Dr Martin Sharp

Lecturer in Biopsychology

Department of Psychology & Allied Health Sciences

T: +44 141 331 8186

Profile

I joined the psychology department in 2007. Having previously served as a British Army Paratrooper I completed my PhD at the University of Edinburgh. My area of expertise lies in behavioural neuroendocrinology and the measurement of hormones. I am interested in the relationship between the evolution of the endocrine system and its relationship to complex social behaviour in human females and am especially concerned with unpicking research which links testosterone to a variety of behavioural indices in a simple, causative manner. Currently I am engaged in research projects that investigate androgen dynamics and social dominance in human females, fear thresholds and olfaction across the menstrual cycle, genomic and non-genomic action of androgens, and development of in-house ELISA protocols for androgen precursors and metabolites.

Specialisms & Interests

Digit Ratio and female social dominance
Androgen measurement in females
Female dominance hierarchies and sexual selection theory
Olfactory mechanisms and female dominance

Selected Publications

Moore, F. R, Al Dujaili, E. A. S., Cornwell, R. E., Law Smith, M. J., Lawson, J. F., Sharp, M. & Perrett, D. I. 2011. Cues to sex- and stress-hormones in the human male face: functions of glucocorticoids in the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis. Hormones and Behavior, 60 (3), 269-274.
Moore, F. R., Cornwell, R. E., Law Smith, M. J., Al Dujaili, E., Sharp, M. & Perrett, D. I. 2011. A test of the stress-linked immunocompetence handicap hypothesis in human male faces. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 278, 774 - 780
Deady, D.K., Law Smith, M.J., Sharp, M.A., & Al-Dujaili, E.A.S. (2006). Maternal personality and reproductive ambition in women is associated with salivary testosterone levels. Biological Psychology, vol. 71, no. 1, pp.29-32.
Sharp, M.A. & Collins, D. (1998). Exploring the inevitability of the relationship between anabolic steroids and aggression in human males, Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 20(4), pp.379-394
CA Conway, BC Jones, LM DeBruine, LLM Welling, MJ Law Smith, DI Perrett, M Sharp & EAS Al-Dujaili (2007). Salience of emotional displays of danger and contagion in faces is enhanced when progesterone levels are raised. Hormones and Behavior, 51(2): 202-206.
LLM Welling, BC Jones, LM DeBruine, CA Conway, MJ Law Smith, AC Little, DR Feinberg, M Sharp & EAS Al-Dujaili (2007). Raised salivary testosterone in women is associated with increased attraction to masculine faces. Hormones and Behavior, 52(2): 156-161.
Conference Presentations (and abstracts published in conference proceedings)
Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology. (2010). Martin A Sharp, Emad A.S. Al-Dujaili. Salivary testosterone: impact of circadian dynamics on sampling protocol for human female bio-behavioral studies. July, Toronto, Canada.
Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology. (2010). M.A. Sharp, E.A.S. Al-Dujaili. A biological basis for status competition in human females. July, Toronto, Canada.
Sharp, M.A. & Al-Dujaili, E.A.S. (2009). Androgen response to social defeat in physical competition. Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Michigan, USA.
Sharp, M.A. And Al-Dujaili, E.A.S (2007). Gender Differences in Endocrine Response to Physical Competition. HBES Conference, Virginia, 30th May, 2007.
Michael R. Stirrat, Jamie F. Lawson, M A Sharp, EAS Al-Dujaili, Ian D Stephen, David I. Perrett (2007) Fear of punishment: Testosterone elicits trustworthiness in trust games. HBES Conference, Virginia, May, 2007.
Lawson, JF, Law Smith, MJ, Al-Dujaili, EAS, Sharp, MA, Stirrat, MR, Perrett, DI (2007) Speed of Puberty, Appearance and Testosterone in Adult Human Males. HBES Conference, Virginia, 30th May, 2007.
D.K.Deady; M.J. Law Smith; M.A. Sharp; E.A.S. Al-Dujaili. (2006). Sex role identity is related to salivary testosterone levels in men. Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Pittsburgh, USA.
Sharp, M.A. & Al-Dujaili, E.A.S. (2006). Endocrine response to non-physical competition in human females. Human Behavior and Evolution Society, Philadelphia, USA.
Sharp, M.A. & Al-Dujaili, E.A.S. (2006). Application of testosterone ELISA for female salivary samples: Circadian rhythm studies. HBES, Philadelphia, USA.
Law Smith, Miriam J.; Perrett, David I.; Stirrat, Michael R.; Coetzee, Vinet; Jones, Benedict C.; Cornwell, R. Elisabeth; Feinberg, David R.; Hillier, S.G.; Rankin, Amanda; Greeff, J.; Henzi, S.P.; Sharp, Martin A.; Dujaili, Emad A.S. Reproductive Hormones, Apparent Health and Human Face Colour. (2006). HBES, Philadelphia, USA.
Al-Dujaili, E.A.S. & Sharp, M.A. (2006). Establishing circadian rhythm profiles for salivary testosterone in women: evidence of decline during ageing. British Society for Neuroendocrinology: 8th European Congress of Endocrinology. SECC Glasgow, April.
Al-Dujaili EAS , Chalmers R, Sharp M (2007) Does ginseng ingestion influence salivary Testosterone and DHEA levels in females. Endocrine Abstracts, vol 13: P285.
Law Smith M, Cornwell R, Jones B, Feinberg D, Moore F, Sharp M & Al-Dujaili, E & Perret D. Facial appearance signals stress hormone levels in adults. Psychology & Health, 20, S1, 143. Aug 2005.
Feinberg, D.R., Law Smith M.J., Sharp, M.A., Al-Dujaili E.A.S., & Perrett D.I. (2005). Diurnal shifts in testosterone predict diurnal shifts in vocal dominance in men. Human Behavior and Evolution Society Conference, Austin, Texas, USA, June.
CA Conway, BC Jones, LM DeBruine, LLM Welling, MJ Law Smith, DI Perrett, M Sharp & EAS Al-Dujaili (2007). Salience of emotional displays of danger and contagion in faces is enhanced when progesterone levels are raised. European Human Behaviour and Evolution Conference, London School of Economics, UK. March 2007.
LLM Welling, BC Jones, LM DeBruine, CA Conway, MJ Law Smith, AC Little, DR Feinberg, M Sharp & EAS Al-Dujaili (2007). Raised salivary testosterone in women is associated with increased attraction to masculine faces. Human Behavior and Evolution Society in Williamsburg, VA, USA. May 2007.
CA Conway, BC Jones, LM DeBruine, LLM Welling, MJ Law Smith, DI Perrett, M Sharp & EAS Al-Dujaili (2006). Salience of emotional displays of danger and contagion in faces is enhanced when progesterone levels are raised. BPS Scottish Branch Conference in Perth, UK. November 2006.
Sharp, M.A. & Al-Dujaili, E.A.S. (2004). Endocrine response to non-physical competition in human females. Annual Scientific Meeting of the Psychobiology Section of the British Psychological Society, Low Wood, Lake District.
Sharp, M.A. & Al-Dujaili, E.A.S. (2004). Application of testosterone ELISA for female salivary samples: Circadian rhythm studies. 86th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Endocrine Society, New Orleans, USA, June.
Deady, D., Sharp, M.A., Al-Dujaili, E.A.S. & O’Carroll, R. (2004). When the measurement of stress becomes the stressor. Annual Scientific Meeting of the Psychobiology Section of the British Psychological Society, Low Wood, Lake District
Sharp, M.A. & Al-Dujaili, E.A.S. (2003). Female salivary testosterone and bio-behavioural studies: the importance of multiple sampling. Annual Scientific Meeting of the Psychobiology Section of the British Psychological Society, Ambleside, Lake District

