Our Focus

We are a multidisciplinary team of researchers working with a number of individuals and organisations who are embedded in stressful environments. We will drive research in four key research areas:

1. The role of Neuropeptide Y in psychological stress resilience.
2. The relationship between specific aspects of sleep architecture, Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep fragmentation and Slow Wave Sleep (SWS) disruption, and stress responses and functioning.
3. The innovative application of technology, such as serious games, or Artificial Intelligence, to modify cognitive processes (e.g., challenge appraisals) that underpin a positive adaptation to stressful environments.
4. How ecological factors, including the characteristics of an individual’s social networks impact the stress response and functioning in stressful environments?

We have established the Manchester CARES cohort drawn from Manchester Metropolitan University students training for caring professions to investigate the associations between sleep quality, stress responses and functioning in individuals before they enter the work force, with the long-term goal to follow up this cohort once they start working in their respective professions.

These research areas are supported by a regular monthly meetings with a mix of external speakers and internal support for research activity.