Jane Simpson

My research interests are around the psychological experiences of people with adult-onset neurodegenerative conditions (including those who live away from their country of birth), self-disgust and the relationship between emotion and cognition more generally.

I am interested in the experiences of people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. My research with people with neurodegenerative diseases is from a specifically psychological (as opposed to psychiatric) perspective and, as such, tries to reformulate difficulties which can sometimes be termed 'neuropsychiatric'. With colleagues at Sheffield Uinversity I am interested in the potential of the concept of self disgust to help us understand why psychological therapies are not successful for a significant proportion of people with low mood, eating disorders etc. With colleagues within DHR I am also exploring the relationship between disability studies and clinical psychology

I joined the Division in 2003. My PhD was entitled 'A cognitive investigation of schizophrenic delusions' and a major focus of her research interests still centres on the relevance of cognitive mechanisms to our understanding of the cause and maintenance of delusions. Other interests include emotional and cognitive factors in obsessive-compulsive disorder, cognition and depression and cognitive, emotional and health care needs of people with Parkinson's disease. I am also a chartered clinical psychologist who works clinically in the Lancaster area.