About

I graduated from the University Lincoln with a BSc(Hons) in Psychology. I worked in various settings as a care assistant and Assistant Neuropsychologist prior to joining Sheffield Hallam University first as a PhD student and then joined the psychology department as a lecturer in 2009. I teach and lead in the areas of Biopsychology, Psychological Wellbeing, Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology and Developmental Psychology at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels. I supervise both Undergraduate and Postgraduate research projects and at PhD level.
 
Research activity and interests:

• Food preferences and eating behaviours across the lifespan.
• Food waste
• Sensory processing and food preferences/eating behaviours in Autism
• Obesity
• Food addiction
• Neuropsychology

Teaching interests:

• Developmental Psychology
• Atypical Development
• Psychobiology
• Neuropsychology
• Abnormal Psychology
• Health Psychology

Research interests:

Current research interest and activity include:

• Food preferences and eating behaviours in children with autism and typically developed children.
• Nutritional intake of children with autism.
• Complementary Medicine use in children with autism (particularly gluten free/casein free diets) and the beliefs and cognitions behind
• parents decisions to use CAM for their child.
• Sensory processing in autism (particularly in relation to food preferences).
• Health psychology (children’s food preferences, intake and obesity)
• Biopsychology
• Neuropsychology
  

Teaching

Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences

College of Social Sciences and Arts

Psychology 

Courses taught

• BSc Psychology
• MSc Developmental Psychology
• MSc Psychology

Modules taught

• Biopsychology
• Psychological Wellbeing & Mental Health
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Eating Behaviours
• Health Psychology

Research

Journal articles
Hart, K., Marsden, R., & Paxman, J. (2020). Generation of thirst: a critical review of dehydration amongst older adults living in residential care. Nursing and Residential Care, 22 (12). https://doi.org/10.12968/nrec.2020.22.12.6

Marsden, R., Francis, J., & Garner, I. (2019). Use of GFCF Diets in children with ASD. An investigation into parents' beliefs using the theory of planned behaviour. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04035-8

My research and scholarly activity has centred around food preferences, diet intake and eating behaviours in children who are on the autism spectrum. I am also interested in the nutritional intake of children with autism. In a recent investigation I have examined the use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) (particularly gluten free/casein free diets) in autism and the beliefs and cognitions behind parents decisions to use CAM for their child. Other research interests include health psychology, biopsychology and neuropsychology.

Publications

Postgraduate supervision

• Eating Behaviours
• Food Waste
• Obesity
• Food Addiction
• Autism