He studies a variety of topics across psychology and medicine:
- Placebos:
- Leveraging factors known to boost placebo effects may produce viable treatments for disorders (CBC, YouTube). People can experience alterations in consciousness after consuming a placebo psychedelic drug (PDF, Vice, YouTube) and can feel that they are losing control over their thoughts when placed in an elaborate “placebo machine”.
- Sleep:
- Light exposure at the right times can reduce jet lag (Scientific American, NBC) and may also reduce fatigue and work errors in night shift workers.
- Creativity:
- Simply naming unrelated words can be a reliable measure of creativity (Divergent Association Task).
- Magic:
- Principles of performance magic can be used to improve deception in studies (PDF), influence decisions without awareness (CBC), or make people more open to opposing political views (Fast Company, YouTube).
- Smartphones:
- Smartphone addiction is increasing across the world, but a simple ten-step behavioural intervention can reduce it.
Upcoming talks include:
- 22 Jun 2021: The Art of Public Speaking for McGill University (free, registration required).