Rachel Coats
Lecturer in Psychology
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Interests
- Psychology
- Motor learning
- Motor control
- Perception
- Action
- Cognition
- Ageing
- Prehension
- Reach-to-grasp
- Rachel Coats Email
Profile
I joined the University of Leeds as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 2012, before taking up a lectureship in Psychology in 2014. I have a BA(Hons) degree in Psychology from the University of Aberdeen (2004), and an MSc in Research Methods in Psychology (2005) and PhD (2009) in Psychology from the University of Reading. I completed several years working as a postdoctoral researcher at Indiana University, USA, before joining the University of Leeds.
Responsibilities
Level 1 Coordinator
Research interests
My research focus is on motor control and learning across the lifespan (especially in older adults), and I'm particularly interested in reaching (aiming and prehension) movements, and the importance of vision for action. More specifically, I look at how visual feedback is used for successful movement, hand-eye coordination, and how we calibrate our actions for optimal performance. Many of the techniques I use involve 3D motion tracking equipment and we have fantastic facilities in our labs. I examine the similarities and differences between younger and older adults and the circumstances under which differences are most apparent; important for product design, therapy, and creating environments best suited to older adults. I am a member of the Perception, Action, and Cognition Lab (PACLab) and Immersive Cognition (ICON) Lab.
Current projects include: The efficacy of second-eye cataract surgery; The effects of pain medication on cognitive and motor performance in people with Trigeminal Neuralgia; How do older adults utilise visual and proprioceptive information to perform reaching tasks.
Qualifications
- PhD Psychology
- MSc Research Methods in Psychology
- BA (Hons) Psychology
Professional memberships
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Student education
I teach at all levels on programmes within the School of Psychology, from Level 1 to Masters. This teaching is oriented around my research interests in ageing and motor control, across typical and atypical populations. I also supervise projects at Level 3 and Masters levels, and act as a personal tutor to groups of students each year
Papers
- Following instructions in working memory: do older adults show the enactment advantage? Rachel O Coats, Amanda H Waterman, Fiona Ryder, Amy L Atkinson, Richard J Allen The Journals of Gerontology: Series B; 2021
- The role of the posterior parietal cortex on cognition: An exploratory study Marlee Whybird, Rachel Coats, Tessa Vuister, Sophie Harrison, Samantha Booth, Melanie Burke Brain Research; 2021
- Pre-tertiary subject choice as predictors of undergraduate attainment and academic preparedness in Psychology Madeleine Pownall, Pam Blundell-Birtill, Rachel O Coats, Richard Harris Psychology Teaching Review; 2021
- Cognitive and sensorimotor function in participants being treated for trigeminal neuralgia pain Rachel O Coats, Kirsty L Crossley, Naomi Conlin, Jianhua Wu, Joanna M Zakrzewska, Sue H Pavitt, Nicholas Phillips, Mark Mon-Williams The Journal of Headache and Pain; 2020
- Kinematic assessment of upper limb function in progressive multiple sclerosis L Fernandes, A Hafeez, R Coats, M Mon-Williams, H Ford 2020
- The effect of using a cycling workstation on mouse dexterity Anna Anderson, Oliver Thornton, Rachel Coats, Antonio Capozio, Sarah Astill Plos one; 2019
- Predicting the duration of reach-to-grasp movements to objects with asymmetric contact surfaces Rachel O Coats, Raymond J Holt, Geoffrey P Bingham, Mark A Mon-Williams Plos one; 2018
- The effect of task symmetry on bimanual reach-to-grasp movements after cervical spinal cord injury Laura Britten, RO Coats, RM Ichiyama, W Raza, F Jamil, SL Astill Experimental brain research; 2018
- Bimanual reach to grasp movements after cervical spinal cord injury Laura Britten, Rachel Coats, Ronaldo Ichiyama, Wajid Raza, Firas Jamil, Sarah Astill PloS one; 2017
- Eye and hand movement strategies in older adults during a complex reaching task Rachel O Coats, Aaron J Fath, Sarah L Astill, John P Wann Experimental brain research; 2016
- The effect of standing desks on manual control in children and young adults L Britten, K Shire, RO Coats, SL Astill Gait & posture; 2016
- Dissociation of the rostral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during sequence learning in saccades: a TMS investigation MR Burke, RO Coats Experimental brain research; 2016
- Moving to capture children’s attention: Developing a methodology for measuring visuomotor attention Liam JB Hill, Rachel O Coats, Faisal Mushtaq, Justin HG Williams, Lorna S Aucott, Mark Mon-Williams PLoS one; 2016
- Beyond Anthropometrics: Prehensile Control Analysis for Capability Assessment RJ Holt, RO Coats, GP Bingham, M Mon-Williams 2016
- A systematic research review assessing the effectiveness of pursuit interventions in spatial neglect following stroke Deborah Hill, Rachel O Coats, Aimee Halstead, Melanie Rose Burke 2015
- Multisensory integration in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder ROA Coats, L Britten, A Utley, SL Astill Human movement science; 2015
- Developmental Coordination Disorder. ROA Coats, SL Astill, A Utley 2015
- The 50s cliff: perceptuo-motor learning rates across the lifespan Rachel O Coats, Andrew D Wilson, Winona Snapp-Childs, Aaron J Fath, Geoffrey P Bingham PloS one; 2014
- Calibration is action specific but perturbation of perceptual units is not. Jing S Pan, Rachel O Coats, Geoffrey P Bingham Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance; 2014
- Perturbation of perceptual units reveals dominance hierarchy in cross calibration RO Coats, JS Pan, GP Bingham Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance; 2014
- A geometric and dynamic affordance model of reaches-to-grasp: Men take greater risks than women. Geoffrey P Bingham, Winona Snapp-Childs, Aaron J Fath, Jing S Pan, Rachel O Coats Journal of experimental psychology: human perception and performance; 2014
- Perceptuo-motor learning rate declines by half from 20s to 70/80s Rachel O Coats, Winona Snapp-Childs, Andrew D Wilson, Geoffrey P Bingham Experimental brain research; 2013
- Reaching a better understanding of the control of bimanual movements in older adults Rachel O Coats, John P Wann 2012
- The reliance on visual feedback control by older adults is highlighted in tasks requiring precise endpoint placement and precision grip Rachel O Coats, John P Wann Experimental brain research; 2011
- Learning a coordinated rhythmic movement with task-appropriate coordination feedback Andrew D Wilson, Winona Snapp-Childs, Rachel Coats, Geoffrey P Bingham Experimental brain research; 2010
- Calibrating grasp size and reach distance: interactions reveal integral organization of reaching-to-grasp movements Rachel Coats, Geoffrey P Bingham, Mark Mon-Williams Experimental Brain Research; 2008
- Natural prehension in trials without haptic feedback but only when calibration is allowed Geoffrey Bingham, Rachel Coats, Mark Mon-Williams Neuropsychologia; 2007