About

I completed a B.A in English and Sociology in UCD in 2014 with the aim of teaching in secondary level education. My interest gravitated toward linguistics, psychology, and neuroscience and I completed a HDip Psychology in TCD in 2015-17. My thesis project investigated bimanual coupling effects related to inter-hemispheric inhibition in a cohort of professional and student pianists. Individuals with perfect pitch, and expert musicians have been shown to have greater functional connectivity in the anterior region of the corpus callosum; a structure thought to be implicated in the inter-hemispheric transfer of learning between healthy and paretic limbs observed in stroke rehabilitation.

I completed a MSc in Applied psychology in Trinity College, Dublin in 2018 while working as an ABA tutor with Autistic children. My dissertation focused on neuropsychological correlates associated with impaired function on task-switching performance in a TBI cohort from the National Rehabilitation hospital, Dublin. I also interned as an assistant psychologist in a secondary mental health service in Dublin in 2018, cofacilitating group CBT for depression, and ACT (a third wave CBT-based psychotherapy) for anxiety disorders. I also set up a pilot group-CBT for insomnia being before joining the Whelanlab in September 2018.

Current research

I currently assist in a study utilizing neurofeedback to investigate inhibitory control, directed by Dr Kathy Ruddy. I am also facilitating the completion of a study investigating brain changes following smoking cessation under the supervision of Dr Kathy Ruddy, and Professor Robert Whelan.