A Royal Holloway academic has been named on the Association for Psychological Science (APS) Rising Stars list for 2024.

Dr Jennifer Murphy, from the Department of Psychology, is only one of seven academics from a UK higher education institution to be given the accolade – and is amongst 70 people overall worldwide.

The Rising Stars list began in 2013, to recognise the hard work of young, up and coming, academics in the field of Psychology.

The association describes academics on the Rising Stars list as ‘outstanding APS members,’ with nominations only applying to academics who are in the early stages of their research career, after completing their PhD.

The APS Rising Stars list often heralds exciting futures in psychology for those named, with researchers chosen for carrying out innovative work, deemed to have already advanced the field, early in their career. The list recognises the great potential of their future contributions to psychology.

Much of Dr Murphy’s research focuses on interoception - the perception of the body’s internal state, including signals like heart rate, how hungry someone is or how badly they need to use the bathroom.

Dr Murphy’s research also focuses on the relevance of these signals to health and disease. Her research looks at differences in interoceptive abilities between sexes, how potential sex differences emerge throughout stages of development and whether these differences in interoception relate to broader differences in mental and physical health.

She was awarded funding for research into the impact of the menstrual cycle on interoception and mental health in 2023, with the objective of achieving a better understanding around mental illness.

Last month, Dr Murphy was awarded the Young Investigator Award from the European Society for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (ESCAN).

After being named on the Rising Stars list for February 2024, Dr Jennifer Murphy said: “It is a real honour to receive this award. To be recognised and included amongst other early career scientists, whom I deeply respect, is the greatest compliment.”

Robert Gropp, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of the Association for Psychological Science, added: "APS Rising Stars are in the early stages of their careers and have already made significant discoveries, research innovations, and contributions to our understanding of human psychology in all its facets.

“Their early work suggests that they will help to transform psychological science.”