School of Psychology UCAS Applicant Day Staff Profiles

COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES

SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY UCAS APPLICANT DAY STAFF PROFILES You can find profiles for all our staff on the School web pages but below are a few names and faces of staff who play a prominent role in some of our UCAS visit day

s.

Prof. John Parkinson – Head of School

PhD University of Cambridge BA (Hons) Durham University @JohnAParkinson John's research focuses on the interface between cognition and motivation. He is interested in how motivational signals are generated, how they interact with ongoing cognitive processes and how this affects behaviour. His research interests include: the influence of motivational states on cognitive processes such as attention, memory and decisionmaking; the effect of positive emotional states (such as happiness and flow) on cognition; the role and nature of stimulus-induced behaviours (including motivational arousal and craving in addictive behaviours); the use of fMRI to explore neural mechanisms of motivation. John’s research and teaching are complimentary - for example he has

developed a module on behaviour change, applying current theories in real world settings. He also contributes to modules on understanding and promoting wellbeing, and on the psychology of marathon running.

Prof. Robert Rogers – Deputy Head of School (Research)

BA, MSc, PhD (Cantab), CPsychol Robert joined Bangor from Oxford University and his research focuses on three main themes (i) Cognitive and neural mechanisms of gambling problems and behavioural addictions; (ii) emotion in substance and alcohol use; (iii) pharmacology of risk factors for psychological disorders. His work involves a mixture of cognitive psychology, psychopharmacology and brain imaging methodologies.

Dr Caroline Bowman – Acting Deputy Head of School (Teaching)

MA (hons) Psychology, Aberdeen University, Scotland PhD Psychology, Bangor University, Wales @jeanlovesmarie Caroline teaches Biological Psychology to our Year 2 students, and this forms a key component of our British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited programme. Caroline also teaches a theoretical module in Consumer Psychology to postgraduate students undertaking our specialist master’s degree in Consumer Psychology with Business. Caroline’s research explores how irrelevant information in our environment can influence the way in which we make decisions, and this is especially relevant within the consumer domain.

Dr Fran Garrad-Cole - Deputy Head of School (Impact)

BSc Psychology, University of Wales (Bangor) PhD Developmental Cognitive Psychology, University of Wales (Bangor) @FranBangor

Fran has been awarded a Bangor University Teaching Fellowship, an HEA Senior Fellowship a National Teaching Fellowship in recent years. She is currently running an innovative module called “Born to Run: Achieve your Goal� the overarching principle for this module is that seemingly unattainable long-term goals can be achieved an integration of positive and motivational psychology! Fran is a developmental cognitive psychologist and is interested in many elements of developmental psychology including behavioural, neuropsychological and educational. Her current research with year two and three undergraduate students

investigates the Differential Outcome Effect (DOE) and how this may be adapted for, and used with, very young children.

Fran works closely with local schools and nurseries in her research.

Fran’s pedagogical research investigates how student anxiety towards public speaking can be reduced during small group presentation sessions.

Dr Thandiwe Gilder – Admissions Tutor & Director of Undergraduate Studies

BSocSci Psychology and French, University of Cape Town MSc Foundations of Clinical Psychology, University of Wales (Bangor) PhD Social Psychology, Bangor University @bumblingthrough

Thandie teaches on a number of undergraduate and postgraduate modules including ‘Psychology as a Science’, which asks some philosophical questions about the

relationship between the nature of science and the nature of psychology and ‘Research Methods’. Thandie is interested in how humans navigate the complex social interactions that they encounter on a daily basis, and in understanding the interdependence between senders and receivers of social cues in perceptions, motivations and actions. Thandie is also very interested in Mindfulness-based approaches and has worked as a Research Officer on a study examining a Mindfulness-based parenting programme for foster carers.

Dr Tracey Lloyd – Director of Student Engagement

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychological Research, PhD Clinical Psychology, University of Wales (Bangor) @TraceyBangor

Tracey has been in part of the School of Psychology since 2000 when she came to study in Bangor as a mature student.

Tracey’s current research is in the field of evidence-based practice in teaching and learning and she is particularly interested in the types of psychological variables that can influence academic motivation and engagement with University. This fits in well with Tracey’s role as Director of Student Engagement. This is a role that allows her to work on a number of student-related projects; for example, Tracey works alongside the Psych Society and the Student Newsletter team, helps students to develop both social and academic extra-curricular events and trips, and ensures that students in Psychology remain engaged with the School and University by working with the Peer Guide and Course Rep schemes at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels.

Dr Nia Griffith - Senior Tutor and Disabilities Tutor

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychological Research, PhD Psychology, Bangor University

Nia is Module Organiser and lecturer on several of the Welshmedium undergraduate modules delivering both formal

lectures and small group/practical sessions through the medium of Welsh. Nia’s research interests are early intervention and particularly the implementation of interventions with high-risk and vulnerable members of the community in Wales. Nia’s research focuses on working with families and services in local communities and Schools, providing project students with the opportunity to conduct their research in the field.

Prof. Guillaume Thierry

BSc Biology of Organisms and Populations, University Claude Bernard Lyon, France MSc Physiology, Option: Neuroscience, University Claude Bernard Lyon, France PhD Neuropsychology (Summa Cum Laude), Toulouse-Le Mirail University, Toulouse, France

Using experimental psychology (e.g., reaction times, error patterns), functional brain imaging (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fMRI, and Positron Emission Tomography, PET) and Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) Guillaume has studied language comprehension in the auditory and visual modalities, and, in particular, semantic access. Guillaume’s research includes a range of themes, such as verbal/non-verbal dissociations, visual object recognition, functional cerebral asymmetry, languageemotion interactions, language development, developmental dyslexia and bilingualism. His main current main interests are (a) the levels of integration of the two languages of bilingual infants and adults at lexical, syntactic and semantic levels, studied using behavioural measurements, ERPs, fMRI and eye-tracking; (b) the mechanisms of semantic priming in both the verbal and nonverbal domains in the infant and the adult using ERPs and fMRI, i.e. the fundamental aspects of neurosemantic

School of Psychology, Bangor University Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2AS 01248 388453 psychology@bangor.ac.uk www.bangor.ac.uk/psychology @PsychBangor @SeicolegBangor