Research Profile

Marica Cassarino

Biography

I am an Environmental Psychologist interested in how people interact with built and natural environments, and how this interaction might influence wellbeing, attitudes, and behaviour. I am particularly passionate about investigating the situated experiences of vulnerable groups. 

In my work with academics and communities, I aim to address three Sustainable Development Goals:
  • SDG3: Promoting Health and Wellbeing
  • SDG10: Tackling inequalities
  • SDG11: Creating Sustainable Cities and Communities
I am currently a Lecturer at the School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Ireland, where I teach Research Design and Methods in Psychology at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. I completed my PhD in Applied Psychology in UCC; as part of my project, I conducted the first exploration of geographical variations in cognitive health in ageing using data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). Before my PhD, I completed a B.Sc. in Cognitive Psychology and Psychobiology (2007) and a M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology (2009) at the University of Padua (Italy), where I developed a passion for topics involving person-environment interactions, cognitive health, and gerontology. 

Further details about my Academic Profile can be found 
https://maricacassarino.blog/about/ 

Research Interests

Research Interests

My general research interests are in Environmental Psychology, Gerontology and Cognitive Sciences

My current research work falls broadly under two complementary categories: 
• Firstly, the impact of the built environment on psychological wellbeing, especially from an equity lens. I have developed interdisciplinary research in this area both with colleagues in UCC (School of Applied Psychology, School of Applied Social Studies), academics in Planning and Architecture in the UK, and local community groups in Cork (e.g., Pedestrian Cork, a local advocacy group focused on walkability and urban liveability). 
• Secondly, the behaviours, cognitions, and attitudes that may influence sustainable and pro-environmental choices. In this area, I have established ongoing collaborations within the Environmental Research Institute (ERI) in UCC (including colleagues from the School of Chemistry, and the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences) and with community stakeholders in Cork, including, among others, Cork City Council and Cork Healthy Cities. 

Across these two areas, I have been involved since 2017 in six funded interdisciplinary projects (listed below). I have conducted research on these topics employing both qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods approaches.

Current Research Affiliations

  • Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) – Graduate member (M10792)
  • Environmental Research Institute (ERI, UCC) – Academic member
  • Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century (ISS21, UCC) – Ageing Cluster

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS AND CONSERVATION

Since January 2022, I am co-PI in a project aimed at exploring the efficacy of UCC as outdoor classroom for promoting biodiversity and climate awareness in local primary school children. The project is in collaboration with UCC School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and was funded by UCC Green Campus Living Lab Programme.

KINSHIP

In January 2022, I became part of the working group for KinShip Project, funded by the Creative Ireland Climate Action Fund. The aim of this project is to engage the public on climate action through a community creative action programme at Tramore Valley Park, Cork City.

AIR QUALITY ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOUR  IN CORK CITY

Nov 2020 – Ongoing. I am involved in a collaboration led by the Centre for Research into Atmospheric Chemistry (CRAC lab) at the Environmental Research Institute (ERI, UCC), Cork City Council, and Cork Health Cities, which aims to work towards the improvement of air quality in the city. The collaboration has so far completed two projects: 1) air quality forecasting; 2) air quality around schools. I am leading the development of surveys to understand people’s attitudes towards air quality and perceived enablers/barriers for promoting more sustainable behaviours with regards to air quality.

HAPPY PLACES FOR ALL

Feb 2020 – Ongoing. This interdisciplinary cross-national project aims to enhance our understanding of how the built environment contributes to wellbeing, particularly in vulnerable populations. I am co-leading the project with Dr. Sara Biscaya, Lecturer in Architecture University of Salford, and Dr. Sina Shahab, Lecturer in Planning and Environmental Policy at Cardiff University. We are currently working on a systematic review of the perceived impact of transformations in urban planning and design on wellbeing in vulnerable populations; the protocol is registered in Prospero. Co-editors of Sustainability MDPI special issue “Planning and Design Interventions for Improving the Well-Being of Vulnerable Groups”. The collaboration has received funding support from the British Academy Knowledge Frontiers Network Seed Funding.

