Alexander Reid
Senior Lecturer

Profile

Biography

• Undergraduate degree, BSc in Psychology, the University of Stirling (Scotland), 2003-2007. This course included a year-long study visit to the University of Toronto (Canada), 2006.
• Masters degree, MSc in Evolutionary Psychology, the University of Liverpool (England), 2008-2009.
• PhD in psychology, Thesis titled: the influence of prior knowledge on memory consolidation, the University of York (England), 2010-2014.

Career

• Teaching Fellow, the Department of Education, University of York (2014-2015).
• Post-doctoral Researcher, Psychology Department, Swansea University (2015-2016).
• Associate Lecturer, the Department of Psychology, University of York (2016-present).

Departmental roles

• Exceptional Circumstances Committee (2022 - present)
• MSci Year Tutor (2023 - present)
• Placement Year Coordinator (2023 - present)
• Deputy Chair of the Board of Studies (2024 - ongoing)
• Employability Coordinator (2019-2024)
• Outreach Officer, Department of Psychology (2018-2024)

University roles

• Forum Magazine Editor (2022-23)
• Faculty of Science Representative, Library and Archives Committee (2024 - ongoing)
• Head welfare tutor, Alcuin College, the University of York (2010-2012).
  
• Teaching and Learning Forum member (2020-present).  

Research

Overview

Sleep, dreaming and memory consolidation

Projects

Although my role here in York is presently teaching focussed my previous research broadly relates to how sleep can influence the mind. This includes the role sleep has in consolidating memories, such as the integration of new information with pre-existing memory, children’s vocabulary acquisition, and the promotion of emotional memories. I have also recently been part of a research team investigating the so-called ‘dream-lag’ effect, a phenomenon where daily events re-emerge in dream reports 5-7 days after they have occurred.

Research group(s)

• Sleep Language and Memory Lab (York),
• Swansea University Sleep Lab (SUSL).

Grants

• The John Lennon Memorial Scholarship (The University of Liverpool)
• The George Butterworth Prize for Academic Attainment (The University of Stirling)

Collaborators

• Prof. Gareth Gaskell (The University of York).
• Prof. Mark Blagrove (Swansea University).
• Dr. Faye Smith (Newcastle University).
• Dr. Lisa Henderson (The University of York).
• Dr. Elaine van Rijn (Duke-NUS).
• Dr. Josie Malinowski (University of East London).
• Dr. Meesha Warmington (University of Sheffield).
• Dr. Anna Weighall (University of Leeds).
• Dr. Chris Edwards (Swansea University).

Teaching

Undergraduate

• Infancy (Year 1)
• Mini Projects (Year 1)
• Academic Skills (all cohorts)
• The Brain Mechanisms of Action and Decision (Year 2)
• Research project and literature survey supervision (Year 3/Msci)
• The Psychology of Consciousness and Free Will (Year 3/MSci)