Dr Paul Pope BSc, MSc, PhD, SFHEA

• Senior Fellowship of the HEA
• PhD, University of Birmingham
• MSc, University College London
• BSc (Hons), Keele University

Over the past twenty years, Dr Pope has developed an international research profile investigating the neural mechanisms underlying motor control and cognition across the lifespan, with a particular focus on how thought and action interact in health, ageing, and disease. His research has explored how the brain supports perception, thought, and movement, and how these processes can be measured, understood, and, in some cases, enhanced through neurostimulation techniques. Among his contributions is the development of the Paced Auditory Serial Subtraction Task (PASST), a cognitive task designed to assess working memory under time pressure. Using EEG, he also demonstrated that the brain generates a distinct neural command not only to initiate movement but also to terminate it—revealing a more complete account of how the brain controls actions. In addition, he proposed the idea of state-dependent effects of neural stimulation, demonstrating that the behavioural impact of brain stimulation depends on the individual's neural state at the time of stimulation: an insight that has influenced further research in the field.

Alongside his research career, Dr Pope has extensive experience teaching over ten psychology modules, where he has supported students in developing both theoretical understanding and practical research skills. He has also played an active role in contributing to public engagement and academic leadership.

More recently, his work has moved beyond the laboratory to integrate psychological science with documentary photography, establishing a distinctive interdisciplinary practice. Drawing on his background as an internationally award-winning photographer, he employs visual methods to investigate social and cultural themes, positioning photography not only as a means of communication but as a tool for inquiry. Central to this work is a commitment to making psychological science visible, accessible, and grounded in everyday experience through public-facing writing and photographic work.

Dr Pope's current teaching, research, and creative practice focus on key issues in contemporary social psychology, particularly the relationship between social media and wellbeing, the role of photography in shaping identity and belonging, and its application as a therapeutic tool. Across these areas, he combines empirical research with creative practice to generate new insights into human behaviour, while engaging wider audiences beyond academia.

Contemporary Issues in Social Psychology (Module Lead)

Neural Basis of Visual and Action (Lecturer)

Research Methods B (Lecturer)

Research Methods C (Lecturer)

I welcome doctoral supervision in areas at the intersection of visual storytelling and social psychology, particularly the role of photography as a therapeutic practice.

Current Research: Embodied Photography, Visual Culture, and Social Psychology

My current research explores the intersection of psychology, photography, and visual culture, with a focus on embodiment. I examine photography as a situated, multisensory practice in which perception, cognition, and action are closely linked, considering both the processes of making images and the psychological responses involved in viewing them.

An emerging focus of the research examines the therapeutic potential of photography. Building on the concept of embodiment, I explore how photographic practices can facilitate emotional processing, autobiographical reflection, and wellbeing, with implications for resilience and rehabilitation. Alongside this, I conduct research on selfie-taking, social media behaviour, and the role of images in shaping identity and belonging.

Previous Research: Cognition, Motor Control, and Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation

My previous research focused on the interaction between cognition and motor control across health, ageing, and neurological conditions. This work examined how perception, attention, and working memory support coordinated movement and skilled action. To investigate the mechanisms underlying these neural processes, I employed a combination of behavioural methods and neuroimaging techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography (EEG), enabling the study of both brain structure and real-time neural activity during cognitive and motor tasks.

I also conducted research using non-invasive brain stimulation, particularly transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying cognition and behaviour. This work contributed to the development of the concept of state-dependent effects of neural stimulation, demonstrating that the behavioural impact of brain stimulation depends on the cognitive or neural state of the individual at the time stimulation is applied. This finding has informed subsequent research examining variability in stimulation outcomes and the importance of task context in neuromodulation studies.

More broadly, this research programme contributed to understanding how the brain integrates perception, cognition, and action during complex behaviour, with implications for cognitive neuroscience, human performance, and potential rehabilitation approaches.