People

Alexandra C. Pike | PI

I’m a Lecturer at the Department of Psychology at the University of York. I am interested in computational modelling (especially reinforcement learning), neuroimaging, and psychometrics. I have experience working in the fields of eating disorders and anxiety disorders. Previously, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, where I was part of the Neuroscience and Mental Health Group, working with Professor Oliver Robinson. I completed my DPhil at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford. During my DPhil, I worked on eating disorders and compulsivity, using a range of methods, including multimodal MRI, psychopharmacology, and computational modelling. My DPhil supervisors were Professor Philip Cowen and Professor Rebecca Park. I have previously completed an MSc in Neuroscience and a BA in Psychology and Philosophy.

Lucy Stafford | PhD Student (second supervision)

My name is Lucy Stafford and I am a Masters of Science in Psychology graduate from the University of York. I am currently studying for a Masters of Art in Social Research, also at the University of York, as part of the 1+3 Advanced Quantitative Methods funding I received from the Economic and Social Research Council. I will officially start my PhD in the Autumn of 2023. My research interests include interoception, body image, eating behaviours and disorders, and food choices. My PhD research will explore the relationships between gastric interoception, body image, and food choices.

Holly Myers | PhD Student (primary supervision)

My name is Holly Myers and I am a departmentally-funded 1st year PhD student in Psychology at the University of York. My research focuses on the relationship between intolerance to uncertainty (IU) and eating disorders. My project will explore the development of IU from early childhood, qualitative perspectives on IU from both clinicians and individuals with eating disorders and cognitive tasks that can be used to measure IU in eating disorders. I also completed my masters dissertation with Alex on catastrophizing, social anxiety and eating disorders, so I also have an interest in these areas.

Lisa Woodley | PhD Student (secondary supervision)

I graduated with a BSc in Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Essex in September 2023, before completing my master’s degree in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of York in September 2024. Subsequently, I remained at York to commence my PhD. My research uses computational approaches and neuroimaging methods to explore the link between Anorexia Nervosa and autism, with a particular focus on reward-based decision-making and the types of habitual, repetitive behaviours that are evident across many psychiatric conditions.

Former lab members

Gemma Sarigu | Summer research intern

2023

Severija Juškaitė | UCL MSci Psychology Project Student

2021-2022

Annelore Figari | UCL iBSc Medicine Project Student

2021-2022

Ashley Slanina-Davies | UCL MSci Neuroscience Project Student

2020-2021

Mia Harada-Laszlo | UCL iBSc Medicine Project Student

2020-2021

Ágatha Alves Anet | UCL MRes Brain Sciences Project Student

2019-2020

Algirdas Midveris | UCL MSc Cognitive Neuroscience Project Student

2019-2020

Katrina Tan | UCL BSc Biomedical Sciences Project Project Student

2019-2020

Jade Serfaty | UCL Wellcome Biomedical Vacation Scholar

2019

Aida Helena Binti Affandi | UCL MSc Cognitive Neuroscience Student

2018-2019