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About

My current research investigates how a four-day working week changes biological health, such as immune function, and lifestyle factors, such as diet, mental health, and sleep. I am also leading analyses of how employment interacts with diet, physical, and mental health in the UK Biobank using a big data approach. Alongside this, I am a co-investigator exploring the use of novel technology for monitoring eating behaviour and weight loss. 

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I continue to work on projects understanding the behavioural, genetic and neural basis of individual differences in liking for sweet tastes as a marker of risk for developing obesity, drawing on methods from genetics, psychology, nutrition, and neuroscience such as body composition analysis, functional magnetic resonance imaging and twin modelling.

 

I am also interested in all things ingestive behaviour related, individual differences and wider sensory responses, including multisensory processing.  I have previously worked on projects investigating Synaesthesia, brain plasticity and cross-modal responses following sight restoration and most recently a Leverhulme Trust grant on the behavioural and neural-basis of odour-taste associations. I love collaborating, and I am always open to new project ideas! 

Rhiannon Armitage - Photo.JPG

Education

PhD Psychology 

University of Sussex

2020 - 2023

PG Cert Mental Health Practice: Distinction 

University of Sussex and
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

2016 - 2017 

BSc (Hons) Psychology with Legal Studies: 1st 

University of Sussex

2013 - 2016

Teaching 

University of Sussex 
2020 - 2024

Associate tutor with experience running seminars, workshops and practicals on a broad range of modules from level 4 (UG) to level 7 (MSc).  This includes biological, cognitive and developmental psychology modules and research methods (programming, quantative and qaulatative methods). 

Student Supervision

University of Sussex 
2018 - Present 

Co-supervision for research and academic work of undergraduate, masters’ and placement students. 

Public Engagement and Representation 

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2022 – 2023

Work-In-PGRess presentation initiative

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2021 – 2023

School of Psychology Doctoral Tutor Rep

 

2020 – 2023

Science Cluster Outreach and Public Engagement (SCOPE) Panel Member


2020 – 2023

Sussex Universe Public Lecture Series Organising Committee Member 


2019 – Present

Academic Content Facilitator for Widening Participation at Sussex University 


2016 - 2017
PG Cert Mental Health Practice Course Rep

Teaching, Supervision and Engagement 

Awards, Scholarships and Grants

November 2024 - Funding Award

Consumer Lab, Business Interaction Voucher (£46,531)

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September 2024 - Teaching Award

Awarded for Early Career Researcher Excellence in Teaching

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June 2024 - Travel Award 

ECRO Travel Grant (€500)

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March 2024 - Funding Award

Innovate UK, Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Award (£23,842)

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September 2023 - Best Poster Prize

ECRO Symposium Best Poster Winner

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September 2023 - Travel Award 

ECRO Travel Grant (€500)

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August 2023 - Conference Award

Pangborn ECR Bursary (€1170)

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July 2023 - Conference Award

Doctoral Overseas Conference Grant (£1116)

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​April 2023 - Conference Award 

BFDG ECR Conference Bursary (£80)

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​February 2023 - Engagement Grant 

Researcher Led Initiative Grant (£750)

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​September 2022 - Study Grant 

BPS Postgraduate Study Visit Scheme (£800)
 

November 2021 - Best Poster Prize

University of Sussex Psychology Poster Competition (£100)

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April 2021 - Conference Award 

ACM CHI Virtual Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems ($440)

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September 2020 - Training Award

WGC: Genetic Analysis of Population-based Association Studies (£125)

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October 2017 - Performance Award

NHS prize winner for “Best Performance” in PG Cert Mental Health Practic

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July 2016 - Performance Award

Sussex University’s nomination for British Psychological Society Wessex “Best Undergraduate Finalist Project 2016” (£100)

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