AGENCY AND AGEING IN RURAL IRELAND

Between 2020 and 2022, I was a Collaborator in an Irish Research Council New Foundations project led by School of Applied Social Studies, UCC, in collaboration with Age Action. The project used a participatory approach to investigate older people’s living circumstances and housing decision-making in rural Ireland.

DOUGLAS SHOPPING CENTRE FIRE STUDY

Dec 2019 – Ongoing. Drawing from theories of place attachment and place loss, I am leading this cross-departmental collaborative project investigates the experiences and impact of a major fire that caused the closure of a local shopping centre in Douglas, Cork City (Ireland). The project sees the collaboration from researchers at the School of Applied Psychology and the School of Applied Social Studies, UCC. Data collection of the first wave (after the fire and before re-opening) was completed in June 2020, with data analysis ongoing. The second wave of data collection will take place after the centre reopening (expected November 2020). The project has been partly supported by Seed Funding from the School of Applied Psychology, UCC.

PEDESTRIAN CORK SURVEY

January-July 2020. As a member of the Pedestrian Cork community group, I have led the co-development of a survey to explore experiences of walkability of outdoor spaces in Cork City and County. The findings inform the group’s advocacy activities and have been adopted by Cork City Council as informing document for the Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028.

OUTLET (“OUTDOOR LIVED ENVIRONMENT AS BRAIN TRAINING”)

Apr 2016 – July 2020. As a member of the ACME lab (https://www.acmelab.science/) at UCC, I have co-led a multidisciplinary mixed-methods project exploring how the built environment can support cognitive wellbeing in older age. The project sees the collaboration of researchers from Environmental Psychology, Cognitive Sciences and Social Studies at UCC. Methods include walk-along interviews, focus groups, survey and experimental design to capture the multidimensional nature of the environmental impact on cognition.

HEALTH X NATURE

I am a collaborator in an interdisciplinary cross-national project between the School of Applied Psychology, UCC and the School of Natural and Social Science, University of Gloucestershire (UK) to develop a multidisciplinary approach to green spaces and health with the aim to better understand the dynamics driving the health/nature relationship.

ACME LAB

Jun 2017 – Ongoing. I am a Co-PI of the Ageing, Cognition, Multisensory perception and Environments (ACME) research Lab (PIs: Dr. Annalisa Setti and Dr. Jason Chan), School of Applied Psychology, UCC. Ongoing projects: Brain impact of nature (wearable EEG); community impact on cognitive wellbeing.











Research Grants

 ProjectFunding
Body
Start DateEnd DateAward
A systematic review of the role of psychological and behavioural interventions in improving health and air quality through reductions in household solid fuel burning.Health Research Board06-JUN-2229-JUL-22€2,400.00

