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Psychobiology Annual Scientific Meeting

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Posted on Tuesday 23 September 2025

On the 4 and 5 September 2025, Dr Kyla Pennington, Senior Lecturer in Mental Health and Section Chair hosted the British Psychological Society’s Psychobiology Section Annual Scientific Meeting within the Department of Psychology at the University of York.
Delegates at Psychobiology ASM2025
Delegates at Psychobiology ASM2025

This two-day event brought together just under 40 academic researchers from across the UK to showcase psychobiological research and its importance to our mental health.

There were keynotes from IMRY Director Professor Scott Cairney on the effects of sleep deprivation on anxiety, Professor Simon Gilbody on the psychology of loneliness and Professor Daryl O’Connor (University of Leeds) on stress as a silent killer.  Students also attended and presented with undergraduate bursary winner Isabel Sanz from King’s College London, undergraduate runner-up George Wightman from the University of York and postgraduate bursary award winner Dr Rebecca Colombage from the University of Reading. 

A particular focus of the event was the themed symposium on the psychobiology of cold water immersion with talks from Dr Heather Massey (University of Portsmouth), Professor Mark Wetherell (Northumbria University), Dr Richard Stephens (Keele University) and Professor Joyce Harper (UCL).  This event was followed by a wild swim (and sauna) at the nearby Poolbridge Farm.

Delegates also had a tour of the York Neuroimaging Centre and heard talks on a range of mental health research including the psychobiological effects of hangovers, the relationship between childhood trauma and hoarding behaviours, the benefits of blue and green spaces for improving wellbeing and the impacts of food security in adolescents.  Overall, the 2025 ASM was a vibrant and memorable meeting at York. If anyone would like to know more about the BPS, the Section of Psychobiology and/or how to get more involved please email do get in touch (kyla.pennington@york.ac.uk).