UCL Div. of Psychology & Language Sciences (PALS)

Neurodivergent adolescents experience twice the emotional burden at school Negative school experiences generate twice the emotional burden in autistic and ADHD adolescents compared to their neurotypical classmates, and this is significantly correlated with depression and anx...

Negative school experiences generate 2x the emotional burden in autistic & ADHD adolescents vs their neurotypical classmates, & this is significantly correlated with depression & anxiety, according to a new study involving UCL PALS researchers.

👉 Find out more here: www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/ju...

UCL researchers join indigenous Pacific sailors to explore ancient skill of wave piloting UCL researchers are teaming up with a group of world-leading scientists to investigate how indigenous sailors find their way by sensing the swells of the ocean.

⛵ This summer a team of researchers - including @hugospiers.bsky.social (@uclpals.bsky.social) - will set sail on a journey to discover more about the centuries-old skill of wave piloting.
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Watching a live performance together syncs brainwaves When people watch a live contemporary dance performance, their brainwaves sync up, signalling shared focus and attention, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

When people watch a live contemporary dance performance, their brainwaves sync up, signalling shared focus and attention, according to a new study led by UCL PALS researchers.

👉 Find out more here: www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/ju...

Congrats to Dr Ahmetoglu from UCL PALS, who has received a grant from the Department of Government Enablement in Abu Dhabi for a project called "Experimental Evidence on Public Sector Capacity Building: A Randomized Evaluation of Four Training Interventions in the Abu Dhabi Civil Service.”

Thinking about a Master's in Language Sciences? UK students can still apply to our UCL MSc Language Sciences – plus you’ll automatically be considered for our £1k Excellence Bursary. Develop your expertise with world-leading researchers in London.

More here 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-scienc...

RE-STAR paper with PALS and Youth Researcher Panel wins BJPsych Editor’s Choice Award RE-STAR Paper Co-Authored by Youth Researcher Panel and UCL PALS’ Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou Wins Prestigious BJPsych Editor’s Choice Award

A paper by Dr Pavlopoulou from UCL PALS & the RE-STAR Youth Panel has won the BJPsych Editor’s Choice Award.

RE-STAR focuses on supporting neurodivergent young people’s mental health by centring their voices in research.

More here 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-scienc...

Huge congrats to all our BSc/MSci Psychology students on completing the programme! Wherever your journey takes you next, we’re cheering you on every step of the way!

How playing Connections and Wordle can benefit your brain, according to a neuroscientist Can word-based games lower your risk of dementia and make you smarter? An expert to explains.

🧠 Can puzzles change your brain? Yes – says Prof. Lavie from UCL PALS: "When you do a task repeatedly, it changes the brain's anatomy in areas connected to that task, increasing the overall volume of grey matter in that region".

Full article here
👉 uk.style.yahoo.com/nyt-connecti...

Professor Hugo Spiers on how London taxi drivers are helping Alzheimer's disease research Professor Hugo Spiers (UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences) explains how London taxi drivers’ navigational abilities get better over time and ho...

🚖 What can we learn from London taxi drivers into Alzheimer’s disease?

We chatted to Prof @hugospiers.bsky.social from @uclpals.bsky.social about his team’s research on taxi drivers’ brains and the potential clues for #dementia interventions: buff.ly/VKEXVeM

#UCLDementia #DementiaActionWeek

People Likely Aren’t as Susceptible to False Memories as Researchers Thought New studies underscore the difficulty of implanting entirely fictional events in a person’s recollection

Professor Chris Brewin from UCL PALS has written in Scientific American about a core experiment on false memories, and that they’re much harder to implant in people’s minds than previously thought.

👉 Read the article here: www.scientificamerican.com/article/peop...

Reads: One of the biggest challenges with young people’s mental health is access to support. We are failing young people with long waiting lists and limited resources, and we need better access to mental health and public services – especially in schools.

How do we ensure that children and young people have the tools they need to protect their mental health in online and real world spaces?
We speak to Dr Christina Carlisi (@uclpals.bsky.social) to find out. #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
buff.ly/cROmiiW

Congratulations to all the staff from UCL PALS who have been shortlisted for 2025 Education Awards!

🔗 See the full list here, and register to attend the ceremony: www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching-lea...

Congrats to Professor Peter Fonagy (Head of UCL PALS), who has been elected to the Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This award recognises the outstanding work Peter has done on attachment and people with complex issues relating to their personality function.

UCL experts call for urgent action on childhood verbal abuse at House of Commons Leading experts, including two UCL academics, have gathered at the House of Commons to call for urgent national action to tackle childhood verbal abuse.

Profs Eamon McCrory & Peter Fonagy (both from @uclpals.bsky.social) visited the House of Commons to highlight why preventing verbal abuse of children is so critical & must be on the Government's agenda.