Publications

Peer Reviewed Journals

 YearPublication
(2023)'Introducing forecast-based public health warnings to promote engagement with air quality risk: a survey of citizens’ attitudes in Cork, Ireland'
Gorman, G., Hellebust, S., Venables, D., Ryan, K., & Cassarino, M. (2023) 'Introducing forecast-based public health warnings to promote engagement with air quality risk: a survey of citizens’ attitudes in Cork, Ireland'. Journal of Risk Research, [DOI] [Details]
(2022)'Gratitude as a predictor of pro-environmental behaviour? A survey investigation considering the role of environmental values and nature connectedness'
Lee, N., Setti A., Cassarino, M. (2022) 'Gratitude as a predictor of pro-environmental behaviour? A survey investigation considering the role of environmental values and nature connectedness'. Journal of Ecopsychology, 2 (2):1-12   [Details]
(2021)'Envisioning Happy Places for All: A Systematic Review of the Impact of Transformations in the Urban Environment on the Wellbeing of Vulnerable Groups'
Cassarino M., Shahab S., Biscaya S. (2021) 'Envisioning Happy Places for All: A Systematic Review of the Impact of Transformations in the Urban Environment on the Wellbeing of Vulnerable Groups'. Sustainability, 13 (14) [DOI] [Details]
(2021)'Impact of assessment and intervention by a health and social care professional team in the emergency department on the quality, safety, and clinical effectiveness of care for older adults: A randomised controlled trial'
Marica Cassarino, Katie Robinson, Dominic Trépel, Íde O’Shaughnessy, Eimear Smalle, Stephen White, Collette Devlin, Rosie Quinn, Fiona Boland, Marie E. Ward, Rosa McNamara, Fiona Steed, Margaret O’Connor, Andrew O’Regan, Gerard McCarthy, Damien Ryan, Rose Galvin (2021) 'Impact of assessment and intervention by a health and social care professional team in the emergency department on the quality, safety, and clinical effectiveness of care for older adults: A randomised controlled trial'. Plos Medicine, 18 (7) [DOI] [Details]
(2021)'Natural or Urban Campus Walks and Vitality in University Students: Exploratory Qualitative Findings from a Pilot Randomised Controlled Study'
Shrestha T;Di Blasi Z;Cassarino M; (2021) 'Natural or Urban Campus Walks and Vitality in University Students: Exploratory Qualitative Findings from a Pilot Randomised Controlled Study'. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (4) [DOI] [Details]
(2021)'Urban and rural environments differentially shape multisensory perception in ageing'
Hirst, RJ;Cassarino, M;Kenny, RA;Newell, FN;Setti, A (2021) 'Urban and rural environments differentially shape multisensory perception in ageing'. Aging Neuropsychology And Cognition, [DOI] [Details]
(2020)'Virtual reality nature exposure and test anxiety'
O’meara A.;Cassarino M.;Bolger A.;Setti A. (2020) 'Virtual reality nature exposure and test anxiety'. Multimodal Technologies And Interaction, 4 (4):1-14 [DOI] [Details]
(2020)'Diagnostic accuracy of the 4AT for delirium detection in older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis'
Tieges Z;Maclullich AMJ;Anand A;Brookes C;Cassarino M;O'connor M;Ryan D;Saller T;Arora RC;Chang Y;Agarwal K;Taffet G;Quinn T;Shenkin SD;Galvin R; (2020) 'Diagnostic accuracy of the 4AT for delirium detection in older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis'. Age and Ageing, [DOI] [Details]
(2020)'Neighbourhood Environment and Cognitive Vulnerability—A Survey Investigation of Variations Across the Lifespan and Urbanity Levels'
Cassarino, Marica and Bantry-White, Eleanor and Setti, Annalisa (2020) 'Neighbourhood Environment and Cognitive Vulnerability—A Survey Investigation of Variations Across the Lifespan and Urbanity Levels'. Sustainability, 12 (19)   [DOI] [Details]
(2020)'Stakeholders' perspectives on models of care in the emergency department and the introduction of health and social care professional teams: A qualitative analysis using World Cafes and interviews'
Cassarino, M;Quinn, R;Boland, F;Ward, ME;McNamara, R;O'Connor, M;McCarthy, G;Ryan, D;Galvin, R;Robinson, K (2020) 'Stakeholders' perspectives on models of care in the emergency department and the introduction of health and social care professional teams: A qualitative analysis using World Cafes and interviews'. Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy, [DOI] [Details]
