TV

I work regularly with the BBC and independent production companies, on brain-science-related TV series. I have been a consultant, researcher, or scientific advisor on many series in recent years, including 'The Human Mind' (BBC1, 2003), 'The Body of Marilyn Monroe' (Tiger Aspect, 2004), 'How Art Made the World' (BBC2, 2005) and 'Secrets of the Sexes' (BBC1, 2005), 'Alternative Medicine: The Evidence' (BBC2, 2006), and ‘The Making of Me’ (BBC1, 2008). I have been involved in most non-technical aspects of production, including developing and structuring scripts, creating TV-friendly demonstrations of psychological experiments, talking to scientists and encouraging collaboration, and even organising filming locations, as well as standing in a lab coat somewhere in the back of a shot to make it clear that we’re doing science.

Web

I have also worked with the BBC to help develop online tests and surveys to tie in with TV series, which are fun to complete yet scientifically valid. I developed much of the BBC's SexID test, which was used to provide content for the TV Series Secrets of the Sexes, and which ended up collecting data from over 250,000 people. This dataset has led to over 20 publications so far, from researchers across the world, including a special section of the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior. I also helped design a survey investigating the link between personality and art preferences for the series How Art Made the World, in 2004. This had over 90,000 respondents, and the results have just been published in the British Journal of Psychology. I have an ongoing relationship with the BBC advising on the design and capabilities of the new LabUK venture. Most recently, in Autumn 2010 I worked with production company Wall-to-Wall and web media company Cimex to help develop some fun tests to accompany the BBC1 series The Young Ones.

Radio

i spent a month on a work placement at The Material World (BBC Radio 4), a live half-hour science show, where I came up with feature ideas, drafted scripts, found contributors, and wrote content for the show's website. I like radio documentary a lot. I was also co-presenter (with half a dozen or so other presenters) on a Student Radio Award winning science magazine show at Imperial College. A long time ago, though.

Writing

I don't do as much writing as I used to. I used to write science articles for student paper 'Varsity', and was runner-up in the Daily Telegraph Young Science Writer Awards twice. I have written material for the BBC website, to tie in with tests we have developed, as well as writing occasional pieces for commercial clients, highlighting aspects of psychological research relevant to the particular area, like this.

Contributor

My research has been reported by most of the broadsheets, and some tabloids, and has appeared on Have I Got News for You. Result. I have done interviews for The Times, and other papers, as well as doing live radio interviews in both the UK and abroad.