I am interested in the biopsychological aspects of human eating behaviour, and interventions aimed at altering food intake and food selection to improve health. I am particularly interested in psychopharmacological, cognitive, and social influences on human eating behaviour.

I graduated with a degree in Psychology from Swansea University in 2008, after which I spent time as an Assistant Clinical Psychologist. In 2009 I undertook a Masters at the University of Birmingham and then a PhD in 2010. My PhD experimental work was undertaken both at Birmingham and at the University of Oxford in collaboration with my industrial sponsor P1vital. Between 2013-2016 I worked on a social norms approach to healthy eating as an ESRC Research Fellow at University of Birmingham. I am presently a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Aston University.

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA, Aston University 2019)
PGCert Learning & Teaching in Higher Education - Aston University (2017) 
PhD Psychology "Neuropsychopharmacology of Appetite in Healthy Volunteers" University of Birmingham (2015)
MRes Brain Imaging and Cognitive Neuroscience - University of Birmingham (2010)
BSc (Hons) Psychology - Swansea University (2008)   

2020 - Present: Senior Lecturer in Psychology, School of Psychology, Aston University
2016 – 2020: Lecturer in Psychology, Life and Health Sciences, Aston University    
2013 – 2016: Research Fellow, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham 

UG Admissions Tutor 2023-Present
Programme Director (Psychology BSc) 2020-2022
Placement Year Tutor 2018-2019
Second Year Tutor 2016-2018

PY1501 - Key Skills in Psychology 1 (Personal Tutor) 
PY3512 - Eating Behaviour (Module Convenor)
PY3501 - Final Year BSc Research Project (Project Supervisor)

• 2021 - £180,178 (KTP) Identifying beliefs and barriers in prescribing behaviour (KTP Supervisor)
• 2019 - £1,500 (Aston University) Support for University-wide Placement Podcast Pilot
• 2019 - £34,122 (LHS) Full-Time PhD Studentship; Katie Edwards (Associate Supervisor)
• 2019 - £42,491 (LHS, Aston University) Nutritional Laboratory, Aston Brain Centre.
• 2018 - £68,244 (LHS) Full-Time PhD Studentship; Chris Delivett (Associate Supervisor).
• ​2017 - £68,244 (LHS) Full-Time PhD Studentship; Lily Hawkins (Primary Supervisor).
• 2017 - £10,000 (BPS) Fruit and Vegetable Maths Masters: disseminating psychological evidence in a fun mobile application to improve children’s eating through the home, preschool or school (Co-Investigator).
• ​2016 - £68,244 (LHS) Part-Time PhD Studentship; Nicola-Jayne Tuck (Primary Supervisor).
• 2016 - £4000 (AHRG) Development of a Food Cognition Battery to Investigate Memory for Food (Principal Investigator).
• 2015 - £870,164 (BBSRC) Interactions between metabolic, cognitive and reward processes in appetite (Co-Investigator).
• 2014 - £1600 (UoB) Summer Studentship - Comparing social norm effects in lean and obese volunteers (Principal Supervisor).
• 2013 - £333,367 (ESRC) A social norms approach to encourage healthier eating (Co-Investigator).
• 2012 - £2388 (UoB) Summer Studentship - Testing of a social norms approach to encouraging healthier eating (Co-Supervisor).

Current PhD Students:

• Violetta Vysevkova (Associate Supervisor)

Completed PhD Students:

• Dr Nicola-Jayne Tuck (Primary Supervisor)
• Dr Katie Edwards (Associate Supervisor)
• Dr Chris Delivett (Associate Supervisor)
• Dr Lily Hawkins (Primary Supervisor)

I am happy to supervise PhD students who are interested in researching human eating behaviour.

Past/Present Membership:
British Association of Psychopharmacology (BAP)
Association for the Study of Obesity (ASO)
British Feeding and Drinking Group (BFDG)
Society for the Study of Ingestive Behaviour (SSIB)
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 
Institute of Food Science & Technology​ (IFST)

Email Address: thomasj8@aston.ac.uk
Telephone Number: +44 (0) 121 204 4899
Office: SW508d, Main Building, Aston University, B4 7ET