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David Gallagher

Visiting researcher specialising in Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liverpool John Moores University
I have held a special interest in human cognition and performance in extreme environments since being an undergraduate and postgraduate at Lancaster University (obtaining MSc in Psychological Research Methods in 1995). My career diverged into the area of consumer perception and behaviour, working as a research scientist at Unilever R&D for 21 years. Industrial experience was valuable to understand human behaviour in real world contexts, and how to bridge the gap between fundamental laboratory-based research with in-field studies across the global marketplace. Indeed the breadth of experience from this role, including working closely with multiple academic institutions on collaborative projects, has played an invaluable part in the concurrent approach taken to study behaviour of people in more extreme situations (such as extreme sports). I obtained Chartered Psychologist (by research) status with the British Psychological Society in 2020, in recognition of work in the course of this research career.

I have returned to my academic roots, with a current visiting research position at Liverpool John Moores University, specialising in neurocognitive factors in human performance under environmental stress. I research attentional networks underpinning task performance, particularly in extreme environments, seeking ways to characterise functional connectivity in key brain networks using psychophysiological measures in simulated and real-world contexts. I have been pursuing this particularly in the context of BASE jumping in the UK (but also extending into other adventure pursuits), to understand more about the extreme sports mindset, and brain-body mechanisms involved, including how such insights can help people overcome stress and adversity in everyday life.

Base jumping: what we can learn from some of the world's most extreme athletes about overcoming doubt

Oct 13, 2022 11:47 am UTC| Sports

You can be on that exit point for five minutes, battling all these voices in the head, and all of a sudden, a calmness comes over you, and you realise … its good, lets do it. We used to call that the moment. Andy...

Economy

Impact of Iran-Israel conflict on Stocks, Gold and Bitcoin

Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. The information provided is for general purposes only. No information, materials, services and other content provided on this page constitute a solicitation, recommendation,...

Japan Posts 7.7% Growth in Machinery Orders

In a striking development that looks set to invigorate Japans economic prospects, a key gauge of capital spending in the country has seen its most significant jump in over a year. According to Cabinet Office data released...

How cuts to marginal income tax could boost the UK’s stagnant economic growth

The British prime minister recently claimed the UK economy has turned a corner. Rishi Sunak said inflation figures were encouraging, and proclaimed that 2024 would be the year Britain bounces back. According to his...

A sustainable future begins at ground level

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a call to action in global partnership. By 2023 it appears that our progress has been far from satisfactory in achieving these...

Digital trade protocol for Africa: why it matters, what’s in it and what’s still missing

In February 2024, African heads of states adopted a draft protocol to regulate digital trade within the continent. This significant yet challenging course for Africas digital economy fits into the broader trade agreement,...

Politics

Putin’s Russia: first arrests under new anti-LGBT laws mark new era of repression

Just over three decades after Russia decriminalised homosexuality in 1993, three people have been arrested and charged under the countrys harsh new anti-LGBT laws and could face ten years in prison for membership of an...

Nvidia RTX 4090D Embroiled in US-China Tech Rivalry; South Korea Navigates Chip Export Dilemma

The U.S. government has tightened export restrictions on high-performance semiconductor chips to China, including the Nvidia RTX 4090D, and is urging South Korea to enforce similar curbs, marking a significant escalation...

Canada needs a national strategy for homeless refugee claimants

One year after the federal government closed Roxham Road, refugee claims in Canada continue to increase: there were 143,785 in 2023 compared to 91,730 in 2022. The surprise announcement in March 2023 to modify Canadas...

Who will Trump pick as his running mate?

Being second in line for leadership of the most powerful country in the world is not an easy job. But for Mike Pence, vice president under Donald Trump, things were even harder than usual. As insurrectionists descended...

US and Japan Boost AI, Semiconductor Alliance; EU Eyes Reduction in China Dependence

Japan and the United States are poised to deepen ties in the high-tech sector, signaling a strategic move to enhance their global partnership with a focus on artificial intelligence and semiconductor...

Science

Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains

The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST for short, is one of the most advanced telescopes ever built. Planning for JWST began over 25 years ago, and construction efforts spanned over a decade. It was launched into space on...

US media coverage of new science less likely to mention researchers with African and East Asian names

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If life exists on Jupiter’s moon Europa, scientists might soon be able to detect it

Europa is one of the largest of more than 90 moons in orbit around the planet Jupiter. It is also one of the best places to look for alien life. Often termed an ocean world by scientists, observations to date strongly...

Exploding stars are rare but emit torrents of radiation − if one happened close enough to Earth, it could threaten life on the planet

Stars like the Sun are remarkably constant. They vary in brightness by only 0.1% over years and decades, thanks to the fusion of hydrogen into helium that powers them. This process will keep the Sun shining steadily for...

An eclipse for everyone – how visually impaired students can ‘get a feel for’ eclipses

Many people in the U.S. will have an opportunity to witness nearly four minutes of a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024, as it moves from southern Texas to Maine. But in the U.S., over 7 million people are blind...

Technology

Amazon to Introduce Air Delivery Service in Arizona via Drone

Amazon announced it will commence air delivery in Arizona using drones this year. The e-commerce giant said customers residing within the West Valley Phoenix Metro can avail themselves of Prime Air drone deliveries from...

Apple Adds Eight Chinese Companies to Its Supply Chain After Axing Four

Apple Inc. reportedly expanded its supply chain by adding eight new Chinese companies. This move made it apparent that the iPhone maker would be relying on a China-based network of companies for the future production and...

China Secures Banned Nvidia Chips Amid U.S. Export Restrictions, Tenders Reveal

A Reuters investigation shows that despite U.S. sanctions restricting exports of advanced Nvidia AI chips, several Chinese educational and research institutions have acquired these through Super Micro and Dell...

OpenAI Likely to Launch GPT-4.5 in 2023 Amid Surging AI Development Costs

As the race in generative AI heats up, OpenAI may opt for an incremental update with GPT-4.5 this year, sidestepping the substantial resource demands a full leap to GPT-5 would entail. Resource Constraints May Steer...

Venezuela Embraces Cryptocurrency for Oil Exports to Circumvent US Sanctions

Venezuelas state oil company, PDVSA, is facing renewed US sanctions. To secure its oil trade revenues, it is increasingly turning to cryptocurrency, specifically USDT. This shift is aimed at sidestepping restrictions that...