Professor Richard Wilkie

Profile

Richard Wilkie researches Perception, Action & Cognition (eg investigating locomotor control by simulating self-motion using virtual environments). Richard Wilkie has a BSc in Psychology and Computer Science from the University of Reading, where he also gained his PhD within the Action Research Laboratories. He came to the University of Leeds in 2005 and established the Perception, Action and Cognition Lab and has managed the installation of a new suite of neurophysiology labs within the School of Psychology. His research interests fall predominantly within the "Nervous system and its disorders" and the "Successful Ageing" Grand challenges areas.

PhD Supervision

17 Graduated PhD/MD students: Tom Pike, Yuki Okafuji (2018); Oscar Giles, Pablo Puente Guillen, Alan White (2017); Katy Shire, Callum Mole; Earle Jamieson (2016); Matthew Smith, MD (2015); Ian Flatters; Anna Rossiter (2014); Faisal Mushtaq; Claudia Gonzalez; Rachael Raw (2013); Georgios Kountouriotis (2012); Tom Mercer (2011); Matthew Allsop (2010)

Responsibilities

• Director of Research and Innovation
• Academic Lead (Human Centred Design & Productivity) for the Centre for Immersive Technologies
• Deputy Lead for REF2021

Research interests

Controlling skilled actions (such as writing, catching a ball or driving a car) relies upon intact body and brain. My research investigates how healthy individuals carry out skilled actions, and the best way to train individuals to carry out skilled actions (eg laparoscopic surgery). Various cognitive deficits (eg stroke) can lead to impairments in everyday interactions with the world with serious consequences for quality of life, so I am also interested in how best to support rehabilitation regimes for these individuals. My research focuses on measuring human behaviour (eg steering, hand-movements, head-movements, eye-movements) to identify the underlying mechanisms for controlling skilled actions, as well as identifying deficits associated with older age, or brain injury/disease. Assessing visual-motor problems can be used to help diagnose/assess deficits, but also be used to provide a useful measure of whether interventions (eg electrical brain stimulation) help to improve performance.

Grants

Wilkie, Markkula, Mole, Merat and Romano TRANSITION: Transport Safety in Automated Vehicles. EPSRC.

Holt, Mon-Williams, Wilkie & Coats Postural Sway Tool. Impact Acceleration Account Proof of Concept - IOD14006. RG.MECH.107073.036.

Wilkie, Mole (U.Leeds) and Newbold, Evanson, Western-Williams (Arup) Road safety benefits of eye contact between drivers and vulnerable road users. Transport for London.

Henson, Wilkie, Mon-Williams, Culmer (Jan 2011 - Mar 2011) The effect of product design parameters on human interactions with objects. EPSRC collaboration fund.

Wilkie, Bhakta, Chisholm & Friend (2009-2012) Rehabilitation of driving after stroke. Remedi 2008/02.

Wilkie, Mon-Williams, Burke, Bhakta, Levesley, Walsh (2009-2012) Improving motor learning using DC-stimulation: augmenting rehabilitation for stroke survivors. MRC CASE Award.

Qualifications

• PhD
• Postgraduate Certificate Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
• BSc (Joint Honours) Computer Science and Psychology

Professional memberships

• Experimental Psychology Society (EPS)
• Applied Vision Association (AVA)
• Vision Sciences Society (VSS)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA)

Student education

I teach on topics related to my research expertise (Perception, Action and Cognition and the Spatial World) at Levels 2 and 3

I supervise Major Projects at Level 3 and Level M.

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA)

Research groups and institutes

• Perception, action, cognition

Current postgraduate researchers

• Courtney Michael Goodridge