👉 Find out more here: www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/ap...

Non-inherited genes affect children’s development Parents’ genes – even when not directly inherited by a child – may play a role in their educational and mental health outcomes, finds a new report by UCL researchers.

Parents’ genes – even when not directly inherited by a child – may play a role in their educational and mental health outcomes, finds a new report by Dr @josejmorosoli.bsky.social & Professor Jean-Baptiste Pingault @uclpals.bsky.social @uclbrainscience.bsky.social www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/ma...

Autism not linked with increased age-related cognitive decline There is no difference over time in the spatial working memory of older people who have autistic traits and those who are neurotypical, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

There's no difference over time in the spatial working memory of older people who have autistic traits and those who are neurotypical, finds a new study led by Professor Joshua Stott from UCL PALS.

👉 Find out more here: www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/ap...

💡Do you have a challenge #BehaviouralScience can solve?

UCL's Behavioural Insight Exchange (BIX) initiative partners UCL students with organisations to solve real problems.

📅Join this Q&A on 22 May to find out more: tinyurl.com/2tsrx7f8

We are thrilled to host Prof @stepalminteri.bsky.social in the London JDM seminar. All welcome! for more info, please visit our website: www.ucl.ac.uk/pals/events/...

Physical and psychological symptoms of ketamine abuse revealed Ketamine addiction is linked to high levels of physical health problems and psychological consequences, with nearly half of those affected not seeking support or treatment, reports a new study by UCL ...

Ketamine addiction is linked to high levels of physical health problems and psychological consequences, with nearly half of those affected not seeking support or treatment, reports a new study co-led by PhD candidate Rebecca Harding @uclpals.bsky.social with @profceliamorgan.bsky.social

Being shouted at by parents can alter child’s brain, experts tell UK MPs Meeting will hear how exposure to verbal abuse leads to biological changes and can make mental ill-health likelier

Later today, UCL PALS academics will join leading experts at the House of Commons for Words Matter’s discussion on the urgent need to prevent the verbal abuse of children.

📰 Read more in The Guardian: www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Anna Freud's Researcher Internship Scheme is a fantastic opportunity for those interested in a career in child & adolescent #MentalHealth #research and evaluation. Applications for 2025 will open on 29 April. For more info and eligibility criteria, visit www.annafreud.org/get-involved...

How the brain uses ‘building blocks’ to navigate social interactions Our brains use basic ‘building blocks’ of information to keep track of how people interact, enabling us to navigate complex social interactions, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

Our brains use basic ‘building blocks’ of information to keep track of how people interact, enabling us to navigate complex social interactions, finds a new study led by Dr Marco Wittmann from UCL PALS.

👉 Find out more here: www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/ma...

‘No, I’m not phoning to say I’m dying!’ My gruelling week of calling gen Z friends rather than texting them Phone calls can be inconvenient, stressful or actively unpleasant – especially if you’re part of my generation. At 27, can I survive seven days without texts or group chats? And will I still have a so...

“The reality is we’ve made better ways of communicating than having live telephone conversations,” said Prof. Duncan Brumby from @uclpals.bsky.social in the Guardian about why texting has become more popular than phone calls.
👉 Read more here: www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

UCL's Dr Michael Spence and Professor Tali Sharot speaking at WEF 2025

Professor Tali Sharot speaking at a WEF panel event Renewing the Promise of Democracy

Dr Michael Spence moderating a WEF panel discussion 'Debating Education'

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting took place in Davos, Switzerland from 20-24 January 2025

UCL experts including President & Provost Dr Michael Spence & Professor Tali Sharot @uclpals.bsky.social joined government, academia & industry leaders from 125+ countries at #wef25 in Davos, Switzerland this month, discussing 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age’: www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/ja...

How does trauma impact the psychological development of children and adolescents?

For #ChildrensMentalHealthWeek, we spoke to Dr Jodie Rawlings (@uclpals.bsky.social) to find out.

Read the interview in full: https://buff.ly/410hr9u

New article by Prof Peter Fonagy, @uclpals.bsky.social, argues that the mental health crisis among young people cannot be addressed without fundamentally rethinking how we support their development. Check it out now⬇️
shorturl.at/TDdE0

@ucl.ac.uk and @maxplanck.bsky.social have renewed the partnership, extending the Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry & Ageing Research until 2030!

This milestone strengthens collaboration in neuroscience, psychiatry & ageing research.

🔗 Read more: bit.ly/41t7MIU

#UCLEurope

A new psychological therapy designed by a team of UCL PALS researchers has been found to reduce rates of violence and aggression among male offenders with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).
👉 Find out more here: www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/fe...

Mental health experts from across UCL, including Prof Peter Fonagy from UCL PALS, have launched a partnership with YouTube to address the shortage of high-quality mental health content available for children and young people.

👉 Find out more here: www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2024/se...