(2019)'Implementing an allied health team intervention to improve the care of older adults in the emergency department: protocol for a process evaluation'
Cassarino, Marica and Cronin, \'Una and Robinson, Katie and Quinn, Rosie and Boland, Fiona and Ward, Marie E and MacNamara, Rosa and O'Connor, Margaret and McCarthy, Gerard and Ryan, Damien and Galvin, Rose (2019) 'Implementing an allied health team intervention to improve the care of older adults in the emergency department: protocol for a process evaluation'. Bmj Open, 9 (7)   [DOI] [Details]
(2019)'Sometimes nature doesn’t work: absence of attention restoration in older adults exposed to environmental scenes'
Cassarino, Marica; Tuohy, Isabella C.; Setti, Annalisa (2019) 'Sometimes nature doesn’t work: absence of attention restoration in older adults exposed to environmental scenes'. Experimental Aging Research, 45 (4):372-385   [DOI] [Full Text] [Details]
(2019)'Testing attention restoration in a virtual reality driving simulator'
Cassarino, Marica and Maisto, Marta and Esposito, Ylenia and Guerrero, Davide and Chan, Jason Seeho and Setti, Annalisa (2019) 'Testing attention restoration in a virtual reality driving simulator'. Frontiers in psychology, [DOI] [Details]
(2019)'Impact of early assessment and intervention by teams involving health and social care professionals in the emergency department: A systematic review'
Cassarino, Marica and Robinson, Katie and Quinn, Rosie and Naddy, Breda and O'Regan, Andrew and Ryan, Damien and Boland, Fiona and Ward, Marie E. and McNamara, Rosa and O'Connor, Margaret and McCarthy, Gerard and Galvin, Rose (2019) 'Impact of early assessment and intervention by teams involving health and social care professionals in the emergency department: A systematic review'. Plos One, 14 (7)   [DOI] [Details]
(2018)'Reducing young drivers’ crash risk: Are we there yet? An ecological systems-based review of the last decade of research'
Marica Cassarino & Gillian Murphy (2018) 'Reducing young drivers’ crash risk: Are we there yet? An ecological systems-based review of the last decade of research'. Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology And Behaviour, 56 :54-73 [DOI] [Full Text] [Details]
(2018)'Effectiveness of early assessment and intervention by interdisciplinary teams including health and social care professionals in the emergency department: protocol for a systematic review'
Cassarino, Marica and Robinson, Katie and Quinn, Rosie and Naddy, Breda and O'Regan, Andrew and Ryan, Damien and Boland, Fiona and Ward, Marie E and McNamara, Rosa and McCarthy, Gerard and Galvin, Rose (2018) 'Effectiveness of early assessment and intervention by interdisciplinary teams including health and social care professionals in the emergency department: protocol for a systematic review'. Bmj Open, 8 (7)   [DOI] [Details]
(2017)'Disabilities moderate the association between neighbourhood urbanity and cognitive health: Results from the Irish longitudinal study on ageing'
Marica Cassarino, Vincent O'Sullivan, Rose A. Kenny, & Annalisa Setti (2017) 'Disabilities moderate the association between neighbourhood urbanity and cognitive health: Results from the Irish longitudinal study on ageing'. Disability and health journal, [Details]
(2016)'Complexity As Key to Designing Cognitive-Friendly Environments for Older People'
Marica Cassarino, Annalisa Setti (2016) 'Complexity As Key to Designing Cognitive-Friendly Environments for Older People'. Frontiers in psychology, 7   [DOI] [Details]
(2016)'Environment and Cognitive Aging: A Cross-Sectional Study of Place of Residence and Cognitive Performance in the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing'
Cassarino M;O'Sullivan V;Kenny RA;Setti A; (2016) 'Environment and Cognitive Aging: A Cross-Sectional Study of Place of Residence and Cognitive Performance in the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing'. Neuropsychology, 30 (5):543-557   [DOI] [Details]
(2015)'Environment as 'Brain Training': A review of Geographical and Physical Environmental Influences on Cognitive Ageing'
Marica Cassarino & Annalisa Setti (2015) 'Environment as 'Brain Training': A review of Geographical and Physical Environmental Influences on Cognitive Ageing'. Ageing Research Reviews, 23 :167-182 [DOI] [Details]

