Dr Ria Vaportzis
Assistant Professor
| Faculty/Dept/School |
School of Social Sciences (Faculty of Management, Law and Social Sciences) |
|---|---|
| e.vaportzis@bradford.ac.uk | |
| Telephone | +441274 235554 |
Biography
I hold an Honours in Psychology from the University of Melbourne, and a PhD in Psychology from Monash University. My PhD thesis investigated dual-tasking in healthy ageing and Huntington's disease.
While doing my PhD, I worked as a teaching associate at Monash. Upon completion of my studies, I stayed at Monash and was involved in three multinational clinical studies in Huntington’s disease.
In 2014, I got my first job as a postdoctoral researcher at Heriot-Watt University. My project, Tablet for Healthy Ageing, investigated the potential of tablet computers to improve the health and wellbeing in older adults.
Following the Tablet for Healthy Ageing project, I was a Research Co-Investigator on a Velux Stiftung funded project, The Intervention Factory (also at Heriot-Watt). The Intervention Factory, considered community-based activities (e.g., computers, physical activity, handicraft, languages) as potential interventions for cognitive ageing.
I joined the Psychology team at the University of Bradford in 2018. I am currently leading the Back Onside project that aims to improve health outcomes in vulnerable people through physical activity (funded by UKRI HEIF). I am also Co-Investigator on an NIHR-funded project that investigates the advantages and disadvantages of Open Notes for mental health patients.
In addition to my psychology qualifications, I hold qualifications in languages, sports journalism, personal training, and dancing.
Research
My main research interests lie within the broad field of cognitive psychology. I am particularly interested in interventions that may improve cognition, mental health, quality of life and wellbeing of older adults to help them live independently for longer.| Date | Role | Title / Description | Funder | Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04-MAY-20 - | CoI | Food waste generation during COVID-19: A comparative study between the UK and Turkey | ||
| 01-MAR-21 - | PI | Back Onside: A feasibility study that aims to build resilience and confidence in vulnerable people through physical activity | ||
| 15-MAR-21 - | CoI | The SWANS Study at Bradford: Student Wellbeing at North England Universities | ||
| 01-JUN-22 - | CoI | Service user, carer, and clinical perspectives on the risks and benefits of open online case-notes for mental health patients: a single site qualitative pilot study | ||
| 02-JAN-23 - | PI | Perspectives of minority ethnic groups on OpenNotes for mental health |
Teaching
Teaching interests
I am the module leader for Conceptual Issues in Psychology and Mental Health (PSY4012), Forensic Psychology (PSY6001) and Sandwich Year - Study Abroad Experience (PSY5000-Z)
PhD students
2023. Ammarah Ikram. Perspectives of minority ethnic groups on OpenNotes for mental health. Principal supervisor.
2023. Danielle Wood. A psychometric measure for eating behaviour. Co-supervisor.
2022. Andrew Smith. Mental health and running. Principal supervisor.
| Year | Module code | Title | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSY4012-B | Conceptual Issues in Psychology and Mental Health | ||
| PSY6001-B | Forensic Psychology | ||
| PSY5000-Z | Sandwich Year - Study Abroad Experience |
Professional activities
- 01-JAN-09: University of Melbourne - BA(Hons in Psychology - 1st Class)
- 01-JAN-13: Monash University - PhD (Psychology)
- 25-NOV-13: Monash University - Research Assistant
- 24-NOV-14: Heriot Watt University - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- 10-DEC-18: University of Bradford - Assistant Professor
- 15-AUG-15: British Psychological Society, CPsychol
- 15-JAN-21: Higher Education Academy, Fellow
- Lead of Outreach for Psychology
- Athena SWAN committee member
- Programme Leader BSc Psychology with Counselling
- PGR Lead for Psychology
- External examiner: Burnley College
- External examiner: New York College of Athens
- External examiner - Cardiff Metropolitan University:
Publications
| Title | A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of real-world interventions for cognitive ageing in healthy older adults (2019) |
|---|---|
| Authors | Vaportzis, E; Niechcial, MA; Gow, AJ |
| Journal | Ageing Research Reviews |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.arr.2019.01.006 |
| Title | People’s views on preserving thinking skills in old age (2019) |
| Authors | Niechcial M.;Vaportzis E.;Gow A. |
| Journal | Educational Gerontology |
| DOI | 10.1080/03601277.2019.1627054 |
| Title | A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of real-world interventions for cognitive ageing in healthy older adults (2019) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, Ria; Niechcial, M.A.; Gow, A.J. |
| Title | People’s beliefs and expectations about how cognitive skills change with age: Evidence from a UK-wide aging survey (2018) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, E; Gow, AJ |
| Journal | American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry |
| Title | Older adults experiences of learning to use tablet computers: a mixed methods study (2018) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, Ria; Clausen, M.G.; Gow, A.J. |
| Title | People's beliefs and expectations about how cognitive skills change with age: evidence from a U.K.-wide aging survey (2018) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, Ria; Gow, A.J. |
| Title | Older adults’ attitudes about learning tablet computers: Post-intervention focus groups (2018) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, E; Giatsi Clausen, M; Gow, AJ |
| Journal | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Title | Pitching non-English language research: a dual-language application of the Pitching Research Framework (2018) |
| Authors | Faff, R.; Shao, X.; Alqahtani, F.; Atif, M.; Bialek-Jaworska, A.; Chen, A.; Duppati, G.; Escobar, M.; Finta, M.; Jeny, A.; Li, Y.; Machado, M.; Nishi, T.; Nguyen, B.; Noh, J-E.; Reichenecker, J-A.; Sakawa, H.; Vaportzis, Ria; Widyawati, L.; Wijayana, S.; Wijesooriya, C.; Ye, G.; Zhou, C. |
