Kharagpur. She holds an integrated B.Tech–M.Tech degree in Cognitive
Neuroscience from the
Centre for Converging Technologies, University of Rajasthan, where she began exploring the
intersection of brain
science, technology, and human behavior.
Her doctoral research focuses on understanding visual problem-solving behavior using
eye-tracking, aiming to decode how
knowledge and expertise shape visual perception and cognition. With a strong
interdisciplinary foundation, Sonali has
contributed to national research projects involving EEG, affective computing, and virtual
reality for cognitive
training—supported by DRDO, CSRI, and SERB. She has also examined the effects of Vedic
mantras on attention and
emotional well-being.
She has presented her work at international conferences such as CogSci, ETRA, EMBC, and
ICALT, and continues to explore
how neurotechnology can enhance learning, mental health, and human-computer interaction.
Alongside her research, she
actively contributes to teaching and content development through NPTEL and at IIT Kharagpur.
Teaching Interests
- Cognitive Science, Cognitive Psychology, Neuroimaging Techniques, Behavioural Psychology, Higher Cognitive Processes, Educational Neuroscience, Neuromarketing, Engineering Psychology, Cognitive Engineering, Human Cognition and AR-VR Based Interaction
Research Interests
- Educational Technology and Assistive Techniques,Eye tracking and exploring its applications, Neuroimaging and Physiological Signal Analysis for Cognitive and Affective Computing, Virtual Reality for Cognitive Training and Skill Transfer, Problem -solving, Cognitive control process, Higher cognitive functions
