Overview
Profile summary
I am an Associate Professor (Reader) in the School of Psychology. My work concentrates on the cognitive and neural processes by which we use spatial information to interact with the world around us. Much of the current research in my laboratory focuses on the processes that allow us to search, navigate, and represent our location within different environments. This work has concentrated on the typical development of spatial abilities (in adults and children) and atypical development in individuals with Hydrocephalus, Williams Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Conditions, as well as changes associated with typical and pathological ageing. I also conduct research on neuropsychological assessment, with a particular focus on drawing behaviour. This has involved detailed individual case and group studies of neurological patients with acquired disorders of spatial representation in various functional domains (i.e. integrative agnosia, constructional apraxia, hemispatial neglect). I have employed and developed a broad range of methods to study these behaviours, including virtual reality, GPS tracking, and transcranial electrical stimulation.
I currently hold the following roles within the University:
- Deputy Head of the School of Psychology
- Head of the Cognition and Behaviour Lab, Brain Research and Imaging Centre (BRIC)
- Mind and Brain theme lead, Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research (PIHR)
Professional memberships
- Higher Education Academy (Fellow)
- Applied Vision Association (Life member)
- British Neuropsychological Society
- Experimental Psychology Society (Committee member: 2018-2021)
- NSF Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center (SILC) Spatial Network
Teaching interests
I currently teach on the following Undergraduate and Masters modules:
- PSYC419 Introduction to Cognitive Psychology and Applied Psychological Research
- PSYC423 Environmental Psychology
- PSYC605 Research Project
- PSYC707 MSc Research Project
- PSYC723 Applied Clinical Research
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Research output
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A timely warning: Clock drawing errors in young adults and the long-term validity of cognitive screens
Smith, A. & Salo, S., 11 May 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Clinical Neuropsychologist. p. 1-14Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
Neural responses to acute hypoxia and hyperoxia
Graham, D., Marsden, J., Smith, A. D., Smerdon, G. & Hall, S. D., 16 Apr 2026, In: Neuroscience. 600, p. 43-52Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
Probability cueing in large-scale environmental search: The role of landmark cues in statistical learning
Dordoy, S., Baxter, R. & Smith, A., 16 Jan 2026, In: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning Memory and Cognition.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Downloads (Pure) -
Unreliable landmarks disrupt egocentric navigation in desktop virtual environments
Baxter, R. & Smith, A., 4 Dec 2025, In: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning Memory and Cognition.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure) -
Characterising the anxiogenic network from functional connectivity analysis of the CO2 challenge model
Graham, D., Mathew, S., Marsden, J., Smith, A. D., Smerdon, G. & Hall, S. D., 26 Nov 2024, In: Scientific Reports. 14, 1, 29294.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile48 Downloads (Pure)