Conference Publications

 YearPublication
(2022)School of Applied Psychology Invited Lunch Seminars
Cassarino M. (2022) [Seminar[ Can Psychologists help save the Planet? Reflections from an interdisciplinary collaboration on attitudes towards air quality in Cork City School of Applied Psychology Invited Lunch Seminars Cork, , 28-FEB-22 [Details]
(2021)Wellbeing in Policy Seminar Series, Centre for Urban Wellbeing University of Birmingham
Cassarino M. (2021) [Seminar] Putting wellbeing in place? Considerations on place-based happiness and equity from a psychosocial perspective Wellbeing in Policy Seminar Series, Centre for Urban Wellbeing University of Birmingham [Details]
(2021)International Conference on Environmental Psychology 2021
Cassarino M., Biscaya S., Shahab S. (2021) [Poster] Impact of Transformation in Urban Planning and Design on the Wellbeing of Vulnerable Groups: A systematic review of Happy Places for All International Conference on Environmental Psychology 2021 Syracuse (Italy), , 05-OCT-21 - 08-OCT-21 [Details]
(2021)Psychological Society of Ireland Annual Conference 2021
Cassarino M. & Setti A (Symposium Co-Chairs), O'Brien J., Mason A., Chan J., Shrestha T., Di Blasi Z., O'Meara A., Hearn C., Bolger A., Atkins R. (2021) [Symposium] Advancing Psychological research to foster people's wellbeing through interactions with outdoor spaces: Evidence on the role of nature, vulnerability, and technology Psychological Society of Ireland Annual Conference 2021 Online, , 11-NOV-21 - 12-NOV-21 [Details]
(2021)Transport and Mobility Forum Mix Your Mode Webinar 2021
Cassarino M. (2021) [Webinar] From Healthy Cities to Happy Cities? The psychosocial benefits of design for active travel Transport and Mobility Forum Mix Your Mode Webinar 2021 Cork, , 19-MAR-21 - 19-MAR-21 [Details]
(2019)International Conference of Environmental Psychology
Cassarino M., Bantry-White E., Setti A. (2019) Choosing a walk in nature or downtown? A mixed-methods study of Cognitive and Sensory Preferences of Outdoor Places in Older Age International Conference of Environmental Psychology Plymouth (UK), , 04-SEP-19 - 07-SEP-19 [Details]
(2019)School of Applied Psychology Invited Talk Series 2019-20
Cassarino M. (2019) [Seminar] Is nature good for you? It depends (also) on your brain School of Applied Psychology Invited Talk Series 2019-20 Cork (Ireland), , 21-OCT-19 - 21-OCT-19 [Details]
(2018)Irish Gerontological Society 66th Annual and Scientific Meeting “Transforming Ageing Across Borders
Cassarino M., Kenny R.A., Setti A. (2018) The Geographies of Cognitive Ageing: Neighbourhood distances from cities and cognitive variations in The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing Irish Gerontological Society 66th Annual and Scientific Meeting “Transforming Ageing Across Borders Cavan (Ireland), , 27-SEP-18 - 29-SEP-18 [Details]
(2017)The 65th Jubilee Annual & Scientific Meeting of the Irish Gerontological Society
Marica Cassarino, Rose A. Kenny, & Annalisa Setti (2017) Environmental Approaches to Cognitive Ageing: An Investigation of the Role of Population Density and Disability The 65th Jubilee Annual & Scientific Meeting of the Irish Gerontological Society Wexford, , 29-SEP-17 - 30-SEP-17   [DOI] [Details]
