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Hire Dr. James A.

United Kingdom

USD 50 /hr

Research Software/Web Developer | PhD Cognitive Psychology | AI, Statistics & Data Analysis

Profile Summary

Research software/web developer with 13 years of professional experience and a PhD in cognitive psychology. I specialise in building software for academic research, education, and health. At the University of Sussex, I lead an award-winning software team in the Department of Psychology, where I have delivered 60+ projects. These include large-scale online experiment platforms (33,780 participants across 133 countries), e-learning interventions for clinical trials, gamified assessment apps for children, and AI-powered evidence retrieval systems. Key areas of expertise: - Research software engineering (web apps, mobile apps, interactive experiments) - Statistical analysis and data collection platforms (EEG, psychophysics, survey design) - AI and LLM integration (Claude API, semantic search with pgvector, automated literature screening) - GDPR compliance, research ethics, and privacy-first design (built cookie-free analytics for UK universities) - Randomised controlled trial infrastructure (randomisation, blinding, conditional pathways, progress tracking) - Accessible design for diverse populations including children with neurological conditions - Deep knowledge of UK University research evaluative frameworks / impact Tech stack: Python/FastAPI, PHP/Laravel, JavaScript/TypeScript, React, React Native, Swift, Unity3D/C#, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Linux server administration. I have worked with researchers at UCL, King's College London, Birkbeck, Université Paris Cité, Universitat de Barcelona, and SISSA (Italy). Portfolio: https://jamesalvarez.co.uk/work/ ORCID: https://orcid.org/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Software Engineering
• ☆ Software Architecture
• ☆ Data Analysis
• ☆ Data Visualization
• ☆ Machine Learning
• ☆ Natural Language Processing
• ☆ Artificial Intelligence
• ☆ Statistics
• ☆ Statistical Computing
• ☆ Human Behavior & Psychology

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting
• Data & AI

Writing Technical Writing

Research User Research, Feasibility Study, Technology Scouting

Consulting Digital Strategy Consulting, Scientific and Technical Consulting, Regulatory Consulting

Data & AI Statistical Analysis, Algorithm Design-ML, Data Visualization, Text Mining & Analytics, Data Processing, Data Insights

Work Experience

Senior Web Developer

University of Sussex

January 2015 - Present

Education

Cognitive Psychology - An investigation of the influence of language on colour perception

University of Surrey

September 2009 - June 2012

Psychological Research Methods

University of Exeter

September 2007 - June 2008

Psychology

University of Nottingham

September 2003 - June 2006

Certifications

• Certification details not provided.

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

James Alvarez, Abigail Dunn, A Arbon, Stephen Bremner, C Elsby-Pearson, R Emsley, Chris Jones, P Lawrence, Kathryn Lester, N Morson, et al.(2025). [Correction] Correction to “Effectiveness of an unguided modular online intervention for highly anxious parents in preventing anxiety in their children: a parallel group randomised controlled trial” [The Lancet Regional Health—Europe, Volume 45, October 2024, 101038] (The Lancet Regional Health - Europe (2024) 45, (S2666776224002059), (10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101038)) . The Lancet Regional Health. Europe. 53. (101332). Elsevier BV

James Alvarez, Abigail Dunn, A Arbon, Stephen Bremner, C Elsby-Pearson, R Emsley, C Jones, P Lawrence, Kathryn Lester, N Morson, et al.(2024). Correction to “Effectiveness of an unguided modular online intervention for highly anxious parents in preventing anxiety in their children: a parallel group randomised controlled trial” [The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, Volume 45, October 2024, 101038] (The Lancet Regional Health - Europe (2024) 45, (S2666776224002059), (10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101038)) . The Lancet Regional Health. Europe. 47. (101128). Elsevier BV

James Alvarez, Abigail Dunn, Amy Arbon, Stephen Bremner, Chloe Elsby-Pearson, Richard Emsley, Christopher Jones, Peter Lawrence, Kathryn Lester, Natalie Morson, et al.(2024). Effectiveness of an unguided modular online intervention for highly anxious parents in preventing anxiety in their children: a parallel group randomised controlled trial . The Lancet Regional Health. Europe. 45. (101038). Elsevier BV

Abigail Dunn, Amy Arbon, Stephen Bremner, Chloe Elsby-Pearson, Richard Emsley, Chris Jones, Peter Lawrence, Kathryn Lester, Natalie Morson, Nicky Perry, et al.(2024). Investigating the effect of providing monetary incentives to participants on completion rates of referred co-respondents: an embedded randomized controlled trial . Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications. 38. (101267). Elsevier BV

James Alvarez, Abby Dunn, Amy Arbon, Stephen Bremner, Chloe Elsby-Pearson, Richard Emsley, Christopher Jones, Peter Lawrence, Kathryn J. Lester, Mirjana Majdandžić, et al. (2023). Investigating the effect of providing monetary incentives to participants on completion rates of referred co-respondents: An embedded randomized controlled trial. Study within a trial (SWAT) protocol . Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications.

