Biological Psychology

This textbook should be of particular interest to undergraduate students as by reading it they will grasp the fundamentals of  brain anatomy and brain functions and then further progress onto areas such as the effects of drug-taking, learning and memory, movement, eating and sleeping behaviours, psychological disorders and more. The book encourages and emphasises the importance of critical thinking and linking research areas, something that will allow students to access the top band of marks.

Suzanne Higgs is a Professor in the Psychobiology of Appetite at the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham. Suzanne has a degree in Psychology, Physiology and Philosophy from the University of Oxford. Suzanne′s PhD work was conducted at the University of Durham on the psychopharmacology of appetite. Suzanne completed post-doctoral work at University of Oxford on the neural bases of learning and memory with Nicholas Rawlins and Susan Greenfield and was then appointed to a lectureship in psychology at the University of Birmingham. Her current position is Professor in the Psychobiology of Appetite.

Dr Alison Cooper is a Senior Lecturer and the Deputy Programme Director at the Institute of Clinical Sciences at the University of Birmingham. A lifelong interest in biology resulted in Alison Cooper reading for a degree in Natural Sciences. During this a developing interest in neuroscience led to a PhD in the laboratory of Alan Crossman in the neuroanatomy department at the University of Manchester. The laboratory had a reputation for work elucidating the neuroanatomical and neurochemical basis of basal ganglia an dysfunction, particularly in relation to movement. The behavioural pharmacology aspects of the PhD required Alison to acquire skills which, at the time, were going out of fashion, but which are now recognised to be deficient in the science base, particularly in relation to drug discovery. Subsequent post doctoral positions continued with the basal ganglia focus and included work on behavioural pharmacology but with a shift in focus to the motivational functions believed to be mediated by these structures. This was followed by a period looking at the electrophysiological properties of neurones of the basal ganglia correlated with their neurochemistry. During the post doctoral phase, Alison was required to undertake some teaching and, to her initial surprise, enjoyed this and actively sought out more teaching opportunities. This led to her being appointed as a teaching fellow at Birmingham which became a lectureship followed by promotion to senior lecturer on the basis of the extent and expertise required for her diverse teaching and administrative role.


Jonathan Lee is a a Reader at the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham. Jonathan has spent all of his formative years at the University of Cambridge. After completing his undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences (Neuroscience), he undertook a PhD in the Department of Experimental Psychology under the supervision of Professor Barry Everitt. He continued as a post-doc in Prof Everitt′s lab, before becoming a Lecturer in the Department of Experimental Psychology prior to his move to Birmingham in 2008.