(2017)Communicating Psychology: Getting the Message out There
Marica Cassarino, Eleanor Bantry-White, Jason S. Chan, & Annalisa Setti (2017) Places to Recharge the Brain: Investigating the outdoor environment as a contributor to cognitive health in ageing Communicating Psychology: Getting the Message out There Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, , 02-SEP-17 - 02-SEP-17 [Details]
(2017)Urban Space and the Body
Marica Cassarino, Eleanor Bantry-White, Yu-Tzu Wu, Jason Chan, & Annalisa Setti (2017) Urban Space as “Brain Training” – A Mixed-Methods Investigation of How the Built Environment can Support Healthy Cognitive Ageing Urban Space and the Body University College Cork, Ireland, , 09-JUN-17 - 10-JUN-17 [Details]
(2016)64th Annual and Scientific Meeting of the Irish Gerontological Society Developing Cultures of Excellence in Ageing and Exploring the Needs of Marginalised Groups
Marica Cassarino, Annalisa Setti (2016) Physical Activity Modulates Geographical Variations in Cognitive Ageing: Results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing . In: Age & Ageing eds. 64th Annual and Scientific Meeting of the Irish Gerontological Society Developing Cultures of Excellence in Ageing and Exploring the Needs of Marginalised Groups The Malton Hotel, Killarney, , 30-SEP-16 - 01-OCT-16 [DOI] [Details]
(2016)The Gerontological Society of America’s 69th Annual Scientific Meeting
Eleanor Bantry-White, Annalisa Setti, Marica Cassarino, & Yu-Tzu Wu (2016) Quantifying Environmental Load on Cognition: A Pilot Study The Gerontological Society of America’s 69th Annual Scientific Meeting New Orleans, LA, [Details]
(2015)Connected Sustainability Workshop, 7th International ACM Conference on Communities and Technologies
Annalisa Setti & Marica Cassarino (2015) Sustainable Cognitive Ageing: What Role for the Physical and Social Environments Connected Sustainability Workshop, 7th International ACM Conference on Communities and Technologies Limerick, [Details]
(2015)“Unlocking the Demographic Dividend”, The International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics European Region Congress
Marica Cassarino, Rose Anne Kenny, Annalisa Setti (2015) Urban Environments Benefit Cognitive Ageing: A Cross-Sectional Study of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing Cohort “Unlocking the Demographic Dividend”, The International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics European Region Congress Dublin, Ireland, , 23-APR-15 - 26-APR-15 [Details]
(2014)Science for Healthy and Active Ageing Irish Gerontological Society 62nd Annual and Scientific Meeting
Marica Cassarino, Vincent O'Sullivan, Rose Anne Kenny, Annalisa Setti (2014) Environmental Risk Factors for Cognitive Ageing: Geographical Location, Social Engagement and Lifestyle Science for Healthy and Active Ageing Irish Gerontological Society 62nd Annual and Scientific Meeting Galway, Ireland, , 09-OCT-14 - 11-OCT-14 [Details]

