ACADEMIA

Dr Michelle Ulor has dedicated over a decade of extensive research experience to being deeply committed to advancing the understanding of the effects of music on wellbeing. Her academic journey began at Goldsmiths, where she earned a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and an MSc in Music, Mind & Brain. She then pursued a PhD in Music Psychology at the University of Leeds and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Leeds Arts and Humanities Research Institute.

Her doctoral research marked a significant contribution to the field, as she was the first to test whether a musical imagery-based intervention can alleviate anxiety and improve mood. This pioneering work has been shared in journal articles and international conferences, showcasing Dr Ulor's unique insights into Music Psychology.

Throughout her career, Dr Ulor has actively engaged with the academic community, from reviewing journal articles, conference papers and book chapters, to teaching Psychology undergraduate students at the University of Leeds. She’s continuously held a passion for the academia/industry crossover, evidenced through her involvement in running a music and wellbeing conference for researchers and practitioners at the University of Leeds, hosting mood and music workshops at conferences, and mentoring PhD students and lecturers, providing support for their and career progression in both via academia and industry.

Dr Ulor has also accumulated many achievements, including presenting work at conferences like ICMPC, ESCOM, and SysMus, securing research grants and scholarships, and working on on industry and academic collaborative projects focused on arts-based interventions for mental health. She’s also published her research and been invited to give lectures to master's students.

PUBLICATIONS

Hugh-Jones, S., Ulor, M., Nugent, T., Walshe, S., Kirk, M. (2023). The Potential of Virtual Reality to Support Adolescent Mental Well-Being in Schools: A UK Co-Design and Proof-of-Concept Study. Mental Health and Prevention, 30.

Ulor, M., Bailes, F., & O’Connor, D. B. (2022). An Investigation into the Relationship Between Musical Imagery and Anxiety. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 42(1), 5–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/02762366221083234

Ulor, M., N. (2020). Is Voluntary Musical Imagery an Effective Intervention for Anxiety? PhD thesis, University of Leeds.

SELECTED TALKS AND REVIEWS

Talks
Is Voluntary Musical Imagery and Effective Intervention for Anxiety? Goldsmiths invited lecture series (2024)
Introduction to Music Psychology. East Sussex College, Careers talk (2021)
Developing Music Interventions for Anxiety. University of Leeds, Leeds University Union Music Society, Lecture Series (2020)

Reviews
Book chapter: Music and Mental Imagery Mats B. Küssner, Liila Taruffi, Georgia A. Floridou (2022)
Abstract: International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (2018)

SELECTED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS (FIRST AUTHOR)

Ulor, M., Bailes, F., & O'Connor, D. B. (2021). The Effects of Voluntary Musical Imagery on Anxiety and Mood. 16th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition/11th triennial conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music. Sheffield, UK.
Ulor, M., Bailes, F., & O'Connor, D. B. (2020). An Investigation into the Relationship Between Musical Imagery and Anxiety. International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology. York, UK.
Ulor, M., Bailes, F., & O'Connor, D. B. (2018). Using Voluntary Musical imagery as an Intervention for Anxiety: How Can this be Studied? 15th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition/10th triennial conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music. Graz, Austria.
Ulor, M., Bailes, F., & O'Connor, D. B. (2018). Music Interventions for Anxiety: Is Imagining Music Effective? Leeds Doctoral College Showcase Spring. Leeds, UK.
Ulor, M., Bailes, F., & O'Connor, D. B. (2017). Can Individuals be Trained to Imagine Musical Imagery? A Preliminary Study. International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology. London, UK.
Ulor, M., Jakubowski, K., & Müllensiefen, D. (2017). Testing the Role of Involuntary Musical Imagery In Novel Music Learning. 25th Anniversary Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music. Ghent, Belgium.