Experience

Oxford Brookes University

• United Kingdom
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Senior Lecturer

  • Oct 2023 - Present



Coventry University

• United Kingdom
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Assistant Professor

  • Jun 2021 - Sep 2023

  Conducting research on the cognitive science of belief, imagination, and social bonding, to answer the following research questions: (1) How do cognitive antecedents and other individual differences combine with cultural and social contexts to give rise to beliefs - whether religious, secular, or conspiracy beliefs? (2) How do extraordinary experiences invoke social bonding, and how does social bonding contributes to psychological wellbeing and health behaviours? (3) How can we understand the cognitive features of imagination (e.g., cognitive flexibility) and its evolutionary trajectory (particularly in relation to religion and art)? Show less

• Research Fellow

  • Aug 2019 - May 2021

  Conducting research on how psychedelic use may contribute to greater empathetic concern for others; how engaging in rituals together may increase endorphins and social bonding in both religious and secular settings; how attending raves together can be a transformative experience leading to long-lasting bonds; the psychological impact of the COVID-19 lockdown and how this may be mitigated.

• Research Associate

  • Mar 2016 - Aug 2019

  Conducting research on the psychology of intuition, religion, and creativity; Supervising PhD students and research assistants.



University of Oxford

• United Kingdom
• Research Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Postdoctoral Researcher

  • Jul 2015 - Mar 2016

  Conducting research on memory, group bonding, and identity fusion Conducting research on memory, group bonding, and identity fusion



Aarhus University

• Denmark
• Research
• 700 & Above Employee

• Postdoctoral researcher

  • Sep 2014 - Mar 2015

  Conducting research in the cognitive science of religion, on episodic memory and religious rituals. Conducting research in the cognitive science of religion, on episodic memory and religious rituals.



The University of Auckland

• New Zealand
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• PhD student

  • Nov 2009 - Oct 2013

  Studying the behavioural and neural correlates of episodic future simulation (focusing on the effects of novelty and plausibility), using behavioural and fMRI techniques. Studying the behavioural and neural correlates of episodic future simulation (focusing on the effects of novelty and plausibility), using behavioural and fMRI techniques.



University of Maryland

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Trainee / internship

  • Jan 2009 - Apr 2009

  Following an EEG/ERP-training (both theoretical and practical), including an ERP-experiment investigating language. Following an EEG/ERP-training (both theoretical and practical), including an ERP-experiment investigating language.