Bhuvanesh Awasthi
Bhuvanesh Awasthi is a transdisciplinary leader in the science-policy-diplomacy space, currently working as a Senior Behavioural Scientist with the Canadian Federal Government in Ottawa.
Dr Awasthi has worked across North America (USA, Canada), South America (Uruguay), Europe (UK, Denmark), Asia (India) and Australia with various organisations, applying the science of cognition, brain and behaviour in academic, business and public policy contexts. His ongoing and past projects have provided research, advice and inputs at the OECD- International Network on Financial Education (Paris), the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab, the Governments of Canada (Financial Consumer Agency of Canada; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), Denmark (Danish Veterinary and Food Administration) and India (NIPFP, LBSNAA, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser) as well as on projects with the national science agencies of USA (NIH), France (CNRS) and Australia (CSIRO).
He has been a MITACS - Canadian Science Policy fellow as well as an Inter American Institute (IAI) -Science Technology and Policy (STeP) fellow. The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is an intergovernmental organisation supported by 19 countries in the Americas. Through these interfaces, Dr Awasthi is applying cognitive, behavioural and neuroscience research for design and implementation of evidence-informed behaviourally-wise policy interventions across North America, Latin America and the Caribbean region. His current interests are in science-diplomacy contexts to develop evidence for policy, facilitate consensus building, conflict resolution and address transnational global change issues.
Current research and/or projects
Behavioural science for policy.
Behaviourally-aligned client experience measurement, impact measurement, digital modernisation, service delivery.
Behavioural Finance.
Education and awards
PhD Cognitive Neuroscience, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
MS Consciousness Studies, BITS Pilani, India
MSc Life Sciences, University of Pune, India
BSc Life Sciences, University of Pune, India
Mitacs-Canadian Science Policy Fellowship (Canada)
Inter-American-Institute of Global Change Research - Science Technology and Policy Fellowship (Uruguay)
Travel Award, The Royal Society (London, United Kingdom)
Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Seminar (GRS) Bursary (United States)
Neuroscientist of the Year (Sydney, Australia)
Macquarie University Postgraduate Research Fund (Sydney, Australia)
Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarship (Sydney, Australia)
Top 100 outstanding BITSians Global 30 under 30 Awards (India)
International experience and/or work
Behavioural Insights and Experimentation, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Behavioural Finance Lab, Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab, Paris, France
Orange Neurosciences, Canada
University of Copenhangen, Denmark
Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
University of Glasgow, Scotland
University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia
Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Invited Panelist, Neurotech Planet International Conference (Portugal)
Invited Speaker and Mentor for the Synaptic Hacks 2021 (New York, USA)
Invited Speaker and Panelist-Neuroscience in Society, BITSAA Global Meet (Goa, India)
Invited Speaker, Nordic-Chinese Forum for sustainable development (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Invited Speaker, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (New Delhi, India)
Invited Speaker and Panelist, BITSAA Global Meet (Dubai, UAE)
Additional links
https://www.bhuvaneshawasthi.com/
Key publications
Awasthi, B., et al (2023). Closing the Intention-Action Gap: Behaviorally-Aligned Strategies for Effective Plastic Pollution Reduction. Journal of Science Policy & Governance, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG220202
Awasthi, B. (2022). Non-invasive neurostimulation modulates processing of spatial frequency information in rapid perception of faces. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics. 84, 150–160. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13414-021-02384-0
Cantergi, D., Awasthi, B., Friedman, J. (2021). Moving objects by imagination? Amount of finger movement and pendulum length determine success in the Chevreul pendulum illusion. Human Movement Science, 80, 102879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2021.102879
Awasthi, B. (2021). Does the food safety ranking system act as a nudge? International Journal of Applied Behavioral Economics, 10(4), 42-58. dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijabe.2021100104
Awasthi, B. (2021). The shifting psychology of food safety: from sensory evaluation to a cognitive assessment. PsyArXiv http://dx.doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/d3g6n
Awasthi, B. (2021). Software-based cognitive therapy intervention targeting core symptoms in Autism: A single case study. PsyArXiv. http://dx.doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/5m7bc
Awasthi, B. (2020). Delineating the low and high spatial frequency inputs to face perception using transcranial random noise stimulation. PsyArXiv. http://dx.doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/t7dps
Awasthi, B. (2020, invited). From decision takers to decision makers- public perception of food inspector rankings serve as a nudge? China, Sustainable Development and Economic Policy-Making. Asia Pacific Law Review.
Cantergi, D., Awasthi, B., Friedman, J. (2019). Moving by thoughts alone? - Amount of finger movement and pendulum length determine success in the Chevruel Pendulum Illusion. bioRxiv, 841445. http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/841445
Awasthi, B. (2017). From attire to assault: Clothing, objectification and de-humanization - a possible prelude to sexual violence? Frontiers in Psychology, 8:338. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00338
Yaple, Z. A., Martinez-Saito, M., Awasthi, B., Feurra, M., Shestakova, A.& Klucharev, V. (2017). Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation Modulates Risky Decision Making in a Frequency-Controlled Experiment. eNeuro, 4(6) e0136-17.2017 1–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0136-17.2017
Awasthi, B., Williams, M.A. & Friedman, J. (2016). Examining the role of red background in magnocellular contribution to face perception. PeerJ, 4, e1617. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1617
Awasthi, B., Sowman, P.F., Friedman, J., & Williams, M.A. (2013). Distinct spatial scale sensitivities for early categorisation of faces and places: neuromagnetic and behavioral findings. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7:91. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00091
Nash, J.D., Newberg, A., Awasthi, B. (2013). Toward a unifying taxonomy and definition for meditation. Frontiers in Psychology, 3:806. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00806
Awasthi, B. (2013). Issues and perspectives in meditation research: in search for a definition. Frontiers in Consciousness Research, 3:613. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00613
Awasthi, B., Friedman, J., & Williams, M.A. (2012). Reach trajectories reveal delayed processing of low spatial frequency faces in developmental prosopagnosia. Cognitive Neuroscience, 3(2), 120–130. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17588928.2012.673482
Awasthi, B., Friedman, J., & Williams, M.A. (2011b). Faster, stronger, lateralized: low spatial frequency support for face processing. Neuropsychologia, 49(13), 3583-3590. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.08.027
Awasthi, B., Friedman, J., & Williams, M.A. (2011a). Processing of low spatial frequency faces at periphery in choice reaching tasks. Neuropsychologia, 49(7), 2136-2141. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.03.003
ORCID