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Phillip Morgan

Professor Phillip Morgan

(he/him)

HuFEx Director; IROHMS Director of Research; Director - Airbus Centre of Excellence in Human-Centric Cyber Security

School of Psychology

Email
MorganPhil@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29225 10784
Campuses
Tower Building, Floor 9, Room 9:18, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT
Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

I am a Professor (Personal Chair) of Human Factors and Cognitive Science. I Direct the Human Factors Excellence (HuFEx) Research Group and am Director of Research within the Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Human-Machine Systems (IROHMS). I am seconded part-time (since March 2019) to industry as Director of the Airbus Centre of Excellence in Human-Centric Cyber Security (ACE-H2CS).  

My expert areas include: Human Factors; human-machine interface (HMI) design / human-computer interaction (HCI); Cyberpsychology; humans in automation and AI; transport and intelligent-mobility (with a key focus on connected and / or autonomous vehicles); trust in and blame on technology; and the effects of interruption and distraction on task performance. I often work with multi-disciplinary teams including computer scientists, engineers, social scientists, and legal experts to address research problems and identify solutions within each of these areas. Many of my past and present research projects involve working with academic and industry collaborators.

I have secured (often as PI or institution Lead) >37m (million, UK£) of research funding from e.g., Airbus, CREST, DHCSTC, EPSRC, ESRC, HSSRC, IUK, MOD, NCSC, RCloud, SOS Alarm; WEFO, and the Wellcome Trust. Recent projects include: AI for Collective Intelligence (AI4CI, 2024-2029, EPSRC, ~£12m - AI for Collective Intelligence (AI4CI) |); Flourish Trusted Secure Mobility for Older Adults (2016-19, IUK, >£5.5m, Cardiff University Lead); IROHMS (2019+, WEFO & Cardiff University, >£5.5m); Airbus Cyber Psychology and Human Factors (2019-2022, Airbus / Endeavr Wales, ~£1m, PI); and Principles of Distributive Liability for Multi-Agent Societies (2020-23: ESRC-JST, Cardiff University (>£700k), PI, with collaborators in Japan – e.g., at the Universities of Kyoto, Osaka and Doshisha).

My research bridges Human Factors and Cognitive Science: addressing important practical issues within workplaces and involving transport whilst drawing upon theory and using – and often developing – best practice methodological approaches, e.g., using behavioural experimental and human factors techniques and methods, vehicles, driving simulators, and human-state monitoring. I am particularly motivated by research that speaks to real world research questions and problems involving human performance, with the goal of identifying effective, feasible and applicable solutions.

My Cognitive Science work is largely focused on the effects of visual and auditory interruption and distraction on performance of tasks involving attention, short-term memory and problem solving. For example, unpicking the effects of interruption on goal-directed memory, and, adapting features of computer interfaces to encourage deeper cognitive processing of key information and thereafter protect against negative effects of interruption.

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2015

2014

2013

2012

2010

2009

2007

2005

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Research

Research Areas

  • Cyberpsychology
  • Intelligent Mobility & Future Transport (e.g. Connected and Autonomous Vehicles)
  • Human-Machine Interface Design and Human-Computer Interaction
  • AI
  • Automation
  • Human-Robot Interaction
  • Interruption and Distraction
  • Military Psychology
  • Memory
  • Problem Solving

Teaching

At Level 6 (final-year undergraduate), I developed (2017-18) and contribute to the Human Factors Psychology (PS3118) module. I also supervise final year projects (Level 6 PS3000) on various topics related to my research areas of expertise.

Biography

Employment

  • Sep 2020-: Professor (Personal Chair) in Human Factors and Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, Cardiff University
  • Mar 2019-: Reader in Human Factors and Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, Cardiff University
  • Mar 2019-: Senior Researcher and Technical Lead in Cyber Psychology and Human Factors, Airbus, Newport, UK (Secondment)
  • Sep 2017-Feb 2019: Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Science and Human Factors, School of Psychology, Cardiff University
  • Jan 2015-Aug 2017: Senior Lecturer in Cognitive and Human Factors Psychology, Department of Health and Social  Sciences - Psychology, UWE-Bristol
  • Sep 2013-Jan 2015: Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology, University of South Wales
  • May 2011-Aug 2013: Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology, University of Wales, Newport
  • Dec 2010-Jan 2011: Part-time Visiting Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology, University of Wales, Newport
  • Jun 2005-May 2011: Research Associate, School of Psychology, Cardiff University
  • Jan 2005-May 2005: Research Assistant, School of Psychology, Cardiff University
  • Oct 2004-Dec 2004: Research Technician, School of Psychology, Cardiff University
  • Oct 2002-Sep 2004: Research and Statistics Advisor, School of Psychology, Cardiff University

Honours and awards

Undergraduate education

  • 2001: BSc (Hons) Psychology – School of Psychology, Cardiff University

Postgraduate education

  • 2002: PGDip Research Methods – School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University (Distinction)
  • 2005: PhD 'Now, where was I?’ A cognitive experimental analysis of the influence of interruption on goal-directed behaviour’ – School of Psychology, Cardiff University
  • 2012: PGCHE – School of Education, University of Wales (Distinction)

Professional memberships

Professional memberships

Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (AFBPS)
Member of the Experimental Psychology Society (EPS)
Associate Fellow of the Association of Learning Technology (AFALT)
Fellow of the HEA (FHEA)

