Professional and other activities

Various professional activities in which I am or have been involved

Academic journals

• Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition (co-founding editor; 1996-2016)
• Journal of Health Psychology (Associate Editor, 2000-2014; Editorial Board, 1996-99; 2014-present)
• Psychology, Health & Medicine (Editorial Board, 1994-2012)
• Developmental Neuropsychology (Editorial Board, 1993-present)
• Annals of Improbable Research (Editorial Board)
• BMC Medical Education (Editorial Board, 2005-present)
• BMC Medicine (Editorial Board,2012-present)
• Empirical Studies of the Arts (Editorial Board, 2006-present)
• Perception (Editorial Board, 1998-2009)
• Medical Education (Editorial Board, 1993-6;1999-2006)
• British Journal of Psychology (Associate Editor, 1995-2000)

Educational activities

• Member of the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges's working party on Assessment (2014-15)
• Member of the UKMED Development Group (Medical Schools Council, etc, 2013-present)
• Member of the UKMED Research Group (2014-present)
• Member of the PSA (Prescribing Safety Assessment) Research Group (2015-present)
• Visiting Professor, Department of Basic Psychological Research, University of Vienna, Jan - July 2012
• Educational Adviser, MRCP(UK) (1997-present)
• Member, PLAB Review Body, General Medical Council (2011-14)
• Member of International Expert Panel, Improving Selection to the Foundation Programme, April 2009 (Medical Schools Council). The report, The Next Stage Review: A High Quality Workforce, was published February 2010, including the Expert Panel Report and the Report on Matching Algorithms.
• Member of PMETB working group for Discussion Document on Oral Assessments (August 2009)
• BMA: Medical Education Sub-Committee (2007-8)
• Dept of Health/NHS National Institute for Health Research: Commissioning panel for Evaluation of Modernising Medical careers pilots (2007-2009).
• PMETB (Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board): 2006-7: Analysis of data from National Survey of Trainee Doctors.
• UK Ignobel Tour 2004 onwards (a part of National Science and Engineering Week run by the BA)
• PINC.8 (2007)
• Myers Lecture, 2005, British Psychological Society
• British Association for the Advancement of Science: President of the Psychology Section 2002
• BAYS/BPS lecturer, Glasgow, 2001
• General Medical Council: Performance Procedures Evaluation Group 1996-1999
• MRC Advisory Board: Clinical Research Training Referee, 1997-9
• Adjunct Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Canada 1997-9

Miscellanous awards, etc.

• Ignobel Prize 2002
• Aventis Prize 2003
• Wellcome Trust Prize 1999
• Fellow of the International Association of Empirical Aesthetics (IAEA)
• Honorary Fellow of the Academy of Medical Educators (2014)

Radio, TV etc.

• August 2018: Writer and presenter of Five Facts about Handedness a short BBC Ideas film available at August 2018: Writer and presenter of  , a short BBC Ideas film available at https://www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/five-facts-about-handedness/p06j84xf
• July 2018: Contribution to a Brazilian documentary entitled Admirável Mundo Destro (Brave Right-handed World); preview available at https://youtu.be/ZsgsfAOxw6
• 3rd/4th October 2016: The Sinister Hand (part 1 and part 2) in The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry (Radio 4)
• 12th Jan 2016, BBC Radio Scotland, Brainwaves, on Handedness
• Sept 2014:  15-minute podcast video for the London Deanery's series on Multiprofessional Videos for Clinical Educators on Learning Styles
• 4th April 2013: Ignobel lecture at the Institute of Engineering and Technology. Click here for a video of the event (I am at about 1:16). 
• 4th to 11th March 2013: Ignobel tour of Denmark and Sweden.
• 17th May 2012: Interview on BBC's Material World, about the scientific study of aesthetics. Click here for the podcast.
• 1st October 2011:  Appearance on QI talking about the Ignobel prize; click here to watch it (I appear at about 9:10 on the recording).
• 13th October 2010: Interview on Radio 2's Simon Mayo DriveTime on left-handedness -- click here to listen to it.
• He played it left hand  (BBC Radio 3, 20th August 2010). Interview for a BBC Radio 3 interval talk during a Prom which included Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand. No longer available to 'listen again', but I have a very large MP3 if you contact me.
• All in the Mind (BBC Radio 4, 25th May 2010); can be downloaded as an MP3.
• Six thousand postcards (presenter of half-hour programme for BBC Radio 4, 2006)
• A slip of the tongue (presenter of two half-hour programmes for the BBC World Service, 1995)
• Do elephants weep? (presenter of three half-hour programmes for the BBC World Service, 1999)
• National Gallery Podcast on brains and painting (August 2007 -- click on Episode Ten for MP3 file)
• Interviews on BBC Radio 4's Material World (18th Oct 2007; 11th Aug 2005)
• Questions questions, BBC Radio 4, 14th April 2005 on left-handedness
• The Naked Scientists, 30th Aug 2005, on Autism, intelligence and left-handedness
• All in the Mind, BBC Radio 4 5th March 2003: The golden ratio

Popular science presentations, Guest Lectures, articles, etc.

• A lecture to the Cardiff Medical Society in March 2012, entitled Early determinants of performance in medical graduates -- nature or nurture?. Click here to view the video.
• The Lord Cohen Lecture at the ASME annual conference in Edinburgh in July, entitled, "In divers manners": Exploring diversity in medical education, is now available; click here to see it.
• Lecture in March 2011 in Dundee as a part of the 2011 Ignobel Tour of the UK.   Click here for a video.
• Lecture at the Wellcome Trust on right- and left-handedness for their evening event Hands: Amazing Appendages,  26th November 2010.
• Guest Lecture, 13th Sigma-Aldrich Organic Synthesis Meeting, Spa Belgium, 3rd Dec 2009
• Brunel Science Lecture, Portsmouth Grammar School, 15th September, 2009
• University of Surrey, Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences Annual Public Lecture, 13th May 2009, Right Hand, Left Hand.
• Cafe Scientifique: Various presentations in Leeds, Newcastle, Cambridge and London
• Ignobel UK tours. Video podcasts of the Imperial College talks for the past few years are available via the Imperial College website, or through iTunes (click here).
• Dana Centre, December 2007

Reviewing

• Click here for a listing of book and other reviews