Join my lab!

Post-doctoral fellows:

I do not currently have any positions open in my lab. However, I am open to supporting applicants interested in applying for postdoctoral fellowship schemes such as the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship, ESRC postdoctoral fellowship, and Wellcome Early Career Award. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact me.

PhD Applicants:

I am open to supervising PhD students whose research interests align well with mine. My approach to PhD supervision is quite hands on and I regard PhD supervision as a collaboration. In practice, I tend to play a more significant role in designing the empirical studies conducted during the first year of my students’ PhD programs and then gradually hand over the reins. This approach allows me to efficiently pass on my own training and skills to my students, while also ensuring that they graduate as a fully independent researcher. It also optimises the chances of graduating with publications. As you will see from the People section of this website, my former PhD students have gone on to post-docs and/or faculty positions appointments at UCL, Sussex, Roehampton and Bournemouth. However, I appreciate my approach is not for everyone - if you have an inflexible pre-defined research project that is not directly related to my current research program, and prefer more hands-off supervision, we might not be a good match.

In terms of funding, potential sources usually include the following:

The School of Psychology - I note that as I currently have a School funded PhD student, applications that list me as primary supervisor may be given lower priority than those to supervisors who do not currently have a PhD student.

Sussex Neuroscience - Please note that this is a 4 year PhD program.

If you are interested in potentially joining my lab please email me, briefly describing your research interests (and how they align with my own) and attaching a C.V. which includes details of:

Your degree, including average overall grade as well as degree class (successful PhD applicants typically have an undergraduate and/or MSc degree in Psychology or Cognitive Neuroscience, with grades at or close to the first class/distinction level).
- If you have international qualifications, please check their UK equivalents. Click here and select your country from the 'International Requirements' option to convert your qualifications. Please include this within your application for a quicker response.

Any relevant research or programming experience.

If you are considering joining my lab I invite you to approach my former lab members for their confidential feedback on their experiences - I have encouraged them to give as honest an impression as possible of what it's like to work with me. It is so important to find a supervisor who is a good fit for you - it can be a miserable experience for both student and supervisor otherwise!

Research Experience as an Undergrad:

There are three main ways to gain research experience as an undergraduate at the University of Sussex: undertaking a research placement year, applying to the Junior Research Associate (JRA) Scheme, or engaging in research shadowing / volunteering.

Research Placement Year

Applications are welcomed for a Research Assistant placement year within my lab. Opportunities are typically advertised in November through CareerHub. This placement is most suitable for students considering a research career with interests in cognitive psychology/cognitive neuroscience. Existing skills in programming and/or data analysis are advantageous. Applicants are generally expected to be achieving at least a high 2:1 grade or 1st class grade average.

Junior Research Associate Scheme

I do not typically supervise students through the JRA scheme. However, the scheme is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on research experience, and many colleagues within the faculty would be outstanding supervisors for students interested in pursuing it.

Find out more information about the scheme here!

Research Shadowing/Volunteering

Students seeking some insight into research are encouraged to contact me via email. Depending on the availability of ongoing projects, there may be opportunities to observe/assist in data collection and gain hands-on research experience. Please note that current placement students will be given priority where relevant.