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Cambridge Forum for Sustainability and the Environment

 

Biography

Laurie Parma is a wellbeing researcher and she currently works with the Policy Research Group at the University of Cambridge. Her research interests range from environmental psychology to behavioural economics. She currently focuses on defining, measuring and monitoring wellbeing, aiming to generate insight to foster wellbeing and effective behavioural change. She is particularly interested in developing evidence-based wellbeing guidance and monitoring online platforms.

She is currently co-leading a project with the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, which investigates the relationship between well-being and biodiversity. The biodiversity project has led the team to develop a new smartphone app, called NatureBuzz, to capture the relationship between human wellbeing and the environment they are in moment-by-moment. 

The iPhone version of the app can be downloaded from iTunes and the Android version from Google Play.

Her past research has explored the health and well-being benefits of yoga. She led one of the largest studies undertaken into the psychological and physical well-being effects of yoga when she worked with the Prosociality and Wellbeing lab in Cambridge. She is also fascinated by mindfulness and its link to daily experiences, social interaction and health. She uses social network data to deepen our understanding of the concept.

She believes happiness should be a precursor of success, rather than the other way round. Her aim is to improve our practical understanding of human potential to achieve well-being, and apply this to make real changes to society and people's lives.

Laurie's commitment to sustainability has led her to develop ethical cosmetic products, called Minimal Cosmetics.

Laurie holds a BS in Biology and a Masters in Neuroscience from the University of Bordeaux.

Researcher based within the Policy Research Group,
Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge
 Laurie  Parma
Not available for consultancy

Affiliations

Person keywords: 
behavioural economics
developing evidence-based wellbeing guidance and monitoring online platforms
environmental psychology
defining, measuring and monitoring wellbeing