Christopher Barker

Christopher Barker is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Kingston University's School of Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences, where he has worked since 1996. He previously held several leadership positions including Head of the Psychology Department (2000-2008), Deputy Head of School, Acting Head of School, and Director of Student Affairs for the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences.

He holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology. His professional background includes roles at the Ministry of Defence, psychiatric healthcare, and academic positions at Middlesex University, Birkbeck College, and Royal Holloway.

His primary research explores psychological disorders and learning mechanisms, with specific focus on:

• Anxiety manifestations (spider phobia, emotional disorders)
• Adaptive learning in visually impaired populations
• Developmental fears and braille literacy acquisition

He contributes to academic peer review as an evaluator for Cognition and Emotion journal and ESRC grant applications, and provides international consultancy to universities across Europe, China, and Russia.