Department of Psychology, University of Otago

07/09/2026

The 23rd Annual Otago Peace Lecture is next week. This year it’s being given by the founder of Peace and Conflict studies, Prof. Kevin Clements. This lecture is brought to you by Campus Chaplins and the Dunedin Abrahamic Interfaith Group. For further information contact the Dunedin Abrahamic Interfaith Group (email on the flyer).

See www.dunedininterfaith.net.nz for all previous 22 Annual Peace Lectures

07/09/2026

Career Next Steps – where will I take my Psychology Degree?
For 300 and 400 level psychology majors who are looking for career direction outside of registered psychology pathways.

Clarify your strengths and skills, career interests and motivations
Figure out what you need from your next career step
Learn how to research career opportunities that will suit you.

Places are strictly limited and bookings are essential - register using the Otago Careers Hub (https://unihub.otago.ac.nz/students/login)

06/09/2026

Curious about what's next for you in Psychology?
Come along to hear about what a career in psychology could look like for you 😊

When: Wednesday 9th September 5pm
Where: WJB room 1.03 Psychology Dept

03/09/2026

Dr Fereidoun Malaei, a recent Neuroscience PhD graduate from the University of Otago, has published three connected papers arising from his PhD research, tracing a single idea: our ancestors didn’t solve problems from the neck up — they solved them with their whole bodies.

His theoretical paper bridges Darwinian theory with modern approaches to cognition, arguing that cognitive enhancement strategies should engage mechanisms shaped by the recurrent challenges faced by our hunter-gatherer ancestors. His empirical studies then show that executive control differs depending on which limb is used, with standing-leg responses demonstrating greater adaptive capacity for learning than finger responses.

If you are interested in these papers please see the comments for links 😊

03/09/2026

What do a purple telly-tubby, 80’s inspired aerobics, and 4 x Associate Professor Mei Peng have in common? The 2026 Psychology Department Quiz Night - obviously!

Thanks to all who attended - you brought a great energy to the event! There was a big range of scores, but the team that ultimately took the spoils was the staff and students from the top floor, a.k.a. Team Supervision Required.

Major awards:
1st place – Supervision Required (Clinic staff and students)
2nd place – Elaine’s angels + 1 (Elaine Reese lab)
3rd place – Fellow Kids (Teaching Fellows)
Lowest score – Let’s get Quizical (Jamin Halberstadt lab)
Best dressed – Mini Meis (Mei Peng lab)

03/09/2026

Kia ora koutou! Lot's on in September 😊
If you are thinking about next steps - make sure you attend the Psychology Career Stories and Q&A event organised by the NZ Psychological Society!

03/09/2026

Ka rawe! Congratulations to our students for their success in the 3MT finals!
⭐️ PhD winner – Jim Davies, Sciences, Psychology: Of Mice and Men: Modelling Alzheimer’s
⭐️ Peoples’ choice – Jenna Gawn, Sciences (Christchurch), Psychology: Every health behaviour counts: lifestyle behaviours and youth mental well-being

25/08/2026

Catch up with Dr Jack Scott (a postdoc in the Human Affective and Motivational Neuroscience Lab), who is using AI and non-invasive measurements of brain activity to figure out how well ADHD medication is working.

Jack Scott from Otago University is combining the use of artificial intelligence with non-invasive measurements of brain activity.

25/08/2026

The 3Minute Thesis finals are on Tuesday, 1 September at 5:30pm
(St David’s Lecture Theatre)! Jenna Gawn and Jim Davies (both supervised in Psychology) are in the running as finalists in the PhD category!

What happens when you give some of our brightest graduate researchers just three minutes and one slide to explain years of research?

Join us on 1 September at 5.30pm and find out!
From groundbreaking health discoveries to understanding human behaviour, you'll hear passionate researchers share the stories behind their work, their challenges, and why their research matters.

Expect fascinating ideas, surprising insights, and more than a few moments that will leave you thinking, "Wow, I never knew that!"

🌟 Research topics span disciplines from right across the University, showcasing the incredible breadth of work being undertaken by our postgraduate students.

And for those joining from our northern campuses, be sure to cheer on our northern campus finalists:
🔹 Jenna Gawn (Christchurch Campus)
Developmental Trajectories of Health Behaviours and Mental Health
🔹 Aparna Menon (Wellington Campus)
Optimisation of Stabilised Whole Blood to Facilitate Biomarker Discovery in Human Diseases

👏 Come support our finalists, celebrate great research, and maybe even discover a new passion along the way. See you there!

21/08/2026

Kia ora e te whānau!

Congratulations to all our students graduating this May - we can’t wait to see where the next chapter in your journey takes you 🎓

If your whānau are unable to attend the ceremony this Saturday they can access the live stream here: https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/events/livestreaming-of-the-graduation-ceremonies