Dr Belinda Hornby

Welcome to Belinda's essential oil research page!

Hi,
 
I am both a senior technician (full-time) and a part-time researcher. For my doctoral thesis I focussed on the effects of essential oils in both pre-clinical exploratory models of anxiety and by conducting a randomised placebo controlled and double blind trial examining the effects of lavender on anxiety. In all cases I have found that lavender has mildly anxiolytic effects and that its effects are more beneficial in females. Additionally, in the preclinical models lavender's effects potentiated over time, again particularly in females and on aspects of anxiety that are related to worry.  Another essential oil, rose oil, also has anxiolytic effects  and these effects also potentiated over time. In the case of rose oil though there were no differences between males and females, it worked equally well for both.
 
I am continuing with this research and looking for volunteers to take part,  if you are interested in taking part in my studies or in providing funding for my research then please email me bfhornby@uclan.ac.uk.
 
 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7977562.stm
 
Bradley, B.F, S.L.Brown, S.Chu, R.W. Lea, 2009 “The effects of orally administered lavender on responses to anxiety-provoking film clips” Human Psychopharmacology, vol 24, pp 319 - 330.
 
Bradley, B. F., Starkey, N. J., Brown, S. L., & Lea, R. W. 2007, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol. 111, no. 3, pp. 517-525.

Bradley, B. F., Starkey, N. J., Brown, S. L., & Lea, R. W. 2007, Physiol Behav vol 92,pp  931-938.

Bradley, B. F., Bridges, N. J., Starkey, N. J., Brown, S. L., & Lea, R. W. 2008 (Under review)