My research falls broadly within the areas of cognitive science and embodied cognition.  I am interested in how people's linguistic, bodily and environmental experience shapes their mental representations and how this affects the way they process the world around them.  This research includes investigations of the grounded and situated nature of concepts, the ability of language, body and environment to shape representations and behaviour, and the interplay of linguistic and simulation systems in human cognition.

I strongly support an open science approach to research, and strive to make my work as transparent and reproducible as possible.  You can access my Open Science Framework project page here, and you can read more about my research here.

I am now working at Maynooth University, but if you are interested in open science, or in topics related to any of my publications and are interested in pursuing a PhD, please email me a few lines of what you'd like to do. 

I am interested in supervising students in the areas of embodied cognition and decision making. If you are interested in these areas or in topics related to any of my publications please email me.

Personal Homepage

Open Science Framework Projects Page

Lab Page

• If it looks like a duck: Emergent Categorical Structure in the Human Conceptual System? (2016) The Leverhulme Trust. Principal investigator with Louise Connell and Marc Brysbaert. 
• Experiencing Physical Warmth Promotes Interpersonal Warmth. (2013). Center for Open Science. Principal investigator with Louise Connell and Kerry O'Brien. 
• Effects of alcohol advertising in TV sport on implicit/explicit attitudes. (2012). Australian Research Council, with support from Victoria Department of Health and the Australian Drug Foundation. Co-investigator, with Kerry O'Brien, Monash University. 
• Alcohol Advertising and Sponsorship in Australian Sport : Associations with Implicit (unconscious) and Explicit Alcohol Attitudes and Drinking Behaviours.(2012). Australian National Preventative Health Agency. Co-investigator, with Kerry O'Brien, Monash University.
• Multi-modal conceptual representations of object size. (2010). British Academy. Co-principal investigator, with Louise Connell.
• Modality-specific processing in conceptual combination. (2009-2010). ESRC. Co-principal investigator, with Louise Connell.

BSc, MSc, PhD, FHEA