Published Reports

 YearPublication
(2022)Agency and Ageing in Place in Rural Ireland.
O’Sullivan, S., Buckley, M., Desmond, E., Bantry-White, E., Cassarino, M. (2022) Agency and Ageing in Place in Rural Ireland. University College Cork and Age Action, Cork. [Details]

Policy Contribution

 YearPublication
(2022)Air quality around schools – An investigation of the views of parents/caregivers and school staff in two primary schools in Cork.
Cassarino M., Murphy L., Venables D., Hellebust S. (2022) Air quality around schools – An investigation of the views of parents/caregivers and school staff in two primary schools in Cork. Cork: Policy Contribution [Details]
(2021)Promoting engagement with air quality through forecasting and public health warnings: A survey investigation of citizens’ attitudes and behaviour.
Cassarino M., Gorman G., Hellebust S., Venables D. (2021) Promoting engagement with air quality through forecasting and public health warnings: A survey investigation of citizens’ attitudes and behaviour. Policy Contribution [Details]
(2020)Pedestrian Cork Survey 2020.
Cassarino M., Burke O., Egan J. (2020) Pedestrian Cork Survey 2020. Policy Contribution   [Details]

Professional Activities

Honours and Awards

 YearTitleAwarding Body
2022UCC Green Campus Living Lab Fund UCC Green Campus
2021UCC Green Campus Fund UCC Green Campus
2020International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) 2019 Outstanding Reviewer Award MDPI
2020UCC. School of Applied Psychology Research Support Fund School of Applied Psychology
2020British Academy Network Seed Fund British Academy
2019UCC CACSSS Impact fund UCC College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Studies
2013School of Applied Psychology PhD Scholarship School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork
2014Strategic Research Fund Postgraduate Scholarship University College Cork
2016Irish Gerontological Society Presidential Medal Irish Gerontological Society

Professional Associations

 AssociationFunctionFrom / To
International Association People-Environment Studies Ordinary member05-JAN-21 / 31-DEC-23
International Association of Applied Psychology Ordinary member12-SEP-21 / 12-SEP-23
Psychological Society of Ireland Ordinary member01-JAN-20 / 31-DEC-22
American Psychological Association Ordinary member01-JAN-21 / 31-DEC-22
Psychological Society of Ireland Special Interest Group for Addressing Climate and Environmental Emergency Ordinary member09-FEB-22 / 31-DEC-22
Irish Gerontological Society Ordinary member01-JAN-16 / 31-DEC-19

Committees

 CommitteeFunctionFrom / To
Creating our Future Expert Working Group Health and Wellbeing Expert working group member2021 / 2022
School of Applied Psychology Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team Student and Staff Working Group Lead2021 / 2022
UCC Success is in your Nature Steering Group Collaborator2020 / 2021
UCC Age Friendly University Steering Group Ordinary member2019 / 2020

Employment

 EmployerPositionFrom / To
School of Applied Psychology University College Cork Lecturer19-AUG-19 /
School of Allied Health University of Limerick PostDoctoral Researcher22-JAN-18 / 16-AUG-19
Liberty Insurance Ltd. & School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork Post-Doctoral Researcher12-JUN-17 / 12-DEC-17
School of Applied Psychology UCC Lecturer (Occasional)08-SEP-14 / 10-SEP-16
School of Applied Psychology UCC Module Tutor/Demonstrator09-SEP-13 / 19-DEC-14
School of Applied Psychology UCC Researcher (contracted by Project)01-OCT-13 / 31-MAR-17
School of Applied Psychology UCC Research assistant01-APR-17 / 30-APR-17

Education

 YearInstitutionQualificationSubject
2021Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology Certificate in GIS and Digital MappingIS and Digital Mapping
2017University College Cork Ph.D. by ResearchApplied Psychology
2009University of Padova MASTER OF SCIENCEClinical Psychology
2007University of Padova BACHELOR OF SCIENCECognitive and Psychobiological Sciences

Languages

 LanguageReadingWritingSpeaking
English FluentFluentFluent
Italian FluentFluentFluent

Outreach Activities

 Description

As a member of this partnership with Cork City Council, Cork Healthy Cities, and the School of Chemistry in UCC, I have contributed to outreach in the local community, including UCC Community Week 2021, Cork's Lifelong Learning Festival 2022, and Cork's Carnival of Science 2022.

I have been a member of the steering group of Pedestrian Cork since November 2019. Pedestrian Cork is an advocacy group working for the promotion of liveability and accessibility in Cork City and County https://pedestriancork.wordpress.com/

Other Activities

 Description

Science Communication

  • 2021. Panelist at the UCC Community Week Public Talk Air Quality in Cork. With UCC School of Chemistry, ERI and Cork City Council.
  • 2017. Second place at the FameLab Munster regional heat and qualified for the national final, for the talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u00tf-yoIwQ A moka pot with high potential describing the concept of "affordances" and their application to design user-friendly environments in three minutes
  • 2015. Second prize in the "Three Minutes Thesis" section at the UCC Doctoral Showcase for describing my PhD project in three minutes. Presentation title: "It Takes Two to Tango; Person-Environoment Interactions Influence Cognitive Ageing" (see presentation at



Blog Contributions


A crisis in climate cognition, explained.
 Academic expert contribution, by GreenNews.ie (August 2021)

Why Where you Live Matters to Your Health and Happiness. Psychreg - Let's Talk abour Behaviour blog (July 2017)

Finding the Best Places for Growing Old.
University College Cork Postgraduate blog (June 2017)

Teaching Activities

Teaching Interests

  • A significant part of my teaching is dedicated to Research Methods and Data Analysis in Psychology, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. I also contribute my interest in Environmental Psychology and expertise in person-environment interactions across modules related to Community Psychology, Service Design, and Work design. 

