My main research interests are in restorative environments. I am interested in psychological restoration both cognitively and emotionally, and determining environments that are supportive for people on all positions of the mental health spectrum (e.g. from everyday fatigue to medicalised illnesses). Originally, I started out examining the ‘usual’ outdoor restorative environments involving nature, before considering the potential of indoor environments as restorative, ranging from cafes to hospital staff-rooms. Lately, I am particularly interested in the need for restorative environments for carers.

My other, complementary, main strand of research is of sensory experiences of environments, particularly how they sound (their soundscape). This was the crux of my PhD research and later supervisory projects. Again, this interest originated in outdoor soundscapes and their relationship with restoration, but now includes indoor environments.

Finally, I am an Environmental Psychologist whom has largely been based within University Engineering departments; therefore I am also involved in sustainable building designs, including aspects around energy use, or issues on transportation (be that active living or electric vehicles). My current position is Assistant Professor of Health in the Built Environment at Heriot-Watt University, UK.

I would like to stand for the board as I feel like I am now in a position to contribute back to a society that has played a large role in developing me as an academic researcher. Back in 2008 I attended the Young Researchers Workshop, and it was an invaluable experience. Not only receiving feedback on my work, I met a wonderful group of fellow young researchers, who I am now lucky enough to call my friends as well as great research partners. The icing on the cake from that conference was I also won the Young Researchers Award. I want to help IAPS continue providing such invaluable support, connecting new and experienced researchers.

Currently I co-convene two of the IAPS networks: Restorative Environments Network (since 2012) and the recently created Sensory Environments Network. My involvement in both these networks provides me with a broad understanding of what some IAPS members and interested partners want and appreciate from IAPS. Having IAPS board members strongly connected to the networks indicates the value IAPS places on them. Indeed the networks play a vital role in IAPS members feeling part of a community in-between the bi-annual conferences. I hope to use my experience of helping to create an active restorative environments network to help facilitate other networks, and IAPS itself, in its continued development as a sustainable strong research community.