Liz Halstead is the winner of the Psychology Zone, after receiving the most votes from students! She wins £500 to spend on more science engagement activities. Here’s what she had to say about her victory:

Thank you to all the students who voted me the winner of the Psychology Zone! I found the experience to be very rewarding and it was great to have so many questions on my research area and about life as a Psychologist.

The students asked a variety of questions on sleep in particular and wanted to know top tips for sleeping better- who can blame them. Highlights for me included the deep and meaningful discussion on pizza topping preferences which turned into a research study design. Not only did I get some thought-provoking research-based questions, I also was asked about my love of Fleetwood Mac songs that I listen to while working, and how I relax walking my dog out in the forest.

I have rarely shared my story of how I got into academia and becoming a Psychologist or owned up publicly that I didn’t do well in my A levels. However, through talking to students in the chats it seemed important to share this side of my journey and I hope it provided some students with some comfort in knowing there are many different routes to get to where you want to go, and the path isn’t always straight forward.

Thank you to the team at I’m a scientist for their organisation and moderation of the chats.

I am looking forward to using the Prize money for mental health and sleep activities for young people.

Liz Halstead