Projects per year
Personal profile
Research Interests
I am interested in perceptual-motor coordination and skill development, with a specific focus on auditory-motor coordination. My research includes questions of how people time movements to auditory events, such as synchronising with a beat, walking to rhythmic sounds (particularly as an aid for gait in Parkinson's disease), or catching a moving object without vision. I am interested in how sensory feedback like ‘movement sonification’ (using motion capture data to trigger sounds in real-time) can be used to enhance learning of motor skills. This involves research into both fundamental questions of perceptual-motor learning, as well as applications to habilitation for children and adults with Visual Impairments. I also research skill acquisition in music performance, including understanding how sound-movement coupling emerges through musical training, techniques to enhance musical skill development, and understanding skilful adaptability in the context of music improvisation. Across all these topics, I want to understand how perceptual information can guide skilful action, as well as the implications for understanding the embodied mind.
I have extensive experience in using various forms of motion capture technology, as well as sound synthesis techniques, for investigating some of the above research topics.
Current PhD students:
- Bonnie Smith - "Psychology of learning and playing new digital musical instruments"
- Michal Toth - "Mapping design of movement sonification to enhance motor skill acquisition"
- Yifan Shi (co-supervisor) - "The Impact of Teaching Interventions on Music Students' Music Performance Anxiety Experience"
- Rober Acheson (co-supervisor) - "Adapting Soundtracks for Listeners with Hearing Loss"
- Yang Yang (co-supervisor) - "The Role of Musical Importance Anxiety in Conservatory Students' Performance in China"
Former PhD students:
- James Stafford - "Ageing and perceptual-based decision-making in traffic environments"
- Alannah Savage - "Investigating motor skills of visually impaired young people and the use of sound to guide movements"
- John Dyer - "Human Movement Sonification for Motor Skill Learning"
- Anna Carapellotti (co-supervisor) - "From effects to affect: The multidimensional impact of dancing with Parkinson’s"
- Zara Gibson (co-supervisor) - "The Psychology of Music Preference: How People Differ in Their Use and Enjoyment of Music"
- Lilian Simones (co-supervisor) - "The Roles of Gesture in Piano Teaching and Learning"
- Gerard Breaden-Madden (co-supervisor) - "The Psychology of Music Preference: How People Differ in Their Use and Enjoyment of Music"
Teaching
My primary teaching areas are:
- Conceptual and historical issues in psychology
- Research methods and analysis
- Psychology of music
I have also previously taught at UG and PGT level the following topics: motor control and learning; psychological dynamics in sport and health;
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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R8542AEL: Improvising Futures
Stapleton, P. (PI), Rodger, M. (CoI), Schroeder, F. (CoI) & Waters, S. (CoI)
16/09/2022 → …
Project: Research
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R2247PSY: Improving Movement Skills fo Visually-Impaired Children Using Interactive Sounds
Rodger, M. (PI)
12/11/2015 → …
Project: Research
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R1669PSY: Dance for Parkinson’s: Improving quality of life and movement in people living with Parkinson’s in Northern Ireland.
Doumas, M. (PI) & Rodger, M. (CoI)
25/05/2022 → 31/12/2022
Project: Research
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A scoping review of educational and training interventions on Parkinson's disease for staff in care home settings
Finlay, S., Anderson, T., Henderson, E., Brown Wilson, C., Stark, P., Carter, G., Rodger, M., Doumas, M., O'Shea, E., Creighton, L., Craig, S., Crooks, S., Gillis, A. & Mitchell, G., 13 Jan 2025, In: Nursing Reports. 15, 1, 15 p., 20.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile54 Downloads (Pure) -
Sensory reweighting for balance in people living with Parkinson’s Disease: postural adaptation, muscle co-contraction, and perceptual delays
McDonnell, P., Rodger, M., Teixeira, L. A., Mitchell, G. & Doumas, M., Mar 2025, In: Gait & Posture. 117, p. 342-348 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)7 Downloads (Pure) -
Experiences of people living with Parkinson’s disease in care homes: a qualitative systematic review
Copeland, S., Anderson, T., Carter, G., Brown Wilson, C., Stark, P., Doumas, M., Rodger, M., O'Shea, E., Creighton, L., Craig, S., McMahon, J., Gillis, A., Crooks, S. & Mitchell, G., Mar 2024, In: Nursing Reports. 14, 1, p. 428-444 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)147 Downloads (Pure) -
How do aesthetics get into muscles and muscles into aesthetics? Insights from musical interactions in an experimental context
Rodger, M., Smith, O. B. & Stapleton, P., 20 May 2024, In: Ecological psychology. 36, 2, p. 95-110 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)31 Downloads (Pure) -
Exploring public perceptions and awareness of Parkinson’s disease: a scoping review
Crooks, S., Carter, G., Brown Wilson, C., Wynne, L., Stark, P., Doumas, M., Rodger, M., O'Shea, E. & Mitchell, G., 15 Sept 2023, In: PLoS One. 18, 9, 19 p., e0291357.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile10 Citations (Scopus)93 Downloads (Pure)
Prizes
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QUB Research Culture Seed Fund
Dessing, J. C. (Recipient), Shorter, G. (Recipient), Graham-Wisener, L. (Recipient), Toner, P. (Recipient), McKeown, G. (Recipient) & Rodger, M. (Recipient), 2021
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Parkinson's Research
Rodger, M. (Invited speaker)
19 Mar 2025Activity: Talk or presentation types › Public lecture/debate/seminar
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Parkinson's@NI Annual Conference 2025
Doumas, M. (Organiser) & Rodger, M. (Organiser)
07 Mar 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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NIHR funding workshop
Doumas, M. (Organiser), Rodger, M. (Organiser), Bull, S. (Speaker), Adair, P. (Speaker), Breslin, G. (Speaker) & Shorter, G. (Speaker)
29 Nov 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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Introducing the QUB Parkinsons@NI collaborative network
Rodger, M. (Invited speaker) & Doumas, M. (Invited speaker)
19 Sept 2024Activity: Talk or presentation types › Public lecture/debate/seminar
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Parkinsons@NI research networking event
Doumas, M. (Organiser) & Rodger, M. (Organiser)
19 Feb 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course