Spearman Medal winners

Awards for Dr Rachael Jack and Dr Claire Haworth.

05 April 2017

This year’s Spearman Medal winners have been announced, Dr Rachael Jack and Dr Claire Haworth have both been recognised for their outstanding published work in psychology.  

Jack (University of Glasgow) has conducted a significant body of research on emotion communication across cultures, particularly facial expressions. As well as having her work published in various high-impact journals, National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, New Scientist and Time magazine among others, Dr Jack’s work has received several international awards and featured in the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2015.

In response to her award she said: ‘I am absolutely thrilled to receive the Spearman Medal. My greatest thanks goes to the BPS for awarding this prize, and especially to Professor Simon Garrod who nominated me. It’s a great honour to join such a stellar list of previous winners, many of whom have inspired and shaped the field. I hope that my work will inspire the new generation of researchers, and encourage wider participation in psychological science.’

Haworth (University of Bristol) has to date 85 publications in high-impact journals and has been cited more than 4000 times for her research in behavioural genetics. Her most recent work has focused on mental health and psychological wellbeing in adolescence and young adulthood. She has also provided expert opinion in documentaries for the BBC, as well as appearing on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Sky News and the BBC’s World Service and world news.

She said: ‘I am absolutely delighted to have been awarded the BPS Spearman Medal and honoured to be listed amongst such inspirational previous winners. I am extremely grateful to my colleagues and mentors for their support during my career, and to the BPS for recognising the importance of our work on the dynamic nature of genetic and environmental influence.’