Modules coordinated
  • AP1040 Research Design and Statistical Analyses I (2019/22)
  • AP2050/AP2114 Research Methods in Psychology II (2019/20)

Postgraduate supervision

2021-2022
  • Laura Somers, M.A. Applied Psychology, Secondary trauma and wellbeing in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Patrick Clancy, M.A. Applied Psychology Mental Health, Burnout in healthcare workers working with intellectual disabilities 
  • Jennifer Costello, M.A. in Work and Organisational Behaviour, Workplace online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic 
  • Hope Obediah,  M.A. in Work and Organisational Behaviour, Work-related stress and contextual performance in employees working remotely 
  • Topaz Shrestha, Ph.D. by Research (Co-supervisor), Nature-based solutions for wellbeing
2020-2021
  • Maria Bulz, M.A. in Work and Organisational Psychology, Workspace biophilic design, employee productivity, and the mediating role of employee satisfaction
  • Jennifer Rawle, M.A. in Work and Organisational Psychology, Factors of emotional exhaustion among primary school teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Colm Scully, M.A. in Work and Organisational Behaviour, Changes to commuting and employees experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Sarah Jane O'Mahoney, M.A. in Work and Organisational Behaviour, The impact of working from home on communication and social interaction in the workplace

  • Hannah Nash, M.Sc. Public Health (co-supervisor), Sea swimming and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic

2019-2020
  • Darragh Long, M.A. Applied Psychology Mental Health, Impact of Work Environment on Stress Related Health in Irish Homeless Shelter Staff
  • Nicole Lee, M.A. Coaching and Positive Psychology, Gratitude as a predictor of pro-environmental behaviour? A survey investigation considering the role of environmental values and nature connectedness [published]
  • Topaz Shrestha, M.A. Coaching and Positive Psychology, Natural or Urban Campus Walks and Vitality in University Students: Exploratory Qualitative Findings from a Pilot Randomised Controlled Study [published]
  • Sin Yee Kerk, M.A. Coaching and Positive Psychology, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace – A qualitative research of the experience of international employees in Ireland and reflections on the role of coaching
  • Paul Murtagh. M.A. Work and Organisational Psychology, Workplace biophilic design and employees’ wellbeing


Research Information

Internal Collaborators

 NameInstituteCountry
Dr. James Richardson University College CorkIRELAND
Dr. Annalisa Setti School of Applied Psychology, University College CorkIRELAND
Dr. Courtney Collins School of Biology, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College CorkIRELAND
Prof. Ruth Ramsay School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College CorkIRELAND
Dr. Dean Venables School of Chemistry, University College CorkIRELAND
Dr. Siobhan O'Sullivan School of Applied Social Studies, University College CorkIRELAND
Dr. Eleanor Bantry-White School of Applied Social Studies, University College CorkIRELAND
Dr. Stig Hellebust School of Chemistry, University College CorkIRELAND

External Collaborators

 NameOrganisation / InstituteCountry
Denise Cahill Cork Healthy CitiesIRELAND
Dr. Kevin Ryan Cork City CouncilIRELAND
Dr. Rose Galvin School of Allied Health, University of LimerickIRELAND
Dr. Sina Shahab Cardiff UniversityUNITED KINGDOM
Dr. Sara Biscaya University of SalfordUNITED KINGDOM

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Cork Enterprise Centre, North Mall, Cork.,

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