Dr Laura Mirams
School of Psychology
Faculty of Health
Email: L.R.Mirams@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 904 6292
Laura completed a PhD in Psychology at the University of Manchester in 2011, investigating the effect of attention on body perception and misperception. After her PhD, Laura stayed as a postdoc at the University of Manchester, working on a project funded by Unilever R & D investigating the effect of emotion and attention on touch and self-perception. Since starting her lectureship at Liverpool John Moores University in 2013, Laura’s research remains focused on investigating the cognitive and multisensory processes that affect body perception, and in turn well being, in the general population and in patient groups.
Laura is currently working on research projects investigating:
Tactile perception and misperception in eating disorders.
Social influences on the boundaries of peripersonal space.
The effect of perceived threat on the boundaries of defensive space during the Covid pandemic
Current teaching activities:
Positive Psychology, Face Perception: Processing and Disorders, Dissertation Supervision (Level 6, BSc Psychology)
Empirical Project (Module leader, MSc Positive Psychology and Wellbeing)
Pathways to Wellbeing (MSc Positive Psychology and Wellbeing)
Member of the Psychology Research Ethics Panel
Degrees
2011, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom, PhD
2006, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom, MRes
2005, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom, BSc Psychology
Academic appointments
Research Associate (Post Doc), School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Manchester, 2011 - 2013
Teaching Assistant, School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Manchester, 2007 - 2008
Research Assistant, School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Manchester, 2007 - 2008
Highlighted publications
Mirams L, Poliakoff E, Lloyd DM. 2017. Spatial limits of visuotactile interactions in the presence and absence of tactile stimulation. Exp Brain Res, 235 :2591-2600 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Mirams L, Poliakoff E, Zandstra EH, Hoeksma M, Thomas A, El-Deredy W. 2016. Good vibrations: Global processing can increase the pleasantness of touch. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove), 69 :2471-2486 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Journal article
Sacchetti S, Cazzato V, McGlone FP, Mirams LR. 2021. In your eyes: vision of the body alters touch perception in women with eating disorder symptoms Psychological Research, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Piovesan A, Mirams LR, Poole H, Ogden R. 2021. The effect of pain on reference memory for duration Psychological Research: an international journal of perception, attention, memory and action, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Sacchetti S, Mirams L, McGlone F, Cazzato V. 2020. Self-focused attention enhances tactile sensitivity in women at risk from eating disorders Scientific Reports, 10 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Piovesan A, Mirams LR, Poole H, Moore DJ, Ogden R. 2018. The relationship between pain induced autonomic arousal and perceived duration Emotion, 19 :1148-1161 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Mirams L, Poliakoff E, Lloyd DM. 2017. Spatial limits of visuotactile interactions in the presence and absence of tactile stimulation. Exp Brain Res, 235 :2591-2600 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Mirams L, Poliakoff E, Zandstra EH, Hoeksma M, Thomas A, El-Deredy W. 2016. Good vibrations: Global processing can increase the pleasantness of touch. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove), 69 :2471-2486 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Mirams L, Poliakoff E, Zandstra EH, Hoeksma M, Thomas A, El-Deredy W. 2016. I feel bad and look worse than you: Social comparisons moderate the effect of mood on face health judgement. Acta Psychol (Amst), 168 :12-19 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Mirams LR, Poliakoff E, Zandstra EH, Hoeksma M, Thomas A, El-Deredy W. 2014. Feeling Bad and Looking Worse: Negative Affect Is Associated with Reduced Perceptions of Face-Healthiness PLoS One, 9 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Mirams LR, Poliakoff E, Brown RJ, Lloyd DM. 2013. Brief body-scan meditation practice improves somatosensory perceptual decision making Consciousness and Cognition, 22 :348-359 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Mirams LR, Poliakoff E, Brown RJ, Lloyd DM. 2013. Brief body-scan meditation practice improves somatosensory perceptual decision making CONSCIOUSNESS AND COGNITION, 22 :348-359 DOI
