James Clay
PhD candidate
Biography
I am an ESRC funded PhD candidate based in the Department of Psychology at the University of Portsmouth, UK. The focus of my PhD is to gain a better understanding of how situational factors (e.g., stress, boredom) and individual differences (e.g., poor inhibitory control) contribute to alcohol use and misuse. Prior to my PhD, I achieved a BSc with first-class honours in Human Physiology from the University of Portsmouth and two Master’s degrees at distinction level: MSc Social Research Methods from the University of Southampton and MRes Psychopharmacology from the University of Portsmouth. Aside from my interest in addiction, I am passionate about improving scientific practice and have been running the Portsmouth chapter of ReproducibiliTea, a journal club initiative that aims to promote transparency and rigor, since 2019. I have also worked with the Office for National Statistics for 3 months during a PhD-related placement where I analysed national suicide data.