polyphenols and cognitive function under conditions of stress

Human Appetite Research Unit

Stress

Polyphenols and cognitive function under conditions of stress
Dr Clare Lawton and Professor Louise Dye are currently Co-Principal Investigators on an industrially funded project which aims to examine the effects of polyphenols to maintain cognitive performance under conditions of chronic stress. Dr Dan Lamport is the research fellow on this project and it is a collaboration with colleagues in Institute for Transport Studies, using the Leeds Driving Simulator to examine driving performance.
Polyphenol intake in the UK and effects on health and cognitive function PhD studentship co-supervised by Dr Andrea Day and Professor Gary Williamson, Food Science. Hanis Yahya is currently analysing the dietary intake of women in Leeds based on 7 day food diaries to estimate their usual polyphenol intake and to determine the main sources of polyphenol intake in the UK diet. Hanis has had a poster accepted to disseminate this work at ICPH.
Dairy components and stress

Industrially funded PhD Studentship - Neil Boyle "Dairy components and their effect on cognitive performance under conditions of stress."

The effects of stress on wellbeing, cognitive function and appetite control
Professor Louise Dye has a long standing interest in the effects of stress on wellbeing, cognitive function and appetite control. Along with Professor Daryl O'Connor, she conducted an intervention study to examine the effects of supplementation with vitamins on stress responsivity in highly stressed individuals . This was an industrially funded project sponsored by Unilever plc.
Dr Nicola Lasikiewicz's PhD examined the links between stress, obesity and cognitive function and was supported by a MRC Collaborative Studentship with Unilever plc and has resulted in a number of publications. Nicola is currently Honorary Research Fellow in HARU, senior lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University) and Lecturer at James Cook University, Singapore. There is also interest in the use of psychological interventions to decrease stress and improve health and wellbeing. Dr Sarah Mitchell recently showed how a simple psychological intervention informed by positive psychology could improve sleep quality in a free living cohort.