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I joined the 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.
Higher Education Academy (Fellow)
I teach the following at both undergraduate and postgraduate level:
Research methods and statistics
Social psychology/neuroscience
Cognitive psychology/neuroscience
My research spans three key areas: predictions during social interactions, the human-animal bond (and the influence of this on health and wellbeing), and cognitive rehabilitation.
Predictions during social interactions
My PhD demonstrated that our brains learn (without our awareness) the behavioural tendencies of our interaction partners and reactivate this information when we encounter these individuals again to predict their behaviour. I am currently building on this research within the more applied settings of education and driving.
The human-animal bond
While there is a great deal of evidence demonstrating that being around animals and interacting with them has beneficial effects on our overall wellbeing and can also improve specific health outcomes, there is less evidence of what happens when these interactions are less positive. As such, my research investigates the human-animal bond (and the subsequent effects on health and wellbeing) when companion dogs present with complex behaviours such as anxiety or reactive behaviours.
Cognitive rehabilitation
Another area that I research is how we can use technology to improve cognitive rehabilitation after brain injury. My research here focuses on two strands that both have the key aim of improving independence after a brain injury or stroke. The first strand is investigating a novel measure to objectively measure cognitive fatigue in the workplace to support with return-to-work protocols. The second strand investigates whether sensory augmentation can improve motor (re)learning. Here, a sound is paired with the action kinematics of a movement to provide an extra pathway for motor learning and motor recall.
To find out more please visit my website or get in touch.
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