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I joined University of Gloucestershire in September 2016, having previously worked as a Teaching and Research Associate at Plymouth University where I completed my PhD. My research focus is within social (cognitive) neuroscience, and I am interested in using technology to improve research methods and practices.
I teach the following at both undergraduate and postgraduate level:
My research explores how cognitive, contextual and social factors shape human behaviour, performance and wellbeing, with a particular interest in how people adapt to changing demands within complex environments. I am interested in how prior knowledge, expectations, experiences and context influence perception, attention, decision-making and everyday functioning.
A central theme of my work is understanding the interaction between individuals and their environments, and how this shapes the experience and management of challenges across different settings. My research examines how people interpret information, regulate their behaviour and use available resources to maintain functioning, particularly when faced with uncertainty, complexity or increased demands.
I investigate these processes across applied contexts, including healthcare, education, emergency response and everyday life, with a particular focus on long-term health conditions. My work explores cognitive fatigue and its impact on participation, quality of life and self-management in conditions including acquired brain injury and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as how environmental, social and systemic factors influence experiences of health and disability.
Alongside this, I research the relationship between humans and companion animals, exploring how interactions with dogs may support health, wellbeing, social connection and adaptation, including within populations living with long-term health conditions.
Across my research, I aim to understand behaviour as emerging from the interaction between individuals, their cognitive processes, their environments and the support systems around them.
Publications from Dr Kim Schenke can be found in the Research Repository.