School of Psychology

My undergraduate degree in Biology and Psychology, and PhD in visual neurophysiology and neuroanatomy were both obtained from Keele University. I then held post doctoral positions at the MRC Neuropsychology Unit, Oxford with Professor Freda Newcombe, the School of Psychology, Birmingham University with Professor Glyn Humphreys, and The University Department of Psychiatry, Birmingham, with Professor Femi Oyebode.

I am a chartered psychologist and associate fellow of the British Psychological Society, and honorary secretary of the British Neuropsychological Society. I also sit on the editorial boards of several journals including Psychopathology, European Neurology, Case Reports in Neurology and am currently editing (with Dr Ellen Poliakoff) a special issue of the Journal of Neuropsychology on Parkinson’s disease and Cognition.

I am the director of learning and teaching in the School, with oversight of the undergraduate (BSc dual honours, major route and single honours) and the taught masters programmes in psychology and also counselling psychology.

A key research interest is the cognitive neuropsychological investigation and rehabilitation of memory impairment in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Current research is focused on delivering a 2 year NIHR funded randomised phase IV clinical trial of medication and memory in PD (MeMory PaD trial). Other related projects include an ESRC-funded study of brain training in PD.

Another area of interest is in the cognitive sequalae of anterior and medial thalamic lesions and was recently awarded the Journal of Neuropsychology 2012 best paper prize for a study of material specific memory impairments in unilateral thalamic lesion patients. Current thalamic lesion projects include:

• Anterorgrade and retrograde semantic memory
• Anterograde and retrograde topographical memory
• Prospective memory and executive function
• Attention

Edelstyn, N.M.J., Mayes, A.R.  & Ellis, S.J. (2012) Damage to the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus and intralaminar thalamic nuclei impairs attention in a patient with a right-sided Lesion.  Neurocase available on line

Edelstyn, N.M.J., Mayes, A.R., Denby, C. & Ellis S.J.  (2012) Material-specific memory impairment after damage to the Medial Thalamic Region.  Journal of Neuropsychology, 6 (1), 119-140.

Edelstyn, N.M.J. Shepherd, T.A., Mayes, A.R., Sherman, S.M. & Ellis, S.J. (2010). Effect of disease severity and dopaminergic medication on recollection and familiarity in patients with idiopathic nondementing Parkinson's. Neuropsychologia 44(6), 931-938.

Edelstyn, N.M.J., Mayes, A.R., Condon, L., Tunnicliffe, M. & Ellis, S.J. (2007). Recognition, recollection, familiarity and executive function in patients with moderate Parkinson’s Disease.  Journal of Neuropsychology, 1, 131-147.

Year 1

• PSY10001: Individuals and Societies 1
• PSY10003: Mechanisms and Principles 1

Year 2 

•  PSY20005: Bioogical Psychology, Perception and Cognition

Year 3

• PSY30061: Dissertation module
  PSY30068: Special option in Cognitive Neuropsychology