Mirams LR, Poliakoff E, Brown RJ, Lloyd DM. 2012. Interoceptive and exteroceptive attention have opposite effects on subsequent somatosensory perceptual decision making Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 65 :926-938 DOI
Mirams LR, Poliakoff E, Brown RJ, Lloyd DM. 2011. Interoceptive and exteroceptive attention have opposite effects on somatosensory perceptual decision making. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 65 :926-938 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Mirams LR, Poliakoff E, Brown RJ, Lloyd DM. 2010. Vision of the body increases interference on the somatic signal detection task Experimental Brain Research, 202 :787--794 DOI
Mirams LR, Poliakoff E, Brown RJ, Lloyd DM. 2010. Vision of the body increases interference on the Somatic Signal Detection Task Experimental Brain Research, 202 :787-794 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Conference publication
Piovesan A, Mirams L, Poole H, Moore D, Richter M, Ogden RS. How Pain Affects Time Estimation. A Physiological Study Timing Research Forum
Poole H, Mirams L, Piovesan A, Ogden R. 28. Piovesan A., Mirams L., Poole H., Ogden, R. S. (2018) The effect of pain on memory for duration 4th International Conference on Time Perspective
Piovesan A, Mirams L, Poole H, Moore D, Ogden R. Does pain lengthen time estimation because it increases body arousal? A physiological study. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Experimental Psychology Society
Piovesan A, Mirams L, Poole H, Moore D, Ogden R. Judging the duration of painful stimuli and non-painful stimuli during a state of pain. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Experimental PSychology Society
Conference presentation:
Sacchetti, S., Mirams, L., McGlone, F, & Cazzato, V. (2021, 20-21 Jan). Eyes on me: The effect of self-focused attention on touch perception and its association with eating disorder symptoms., Eating Disorders International Conference: EDIC 2021, On line, Poster presentation. 2021
Sacchetti, S., Mirams, L., McGlone, F, & Cazzato, V. (2019, 11-13 Sept). The effects of CT optimal touch on multisensory integration, arousal and mood, using the Somatic Signal Detection., International association for the study of affective touch (IASAT), Sweden, Poster presentation. 2019
Sacchetti, S., Mirams, L., McGlone, F, & Cazzato, V. (2019, 18-20 Jul). Eyes on me: the effect of mirror-image exposure on multisensory integration and its association with eating disorders., The 20th Congress of the International Neuropsychoanalysis Society, Brussels, Belgium, Poster presentation. 2019
Sacchetti, S., Mirams, L., McGlone, F, & Cazzato, V. (2019, 5 Jul). Eyes on me: The effect of self-focused attention on multisensory integration and its association with eating disorder symptoms., Body Representation Network (BRNet) workshop ‘The fuzzy body: stable and dynamic properties of Body Representation’, Milan, Italy, Poster presentation. 2019
Sacchetti, S., Mirams, L., McGlone, F, & Cazzato, V. (2019, 7-9 Mar). Eyes on me: The effect of self-focused attention on touch perception and its association with interoceptive accuracy and eating disorder symptoms., International Conference of Psychological Science (ICPS), Paris, France, Poster presentation. 2019
Sacchetti, S., Cazzato, V. McGlone, F, & Mirams, L. (2018, 29 Jun). Inside and outside: Erroneous reports of touch sensation and interoceptive accuracy is linked to body image concerns., Body Representation Network (BRNet) workshop Multi-faceted body: Updates into body representation and embodiment research workshop, Edinburgh, Scotland, Poster presentation. 2018
Research Grants Awarded:
Experimental Psychology Society, Social influences on the spatial boundaries of visuotactile interactions, Ellen Poliakoff, Grant value (£): 3500, Duration of research project: 1 year. 2017
Membership of professional bodies:
Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, The Higher Education Academy. 2015
Membership, Experimental Psychology Society. 2015
Teaching qualification:
PGCert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Distinction. 2015
External collaboration:
http://beamlab.lab.ls.manchester.ac.uk/labmembers/, The University of Manchester, Ellen Poliakoff.