Miss Mikaela Michelle Law
Master of Health Psychology (First Class Honours), Bachelor of Science
Biography
Mikaela is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychological Medicine, working with Professor Elizabeth Broadbent and Dr Paul Jarrett. Her PhD thesis is examining the effects of environmental enrichment on stress and wound healing in humans. This includes a focus on conducting experimental laboratory studies to assess the effects of various interventions (including music, artwork, companion robots and sensory enrichment) on levels of stress and skin healing rates in humans. She hopes to translate this experimental work into real-life settings, where these simple psychological interventions could have tangible effects for patients.
Mikaela has also worked on a variety of research projects as a research assistant on various projects across the University of Auckland. This has included working with the Centre for Automation and Robotic Engineering Science to develop a healthcare robot to be used to assist the lives of people with dementia. She has also worked on research projects within the health psychology, pharmacy, engineering and art history departments.
Research | Current
- Psychological interventions and complementary therapies
- Environmental enrichment in humans
- Stress and wound healing
- Companion robots
- Psychophysiology and psychoneuroimmunology
Teaching | Current
Tutor: HLTHPSYC 715: Research Methods in Health Psychology
Selected publications and creative works (Research Outputs)
- Law, M., Jarrett, P., Nater, U. M., Skoluda, N., & Broadbent, E. (2020). The effects of environmental enrichment on skin barrier recovery in humans: a randomised trial. Scientific reports, 10 (1)10.1038/s41598-020-66687-2
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Paul Jarrett, Elizabeth Broadbent - Law, M., Minissale, G., Lambert, A., Nater, U. M., Skoluda, N., Ryckman, N., ... Broadbent, E. (2020). Viewing landscapes is more stimulating than scrambled images after a stressor: A cross-disciplinary approach. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 1010.3389/fpsyg.2019.03092
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Gregory Minissale, Anthony Lambert, Elizabeth Broadbent - Law, M., Sutherland, C., Ahn, H. S., MacDonald, B. A., Peri, K., Johanson, D. L., ... Broadbent, E. (2019). Developing assistive robots for people with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia: a qualitative study with older adults and experts in aged care. BMJ open, 9 (9)10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031937
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Elizabeth Broadbent, Ho Seok AHN, Bruce MacDonald, Ngaire Kerse, Kathy Peri, Deborah Johanson, Craig Sutherland - Law, M., Ahn, H. S., MacDonald, B., Vasjakovic, D. S., Lim, J. Y., Lee, M. H., ... Broadbent, E. (2019). User Testing of Cognitive Training Games for People with Mild Cognitive Impairment: Design Implications. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics). 10.1007/978-3-030-35888-4_43
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Ho Seok AHN, Bruce MacDonald, Elizabeth Broadbent, Ngaire Kerse, Kathy Peri, Craig Sutherland - Law, M. M., Broadbent, E. A., & Sollers, J. J. (2018). A comparison of the cardiovascular effects of simulated and spontaneous laughter. Complementary therapies in medicine, 37, 103-109. 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.02.005
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Elizabeth Broadbent - Broadbent, E., Ahn, H. S., Kerse, N., Peri, K., Sutherland, C., Law, M., ... Casey, D. (2018). Can robots improve the quality of life in people with dementia?. Paper presented at Technology, Mind, and Society Conference (TechMindSociety), Washington, DC. 5 April - 7 April 2018. PROCEEDINGS OF THE TECHNOLOGY, MIND, AND SOCIETY CONFERENCE (TECHMINDSOCIETY'18). (pp. 3). 10.1145/3183654.3183660
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Elizabeth Broadbent, Ho Seok AHN, Ngaire Kerse, Bruce MacDonald, Kathy Peri, Craig Sutherland - Law, M. M. (2016). Laughter’s Healing Potential: A Comparison of the Cardiovascular and Psychological Effects of Simulated and Spontaneous Laughter The University of Auckland. ResearchSpace@Auckland.
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2292/31964
Identifiers
Contact details
Primary office location
M&HS BUILDING 507 - Bldg 507
Level 3, Room 3010
28 PARK AVE
GRAFTON
AUCKLAND 1023
New Zealand
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