FeATURED PRESENTATION​ - British Feeding and Drinking Group 2018

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Here we show that participants exposed to an orange odour were slower to respond to high (vs. low) calorie foods, compared to a neutral or chocolate odour. They also recalled more high (vs. low) calorie foods when exposed to the chocolate odour, than the neutral or orange odour. This may help to explain how our food-filled environment encourages us to make poor choices, by biasing our thought processes, which may nudge us towards certain foods. 

Selected Talks

Thomas, J. M. (2017). Using fMRI to understand eating behaviour: what we have learned and what next. Swansea University. INVITED TALK. 

Thomas, J. M., Robinson, E. L., Aveyard, P., Jebb, S. A., Herman, C. P. & Higgs, S. (2016). Using a descriptive norm message to increase vegetable selection in a workplace restaurant setting. British Feeding and Drinking Group Annual Conference – London.

Thomas, J. M., Liu, J., Robinson, E. L., Aveyard, P., Herman, C. P. & Higgs, S. (2015). Descriptive and liking social norm messages enhance the consumption of a cruciferous vegetable in healthy students: sustained effects after a 24 hour delay. British Feeding and Drinking Group Annual Conference – Wageningen.

Thomas, J. M. , Dourish, C. T., Tomlinson, J., Hassan-Smith, Z., & Higgs, S. (2014). Selective neural and satiating effects of the 5-HT2C receptor agonist meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) in healthy females. British Feeding and Drinking Group Annual Conference – Portsmouth 

Thomas, J. M., Higgs, S., & Dourish, C. T. (2013). Evaluation of The P1vital® Oxford Emotional Test Battery (ETB): effects of satiety and repeatability on measures of emotional processing – P1vital, Oxford. INVITED TALK. ​

Thomas, J. M. , Tomlinson, J., Hassan-Smith, Z., Dourish, C. T., & Higgs, S. (2013). Behavioural & Neural Markers of Appetite Suppressant Drugs. National Institute for Health Research & Department of Health – Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. INVITED TALK. 

Thomas, J. M., Higgs, S., & Dourish, C. T., (2013). Monitoring Eating Behaviour in the Laboratory: do we need to do it covertly? British Feeding and Drinking Group Annual Conference – Loughborough.

Thomas, J. M., Dourish, C. T., & Higgs, S. (2013). The Effect of Food Consumption on Brain Activity. The British Psychological Society “Psychobiological predictors of weight gain in susceptible young adults: What do we know, where do we go?” Research Day – University of Leeds. INVITED TALK. 

Thomas, J. M. , Tomlinson, J., Hassan-Smith, Z., Dourish, C. T., & Higgs, S. (2012). Effect of mCPP on appetite and food intake in healthy volunteers. Clinical Research Facility – Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. INVITED TALK. 

Thomas, J. M. , Tomlinson, J., Hassan-Smith, Z., Dourish, C. T., & Higgs, S. (2012). The effect of meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) on appetite ratings and food intake in healthy volunteers. Society for the Study of Ingestive Behaviour – Zurich.

Thomas, J. M., Dourish, C. T., & Higgs, S. (2012). An Experimental Medicine Model to assess the Efficacy and Safety of Novel Anti-Obesity Drugs. Treatment of Obesity Conference – Birmingham.

Thomas, J. M., Higgs, S., Hansen, P., Dourish, C. T., Harmer, C., & McCabe, C. (2012). An fMRI study of the Effect of Satiation on Responses to Food Pictures and Taste. British Feeding and Drinking Group Annual Conference – Brighton.

Thomas, J. M., Higgs, S., Dourish, C. T., Harmer, C., & McCabe, C. (2011). Effect of Satiation on Ratings of Rewarding and Aversive Taste Stimuli. British Feeding and Drinking Group Annual Conference – Belfast.


Poster Presentations

Thomas, J. M., Khan, M., Nash, R. (2018). The effect of exposure to food odours on attention to and recall of low and high calorie food images. British Feeding and Drinking Group Annual Conference – Lyon, France.

Thomas, J. M., Duplock, A., & Ursell, A. (2017). Do we eat and drink like others or drink and eat what others like? Misperceptions of social norms. British Psychological Society Annual Meeting 2017 - Brighton.

Thomas, J. M., Robinson, E. L., Liu, J., Aveyard, P., Herman, C. P., & Higgs, S. (2015). A social norms approach to health eating. Early Career Researchers Event in Food 2015 - Birmingham.

Thomas, J. M., & Harris, G. (2014) A Model Of The Psychobiological Bases Of Avoidant / Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). International Feeding Disorders Conference – London.

Thomas, J. M. , Dourish, C. T., Tomlinson, J., Hassan-Smith, Z., & Higgs, S (2014). Differences in baseline fMRI BOLD signals in reward areas underlies disparate effects of the 5-HT2C receptor agonist meta-chlorophenylpiperazine on consumption of a palatable snack. British Association for Psychopharmacology – Cambridge 

Thomas, J. M. , Tomlinson, J., Hassan-Smith, Z., Dourish, C. T., & Higgs, S. (2013). Effect of meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) on appetite, satiety and fMRI BOLD signal in healthy volunteers. European Behavioural Pharmacology Society – La Rochelle, France.

Thomas, J. M., Higgs, S., Dourish, C. T., Hansen, P., Harmer, C., & McCabe, C (2013).Effects of satiation on brain responses to rewarding and aversive stimuli. British Association for Psychopharmacology – Harrogate.

Thomas, J. M. , Tomlinson, J., Hassan-Smith, Z., Dourish, C. T., & Higgs, S. (2012). Effect of meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) on emotional processing and mood in healthy volunteers. British Association for Psychopharmacology – Harrogate.

Thomas, J. M ., Naish, K., Humphreys, G., & Higgs, S. (2010). The Effect of Working Memory on Attention to Food. Poster Presentation, British Feeding and Drinking Group Annual Conference – Maastricht.
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