Academic positions

  • Sep 2020-: Professor (Personal Chair) in Human Factors and Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, Cardiff University
  • Mar 2019-: Reader in Human Factors and Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, Cardiff University
  • Mar 2019-: Senior Researcher and Technical Lead in Cyber Psychology and Human Factors, Airbus, Newport, UK (Secondment)
  • Sep 2017-Feb 2019: Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Science and Human Factors, School of Psychology, Cardiff University
  • Jan 2015-Aug 2017: Senior Lecturer in Cognitive and Human Factors Psychology, Department of Health and Social  Sciences - Psychology, UWE-Bristol
  • Sep 2013-Jan 2015: Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology, University of South Wales
  • May 2011-Aug 2013: Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology, University of Wales, Newport
  • Dec 2010-Jan 2011: Part-time Visiting Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology, University of Wales, Newport
  • Jun 2005-May 2011: Research Associate, School of Psychology, Cardiff University
  • Jan 2005-May 2005: Research Assistant, School of Psychology, Cardiff University
  • Oct 2004-Dec 2004: Research Technician, School of Psychology, Cardiff University

Speaking engagements

Recent Examples

2023: Keynote Speaker – Human Factors and Ergonomics Society New Zealand (HFESNZ) Annual Conference – Arrowtown, Queenstown, New Zealand - ‘Optimizing Humans’ within AI, Robotic and Autonomous Cyber-Physical Systems.

2023: Invited Speaker – University of Auckland, New Zealand (including industry and defence organisations) – Sociotechnical Barriers & Enablers to the Acceptance, Adoption & Safe Use of AI & Automation.

2023: Invited Speaker – New Zealand Government – Wellington, New Zealand – Transportation Human Factors, Automation & Cyberpsychology.

2022: Invited Speaker – Data61 CSRIO (Melbourne, Australia) -  A Human Factors Approach to Optimising Humans in Cyber Security.

2022: Keynote Speaker at PeepSec 2022 (part of London Tech Week) - People & Tech: ‘The Age of Empathy.

2022: Special Panel (Keynote) Session at EXPO 2022 -  Changing our Behaviours to Advance - Distributed Trust.

2022: Keynote Speaker at the People Matter Conference Series - People Matter: Applying Behavioural Science to Security Behaviours.

2021 – Keynote Speaker at the Think Cyber for Government event -  Why People Matter in Cyber Security.  

2021: Special Panel (Keynote) for the International Chamber of Shipping - Cyber Security – Safety and Security in the Digital Age.

2021: Co-Chair of a workshop on Humans in Autonomous Systems with Beijing Normal University (BNU) – one of two Keynote Speakers.

2021: Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE) Transportation Psychology Section – Winner of Best Paper.

2020: Keynote Speaker at PeepSec 2020 (part of London Tech Week) – Human-Centric Cyber Security.

2020: Keynote Speaker at the OutThink Cyber Annual Conference - Why is Tackling the People Component of Cyber Security so Hard?

2020: Airbus Security Symposium – Human-Centric Cyber Security Interactive Session delivered to >800 Airbus Security staff (including Heads of Security and Cyber Security and HR).

2020: Keynote Speaker at IMPACT 2020 - ‘Are we really the Weakest Link?’: The Story (so far) of a Cyberpsychology Research Team Embedded within a Large-scale Organisation to Enhance Human Cyber Security Strengths and Protect against Vulnerabilities.

Committees and reviewing

2020-: Scientific Advisory Board: HCI for Cyber Security, Privacy and Trust - Human-Computer Interaction International (HCII)

2019-: Scientific Advisory Board: Advances in Human Factors in Cyber Security - Applied Ergonomics and Human Factors (AHFE)

Supervisions

Human Factors; human-machine interface (HMI) design / human-computer interaction (HCI); Cyberpsychology; humans in automation and AI; transport and intelligent-mobility (with a key focus on connected and / or autonomous vehicles); trust in and blame on technology in the event of an incident(s); and the effects of interruption and distraction on task performance.

Current supervision

George Raywood-Burke

George Raywood-Burke

Research student

Nicola Turner

Nicola Turner

Research student

Laura Bishop

Laura Bishop

Research student

Past projects

Louise Bowen (2018-2023) - Behavioural Aspects of Safer Transport. ESRC. 

Laura Bishop (2018-2023) - The Employee Experience in Cyber Security and how to Mitigate Risk. With Airbus.

Craig Williams (2016-2022). Craig held a UWE-Bristol fully funded PhD studentship - examining the effects of task interruption and distraction within emergency and critical care healthcare settings. Another goal of Craig’s PhD was to develop methods to adapt computer interfaces within emergency and critical care healthcare settings to influence cognitive strategy and mitigate negative effects of interruptions.

Anna Bornioli (2014-2017). Anna held a UWE-Bristol fully funded PhD studentship and examined the influence of the built environment on affective walking experience by drawing upon research within the fields of environmental psychology and geography. Her research has implications for policy and design of urban environments with an overarching health and well-being theme promoted through stress recovery and restoration. Anna is currently working with supervisors (Prof Graham Parkhurst and Dr Phillip Morgan) to publish all of her PhD studies (and has already published two journal articles with a third under revision). Anna is currently a Research Fellow within the Public Health Research Group and Centre for Appearance Research at UWE-Bristol.

Janet Mundy (Cardiff University School of Psychology). Janet’s PhD was part funded by REET and the School of Psychology at Cardiff University. Janet was examining individual differences in spatial ability and task strategy with a focus on measures used to assess mental rotation abilities amongst university students studying STEM and non-STEM subjects. Janet aims to inform the design of tests to measure mental rotation ability for selection (eg., employment) purposes. Writing-up. 

Research themes

Specialisms

  • Cognition
  • Human Factors
  • Automation
  • AI
  • Cybersecurity and privacy