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Blog & Podcast
Researchers in Conversation Podcast Episode 7: Professor Marion Hetherington on Eating Behaviour 14/10/2020
Professor Marion Hetherington, a user of The Observer XT software, studies eating behaviour across the lifespan at the University of Leeds. During the conversation, she highlights the range of her research interests, such as the importance of early exposure to vegetables, as early as in utero through the mother’s diet. She shares her experience of studying adolescents with eating disorders and why they can be difficult to overcome, and the importance of monitoring fluid and food intake in older adults where lack of appetite can be problematic. Although she didn’t formally use her teaching qualification, it has certainly come in useful for her research in educating primary school children on vegetables, through stories, touch and taste, as well as in her work in Uganda, via the “Give a Child a Hope” charity. Here she collaborates with teachers to embed nutrition into their teaching, with the aim to reduce stunting derived from an insufficiently diverse diet.
Researchers in Conversation Podcast Episode 6: Dr Arun Ulahannan on Transport Human Factors 03/08/2020
Dr Arun Ulahannan is a Research Fellow within the Institute for Future Transport and Cities at Coventry University and used eye tracking within his engineering doctorate. Arun tells us that he knew quite early on in his career, that the human factors space was the ideal location for him, having both engineering and design interests. He refers to key influential supervisors, the benefits of internships and gives insight into his research to date. This includes his current project on understanding the feasibility of electrifying taxis, from a taxi driver experience and public viewpoint; and his engineering doctorate studying semi-automated vehicles, in collaboration with Jaguar Land Rover, to provide information on design guidelines for an interface to maintain driver engagement.
Researchers in Conversation Podcast Episode 5: Professor Helen Ball on Parent and Infant Sleep 20/07/2020
Helen Ball is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Infancy and Sleep Centre at Durham University and has a fixed observational lab from Tracksys. Helen reveals how choosing a biological anthropology class during her human biology degree led to her becoming an anthropologist, and why she switched from studying primates in Puerto Rico to infant and parent sleep. She chats about her research on bed sharing; the development of the Baby Sleep Info Source; and career highlights – her involvement in changing the SIDS messaging around bed-sharing and the impact of parent-infant proximity on breastfeeding.
Researchers in Conversation Podcast Episode 4: Dr Carl Senior on Face Perception and Facial Displays 06/07/2020
Dr Carl Senior is a Reader in Psychology at Aston University. An inspirational essay, titled ‘The Smile’ by Alan Lightman directed his research towards face perception and facial displays, first using brain imaging and then through behaviour observation in the social world, using the FaceReader software. He refers to pivotal people, such as Professor Anthony David, that helped steer his path, and the importance of embracing failure. Carl looks in detail at how the eye brow position facilitates dominance, and has measured the facial displays of leaders such as Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton. He is extending his research to explore the emotional responses of supporters to their favoured leader before and after elections.
Researchers in Conversation Podcast Episode 3: Dr Sean Jenkins on Product Design and Human Factors 22/06/2020
Dr Sean Jenkins is the Principal Innovation Fellow for the Assistive Technologies Innovation Centre at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Sean’s centre has a fixed lab and in this conversation he shares how the centre provides an evaluation service to industry through research both in and out of the lab, enabling the design for health-related products to be further developed. He highlights how applied research can improve the lives of people living with health conditions. Sean also reveals his career journey from a design course and how taking on new interests can be challenging both from a knowledge and time perspective.
Researchers in Conversation Podcast Episode 2: Dr Atif Waraich on Computer Science and Technology 08/06/2020
Dr Atif Waraich is Head of Computer Science at Liverpool John Moores University and long-standing user of fixed and portable behaviour observation labs. During this conversation, Atif reveals the thread of science and technology throughout his career from building his research foundations, to his experiences in industry and his return to academia. He highlights how computer science provides students, fellow academics and external collaborators with access to the latest computer solutions for measurement and analysis. Atif covers topics such as immersive technologies, usability engineering and the design of new courses.
Researchers in Conversation Podcast Episode 1: Professor Cathy Dwyer on Animal Behaviour and Welfare 20/05/2020
Cathy Dwyer is Professor of Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Scotland’s Rural College and has been an Observer XT user for over 20 years. Here she talks about the various aspects of her working life, from her super interesting research on areas such as maternal behaviour and mother-infant relationships, to her advisory roles to a number of influential bodies and her commitment to student teaching and research. Cathy describes how a pragmatic and evidenced-based approach can be used to bring about change in animal practices.
Using Ethovision XT to assess feed attractability on the Pacific white shrimp 11/05/2020
Guest blog by Guillermo Bardera, University of the West of Scotland.
