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School of Psychology news

Professor Derek Jones

CUBRIC Director receives International Distinguished Service Award following over three decades of service

11 May 2026

Professor Derek Jones, Director of Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), has been awarded the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) Distinguished Service Award.

Feet stepping down from a step onto tactile paving, with a red and white guide cane.

How blind people build a sense of space from sound

6 May 2026

Researchers reveal how the brain extracts spatial information from sound during echolocation – mouth clicks used by blind people to navigate and represent their surroundings in real time.

Little girl sat on the floor playing with barbie dolls

Playing with dolls improves understanding of others

18 March 2026

Playing with dolls improves vital social skills in boys, girls and children with peer-problems.

Group of students in nature looking at wicker bird box

Improving opportunities for children from disadvantaged communities to engage with nature

10 March 2026

A UKRI Knowledge Transfer Partnership between Cardiff University and WWT, the wetland charity, will improve opportunities for disadvantaged communities to engage with nature.

Hairdresser combing and cutting a client's hair

Hairdressers could be a secret weapon in tackling climate change

6 March 2026

Salons can be influential in prompting climate conversations

Brain scan / sgan yr ymennydd

Young adults with psychotic-like experiences have ‘older-looking brains’

4 February 2026

Increased brain-age gap correlating with the severity of a psychotic experience found in young adults

Baby sat on the lap of a woman, both looking at a book smiling

Brain imaging shows when infants understand verbs

28 January 2026

Brain imaging study show that 10-month-olds can detect mismatched action and verbs.

Baby wearing a baby headcam - a small camera on a soft cap

Baby headcams reveal how babies encounter faces during development

27 January 2026

Baby-worn headcams and AI shows non-linear changes in how babies see faces as they grow.

Group photo of women at Women’s Health Research Wales launch

New centre will turn research into impact for women's health in Wales

26 January 2026

A pan-Wales network, designed to be a catalyst for change in women’s health research and innovation, has been launched.

Photo over the shoulder of girl playing with toys and dolls

Research reveals how children’s play links to social skills and brain activity

7 January 2026

New research shows that differences in children’s solo and joint play are linked to social abilities and patterns of brain activity.

Image of Brain

New brain atlas offers unprecedented detail in MRI scans

5 November 2025

A new AI-assisted brain atlas helps visualise the human brain in unprecedented detail.

Cardiff psychology graduate wins national dissertation award

14 October 2025

Cardiff graduate recognised with Jonathan Sime Award for research in people-environment studies.

a jar of spilled peppermints

Peppermints improve alertness when sick with a cold

14 October 2025

Scientists test whether eating peppermints when ill with a mild upper respiratory tract infection can help improve performance and alertness.

A person holding and looking at their mobile phone.

Teen isolation linked to increased reward-seeking, study finds

12 September 2025

A study lead-authored by Dr Livia Tomova, lecturer at Cardiff University’s School of Psychology, has found that teenagers become more motivated to seek rewards after just a few hours of social isolation.

Brain scan / sgan yr ymennydd

New centre for brain stimulation device-based therapies

16 July 2025

A new centre aims to develop brain stimulation devices to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, stroke and childhood epilepsy.

CUBRIC

£1.8 million investment in bioimaging technologies

15 July 2025

The UKRI-BBSRC and UKRI-MRC invests £1.8 million in bioimaging technologies for UK researchers

Workers in office with laptops

Music in open-plan offices improves well-being

26 June 2025

Playing music whilst you work in open-plan offices helps to improve productivity and wellbeing

Smart speaker on a black background

Smart speakers may help children with speech difficulties

23 June 2025

New research finds that smart speakers could help children with speech difficulties practice speaking slowly and clearly.

Professor John Atack and Professor Simon Ward in the lab

$140 Million investment in new therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders

18 June 2025

New Cardiff University spin-out, Draig Therapeutics, receives $140 Million investment in developing new therapies for Major Neuropsychiatric Disorders

New guidelines for identifying increased risk of psychological and heart conditions in rare skin condition

28 May 2025

Research by Cardiff University has led to changes in international guidelines for the screening of a rare skin condition.