Invited Talks

School of Life Sciences Learning and Teaching Event. Glasgow Caledonian University. Sharp, M.A. and Mitchell, L.A. Formative Peer Assessment. June, 2009.
Formative Peer Assessment and Biological Psychology: Evidence Based Discussion. University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, July, 2011.
Introducing Formative Peer Assessment into a Biopsychology Honours Module: Evidence Based Discussion. University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, June, 2011.
Curriculum Enhancement and Formative Peer Assessment in Biopsychology. Bishop's University, Quebec, Canada, October, 2011.

Grant Reviewer

ESRC, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Canada), Higher Education Academy

Journal Reviewer

Hormones and Behaviour

Funding Awards

£2,000 Caledonian Academy. Owning Assessment: A Negotiated Position (2008).
£20,000 Chief Scientist Office project grant –Al-Dujaili, E. and Sharp, M.A. - Establishing Normal Ranges and Circadian Rhythm Profiles for Salivary Testosterone in Healthy Adult Females (2004-2005)
$130,000 World Anti-Doping Agency award – Al-Dujaili, E., Sharp, M.A. & Mason, JI, - Endogenous Testosterone, Testosterone Precursors and Metabolites; 19-Nor-Steroids and Establishment of Normal Urinary Levels of These and Related Compounds (2003-2004)
£33,000 Department of Health grant – Sharp, M.A. & Collins, D. Self Image and Steroid Use in Secondary Schools: Prevention Strategies (1998-1999)
£1500 Queen Margaret University College, small project grant - Al-Dujaili, E. and Sharp, M.A. Establishing circadian activity of female salivary T in exercising populations (2003)
£5,000 University of Wolverhampton – Sharp, M.A. HEFCE funded ‘Emerging Researchers Award Scheme’.

Professional Membership

The Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology
Society for Endocrinology
Human Behavior and Evolution Society
Higher Education Academy