| Title | A Tablet for Healthy Ageing: The effect of a tablet computer training intervention on cognitive abilities in older adults (2017) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, E; Martin, M; Gow, AJ |
| Journal | The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry |
| Title | Older adults perceptions of technology and barriers to interacting with tablet computers: A focus group study (2017) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, E; Giatsi Clausen, M; Gow, AJ |
| Journal | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Title | A tablet for healthy ageing: the effect of a tablet computer training intervention on cognitive abilities in older adults (2017) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, Ria; Martin, M.; Gow, A.J. |
| Title | Older adults perceptions of technology and barriers to interacting with tablet computers: a focus group study (2017) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, Ria; Clausen, M.G.; Gow, A.J. |
| Title | Dual task performance in Huntington's disease: a comparison of choice reaction time tasks (2015) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, Ria; Georgiou-Karistianis, N.; Churchyard, A.; Stout, J.C. |
| Title | Dual task performance may be a better measure of cognitive processing in Huntington's disease than traditional attention tests (2015) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, Ria; Georgiou-Karistianis, N.; Churchyard, A.; Stout, J.C. |
| Title | Dual task performance in Huntington’s disease: A comparison of choice reaction time tasks (2015) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, E; Georgiou-Karistianis, N; Churchyard, A; Stout, JC |
| Journal | Journal of Neuropsychology |
| Title | Effects of task difficulty during dual-task circle tracing in Huntington’s disease (2015) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, E; Georgiou-Karistianis, N; Churchyard, A; Stout, JC |
| Journal | Journal of Neurology |
| Title | Effects of task difficulty during dual-task circle tracing in Huntington's disease (2015) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, Ria; Georgiou-Karistianis, N.; Churchyard, A.; Stout, J.C. |
| Title | Dual task performance may be a better measure of cognitive processing in Huntington’s disease than traditional attention tests (2015) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, E; Georgiou-Karistianis, N; Churchyard, A; Stout, JC |
| Journal | Journal Of Huntington'S Disease |
| Title | Age and task difficulty differences on dual tasking using circle tracing and serial subtraction tasks (2014) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, E; Georgiou-Karistianis, N; Stout, JC |
| Journal | Aging - Clinical and Experimental Research |
| Title | Age and task difficulty differences in dual tasking using circle tracing and serial subtraction tasks (2014) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, Ria; Georgiou-Karistianis, N.; Stout, J.C. |
| Title | Dual task performance in normal aging: A comparison of choice reaction time tasks (2013) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, E; Georgiou-Karistianis, N; Stout, JC |
| Journal | PLoS ONE |
| Title | Pitching non-English language research: A dual-language application of the Pitching Research Framework (2018) |
|---|---|
| Authors | Faff, R; Shao, X; Alqahtani, F; Atif, M; Bialek-Jaworska, A; Chen, A; Duppati, G; Escobar, M; Finta, F; Jeny, A; Li, Y; Machado, M; Nishi, T; Nguyen, B; Noh, J-E; Reichenecker, J-A; Sakawa, H; Vaportzis, E; Widyawati, L; Wijayana, S; Wijesooriya, C; Ye, G; Zhou, C |
| Publisher | Accounting and Management Information Systems |
| Other type | Reviews |
|---|---|
| Title | Investigating associations between personality and the efficacy of interventions for cognitive ageing: A systematic review (2020) |
| Authors | Marr C.;Vaportzis E.;Dewar M.;Gow A. |
| Journal | Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.archger.2019.103992 |
| Other type | Abstract |
| Title | What keeps you sharp? People’s views about preserving thinking skills in old age (2019) |
| Authors | Niechcial, MA; Vaportzis, E; Gow, AJ |
| Other type | Abstract |
| Title | What keeps you sharp? People's views about preserving thinking skills in old age (2019) |
| Authors | Niechcial, M.A.; Vaportzis, Ria; Gow, A.J. |
| Other type | Electronic Publication |
| Title | Increasing the discoverability on non-English language research papers: a reverse-engineering application of the pitching research template (2017) |
| Authors | Faff, R.W.; Shao, X.; Alqahtani, F.; Atif, M.; Bialek-Jaworska, A.; Chen, A.; Duppati, G.; Escobar, M.; Finta, M.A.; Jeny, A.; Li, Y.; Machado, M.A.V.; Nishi, T.; Nguyen, B.; Noh, J-E.; Reichenecker, J-A.; Sakawa, H.; Vaportzis, Ria; Widyawati, L.; Wijayana, S.; Wijesooriya, C.; Ye, Q.; Zhou, Q. |
| Publisher | SSRN/Elsevier |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2948707 |
| Other type | Abstract |
| Title | The type of concurrent task affects dual-task performance in Huntington's disease (2014) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, Ria; Georgiou-Karistianis, N.; Churchyard, A.; Stout, J.C. |
| Other type | Abstract |
| Title | The type of concurrent task affects dual-task performance in Huntington’s disease (2014) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, E; Georgiou-Karistianis, N; Churchyard, A; Stout, JC |
| Other type | Abstract |
| Title | Dual task performance in Huntington's disease: Comparing choice reaction time tasks (2012) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, E; Georgiou-Karistianis, N; Churchyard, A; Stout, JC |
| Other type | Abstract |
| Title | Dual task performance in Huntington's disease using cancellation and auditory tasks (2012) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, E; Georgiou-Karistianis, N; Churchyard, A; Stout, JC |
| Other type | Abstract |
| Title | The effects of Huntington’s disease and task difficulty on dual-task performance (2011) |
| Authors | Vaportzis, E; Georgiou-Karistianis, N; Churchyard, A; Stout, JC |