Dr Joni Holmes

Joni is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology and Sport Sciences. She completed both her first degree and her Ph.D. at the University of Durham, before moving to Leeds Metropolitan University as Lecturer in 2005. She moved to the University of York to work as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 2006, before joining Northumbria in January 2009.

Joni is a cognitive developmental psychologist interested in the role of working memory in learning and developmental disorders. Her doctoral thesis investigated the role of working memory in the development of children's mathematical skills. Since then she has worked on two ESRC-funded projects with Professor Susan Gathercole at the University of York. The first explored the effects of difficulties with attention and working memory in children; the second evaluated interventions for children with disorders of memory and attention.

She is currently engaged in collaborative research with Professor Susan Gathercole and Darren Dunning (University of York), conducting a randomised controlled trial of a working memory training programme.

Joni teaches the second year (Level 5) Developmental Psychology course and delivers part of the Qualitative and Quantitative Methods course for Masters level students (Level 7). She also teaches Masters level Developmental Psychology.

Publications:
Articles-

Alloway, T P., Elliott, J., & Holmes, J (in press). The prevalence of ADHD-like symptoms in a community sample. Journal of Attention Disorders.

Holmes, J., Gathercole, S E., Place, M., Dunning, D L., Hilton, K A., & Elliott, J G (2009). Working memory deficits can be overcome: Impacts of training and medication on working memory in children with ADHD, Applied Cognitive Psychology. DOI: 10.1002/acp.1589.

Holmes, J., Gathercole, S E., Place, M., Alloway, T P., Elliott, J G., & Hilton, K A. (2009). The diagnostic utility of executive function assessments in the identification of ADHD in children, Child & Adolescent Mental Health. DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-3588.2009.00536.x

Alloway, T P., Gathercole, S E., Holmes, J., Place, M., & Elliott, J (2009). The diagnostic utility of behavioural checklists in identifying children with ADHD and children with working memory deficits. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 40, 353-366.

Holmes, J., Gathercole, S E., & Dunning, D L.(2009). Adaptive training leads to sustained enhancement of poor working memory in children, Developmental Science, 12, F9-F15.

Gathercole, S E., Alloway, T P., Kirkwood, H J., Elliott, J E., Holmes, J., & Hilton, K. (2008). Attentional and executive function behaviours in children with poor working memory. Learning and Individual Differences, 18, 214-223.

Holmes, J., Adams, JW., & Hamilton, C J. (2008). Visuo-spatial working memory capacity and children's mathematical skills. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 20, 272-289.

Holmes, J. & Adams, J W. (2006). Working memory and children's mathematical skills: Implications for mathematical development and mathematics curricula. Educational Psychology, 26, 339-366

Book chapters-
St. Clair-Thompson, H.L., & Holmes, J. (2008). Improving short-term and working memory: Methods of memory training. In N.B. Johansen (Ed.) New research on short-term memory. New York: Nova Science Publishers

Research Grants:
Holmes, J. & Gathercole, S.E. (2007-2008). An evaluation of a computerised working memory training programme in children who receive stimulant medication for ADHD. British Academy £6.5k.

Holmes, J. (Sept 2001- Oct 2004). Working memory and children’s mathematical skills. Departmental Studentship, University of Durham, £24k.