Visiting speaker: Caroline Edmonds

Speaker:  Caroline Edmonds

Date: Thursday 20 June 2013

Time: 4pm

Venue: HG09, Hendon Campus

Title: The effect of water consumption on cognitive performance

Abstract: Folk wisdom suggests that drinking water is “good for you” and can help children and adults to perform well at school or work. However, there is very little published research formally examining the effect of water consumption on cognitive performance and mood. Our studies have shown that supplementing children with water can improve their performance on tasks assessing visual attention, processing speed and memory. In adults, our studies have shown that this is not just due to expectations that people may have about water helping them to perform better. We have also examined links between university students bringing drinks into exams and their exam performance. I will discuss these studies and suggest future directions for research. 

Project Management

Got a project?  Need it managed?  I could help.

I've recently become a qualified Prince2 practitioner.

Prince2 is:

"widely considered as the leading method in project management [blah blah, which helps] deliver what is required by appropriately managing the costs, timescales, quality, scope, risks and benefits [and] provides a common language between organisations and with external suppliers." (TSO, 2009)

Basically it's a distillation of 'best practice' when it comes to delivering stuff on time and within budget.  I can apply these practices to your project and "talk Prince2" with external organisations who are likely to use or even require Prince2 processes. I am more than happy to be put down as a named Prince2 qualified project manager on any grant proposal should you feel that this would increase your chances of success.

Contact me for a chat via s.nunn@mdx.ac.uk or pop into TG39 for a coffee.

Stephen Nunn

Decision making research in action

In the course of a project that both Georgina Hosang and I are involved with we were sent this fascinating film link about a traffic calming project in Poynton.

It makes me wonder about measuring flow throughout our changing campus and a list of possible final year and MSc projects...

Tom Dickins

Visiting speaker: David Harper

Speaker: David Harper (University of East London)

Title: DSM V and the problems of psychiatric diagnosis

Date: Thursday 13 June 2013

Venue: HG02, Hendon Campus

Time: 4pm

Abstract: In the light of the debates triggered by the recent publication of the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's DSM, in this talk I will outline the longstanding problems associated with psychiatric diagnostic frameworks and suggest possible future directions for more valid and humane alternative approaches to conceptualising distress.