James Alvarez, Abigail Dunn, Amy Arbon, Stephen Bremner, Chloe Elsby-Pearson, Richard Emsley, Chris Jones, Peter Lawrence, Kathryn Lester, Mirjana Majdandžic, et al.(2023). Investigating the effect of providing monetary incentives to participants on completion rates of referred co-respondents: an embedded randomized controlled trial. Study within a trial (SWAT) protocol . Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications. 32. Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 1--8. Elsevier

Effectiveness of a Web-Based Intervention to Prevent Anxiety in the Children of Parents With Anxiety: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Refresh" CONTENT="0;URL=/servlet/useragent"> </head> . JMIR Research Protocols.

Abigail Dunn, J Alvarez, A Arbon, Stephen Bremner, C Elsby-Pearson, R Emsley, Chris Jones, P Lawrence, Kathryn Lester, M Majdandžić, et al.(2022). Effectiveness of a web-based intervention to prevent anxiety in the children of parents with anxiety: protocol for a randomized controlled trial . JMIR Research Protocols. 11. (11). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString e40707. JMIR Publications Inc.

Teresa Tang, Leticia &#193;lvaro, John Maule, Alice Skelton, Anna Franklin, Jenny Bosten, James Alvarez(2022). ColourSpot, a novel gamified tablet-based test for accurate diagnosis of color vision deficiency in young children . Behavior Research Methods. 54. Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 1148--1160. Springer

James Alvarez, G Hamilton-Fletcher, M Obrist, Jamie Ward(2022). SoundSight: a mobile sensory substitution device that sonifies colour, distance, and temperature . Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 16. (1). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 107--123. Springer Science and Business Media LLC

James Alvarez, Louisa Rinaldi, Rebecca Smees, Julia Simner(2020). Do the colors of educational number-tools improve children’s mathematics and numerosity? . Child Development. 91. (4). Wiley

Michael Richardson, Jan Thar, Jan Borchers, Jamie Ward, Giles Hamilton-Fletcher, James Alvarez(2019). How much spatial information is lost in the sensory substitution process? Comparing visual, tactile, and auditory approaches . Perception. 48. Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 1079--1103. SAGE Publications

James Alvarez, Jenny Bosten, Leticia &#193;lvaro, Brenda Meyer, Teresa Tang, John Maule, Anna Franklin(2019). Tablet-based app for screening for CVD in young children . Journal of Vision. 19. (8). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 71--71. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)

James Alvarez, Julia Simner, Alberta Ipser, Rebecca Smees(2017). Does synaesthesia age? Changes in the quality and consistency of synaesthetic associations . Neuropsychologia. 106. Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 407--416. Elsevier

James Alvarez, Emily K Farran, Matthew B Cranwell, Anna Franklin(2013). Colour discrimination and categorisation in Williams syndrome . Research in Developmental Disabilities. 34. (10). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 3352--3360. Elsevier

James Alvarez, Anna Franklin, Emily Gibbons, Katie Chittenden, Chloe Taylor(2012). Infant color preference for red is not selectively context specific . Emotion. 12. (5). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 1155--1160. American Psychological Association

James Alvarez, Anna Franklin, Di Catherwood, Emma Axelsson(2010). Hemispheric asymmetries in categorical perception of orientation in infants and adults . Neuropsychologia. 48. (9). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 2648--2657. Elsevier

OTHER

James Alvarez, Abigail Dunn, Amy Arbon, Stephen Bremner, Chloe Elsby-Pearson, Richard Emsley, Christopher Jones, Peter Lawrence, Kathryn J Lester, Mirjana Majdandžić, et al.(2022). Effectiveness of an Online Intervention to Prevent Anxiety in the Children of Anxious Parents: A Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial. (Preprint) .

James Alvarez, Giles Hamilton-Fletcher, Marianna Obrist, Jamie Ward(2019). SoundSight: A Mobile Sensory Substitution Device that Sonifies Colour, Distance, and Temperature .

CONFERENCE PAPER

James Alvarez, Leticia Alvaro, Brenda Meyer, Teresa Tang, John Maule, Anna Franklin, Jenny Bosten(2019). Tablet-Based App for Screening for Colour Vision Deficiencies in Young Children. Perception. 48. Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 46--46.

ONLINE RESOURCE

James AlvarezJames Alvarez's blog.