CV

Research Experience

Research Manager, NHS England (09/2022-present)

Honorary Researcher, University of Reading (09/2022 – present)
Project: Sensory processing in autism
PI: Dr. Catherine Manning

Postdoctoral Research Assistant, University of Reading (06/2021 – 09/2022)
Project: Sensory processing in autism
PI: Dr. Catherine Manning

PhD Researcher, Royal Holloway, University of London (09/2017 – 05/2021)
Thesis: Knowing you, changing me: Individual differences in social learning and influence in discounting tasks
Supervisors: Dr. Joshua Balsters, Professor Ryan McKay, and Dr Catherine Sebastian

Voluntary Research Assistant, Royal Holloway, University of London (07/2016-08/2016)
Principal Investigator: Professor Polly Dalton

Experimental Psychology Society funded Research Assistant, Royal Holloway, University of London (05/2015-08/2015)
PIs: Professor Courtenay Norbury and Dr. Rebecca Lucas

Education

PhD researcher, Royal Holloway, University of London (2017-2021)

BSc. Psychology, Development, and Developmental Disorders, Royal Holloway, University of London (2013-2016) – 2:1

BSc. Psychology, Development, and Developmental Disorders, Royal Holloway, University of London (2013-2016) – 2:1
Dissertation: Social cognition in the medial prefrontal cortex, supervised by Professor Narender Ramnani

Access to HE Diploma, Combined Studies (Education and Psychology), Kingston College (2012-2013) – Distinction

EXTRA CURRICULAR and outreach ACTIVITIES
  • Symposium organisation for EPS meeting (meeting in Jan’ 2023)
    Guest podcast host for the PsychologiCALL podcast (2021-present)
  • PGR student representative (2017-2020)
  • Conference organisation (PGR convention at Royal Holloway – 2019)
Teaching and Work Experience
  • Supervising a summer research placement student on a research outreach and dissemination project (self-designed project with funding awarded by the University of Reading) (2022)
  • Multiple Perspectives in Developmental Psychopathology seminar session, Anna Freud Centre (2022)
  • The Neuroscience of Emotion I and II, two MSc lectures, Royal Holloway, University of London (2021)
  • Statistics lab tutor, 2nd year Psychology BSc. (2019-2021)
  • Ad-hoc online blog editor, THESIS, Royal Holloway, University of London (2018-present)
  • Supervising research assistants (2018-2020)
  • Marking UG assignments (2018 – 2019)
  • Statistics workshop demonstrator, 2nd year Psychology BSc. (2017-2019)
  • Helping to supervise UG and MSc research projects (2017-2019)
  • Voluntary Student Mentor, Royal Holloway, University of London and Windsor Boy’s School (2015)
  • Voluntary Youth Worker, Anstee Bridge, Achieving for Children (2013-2018)
  • 2:1 Respite Carer, private employer (2013-2016)
  • Nanny and Tutor, private employer (2012-2018)
  • Voluntary Classroom Assistant, Malden Parochial Primary School (2012-2015)
funding
  • University of Reading Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme – funding for a summer research placement student outreach and research dissemination project (2022)
  • College funded PhD studentship, Royal Holloway University of London (2017-2021)
  • Experimental Psychology Society Summer Student Research Assistant Bursary (2015)
awards and certificates
  • Group award for THESIS – College Team Teaching Commendation, Royal Holloway, University of London (2021)
  • PGR Programme Positive Impact Award, Royal Holloway, University of London (2021)
  • Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2018)
  • Jack Westaway Memorial Prize, Royal Holloway, University of London (2016)
  • Best Access Student, Access to Higher Education, Kingston College (2013)
Publications

Thomas, L., Lockwood, P. L., Garvert, M. & Balsters, J. H. (2021). Contagion of temporal discounting value preferences in neurotypical and autistic adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04962-5

Lucas, R., Thomas, L. & Norbury, C. (2017). Can children with autism spectrum disorders learn new vocabulary from linguistic context? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3151-z

Key Skills
Programming, software, and hardware
  • MATLAB, R, Python, E-Prime
  • Experienced with using Mac, Linux, and Microsoft operating systems
  • Shell scripting (Bash)
  • Behavioural analysis: JASP, Jamovi, SPSS, R
  • Neuroimaging (fMRI) analysis: SPM, Matlab, FSL
  • Microsoft Office: Excel, PowerPoint, Word
  • National Instruments grip force measure (with behavioural data collection)
  • Basic GitHub usage (version control etc.)
Teaching
  • Delivering teaching material in person and online, related to Psychological Research Methods and Analysis
  • Adapting teaching materials for an online format
  • Providing high-quality oral and written feedback (for presentations and lab reports)
  • Utilising online methods to engage students (e.g., Mentimeter)
General research skills
  • Independent study design
  • Recruitment (of MRI, behavioural and online participants, neurotypical and autistic adults and children)
  • Writing papers in preparation for publication (one published, one under review, two in prep)
  • Collecting data (behavioural, fMRI, and online)
  • Managing data
Behavioural research and analysis methods
  • Questionnaire coding
  • Statistical analyses including (but not limited to): General Linear Models, Principal Component Analyses, Canonical Correlation Analyses
  • Qualitative analysis
  • Model fitting and comparison
  • Trained in the delivery of standardised experiments with child participants (e.g. WASI and TOWRE) (2015)
  • Trained in the delivery of ADOS-2 assessments (2018)
Neuroimaging (fMRI) research and analysis methods
  • First Aid trained (2018) and MRI scanner approved person (2019)
  • MRI console operation
  • MRI pre-processing (SPM: shell scripting, batch scripting, and GUI)
  • General linear model-based analyses of event-related fMRI data (SPM: shell scripting, batch scripting, and GUI)
  • TFCE corrected fMRI contrast randomisations (FSL shell scripting)
  • fMRI data visualisation: SPM, FSLeyes, and MRIcron
Conferences, courses, and workshops
  • Autistica Early Career Researcher training (2022, 2023)
  • UoR Carpentries (Bash, GitHub and R training for reproducible science), University of Reading (2021)
  • CPC Zurich, online computational modelling course (2020)
  • FENS 2020, virtual conference (poster presentation, 2020)
  • PsyPAG, virtual conference (attending, 2020)
  • Fundamentals of fMRI analysis seminar, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK (2019)
  • MRI physics and pre-processing seminar, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK (2019)
  • Matlab training, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK (2019)
  • Introduction to R, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK (2019)
  • First Aid (2018)
  • Programme in Skills on Teaching to Inspire Learning (to become an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy), Royal Holloway, University of London (2018)
  • New Trends in Decision-Making: Computational Cognitive Social Neuroscience, Ecole normale supérieure, Paris, France (2018)
  • PGR Convention, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK (2017-poster presentation, 2018-oral presentation, 2019-poster presentation)
  • AA (Automatic Analysis) fMRI workshop, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK (2018)
  • Autistica Discover Conference, City University, UK (poster presentation, 2018)
  • Animal and Human Behavior: Using Computational Approaches to Build a Two-Way Bridge, EBPS, at Downing College, Cambridge University, UK (poster presentation, 2018)
  • Bayesian Workshop, Zoltan Dienes, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK (2018)
  • The Cerebellum: Fundamental and Clinical Neuroscience – Cells, Systems, and Behaviour, Psychology Department, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK (2018)
  • ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) training, Strand Palace Hotel, London, UK (2018)
  • Introduction to fMRI, Royal Holloway, University of London (2018)
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