
Overview
Background
Dr Chase Sherwell is a Research Fellow at the UQ Learning Lab and the Principal Research Technician for the Compassionate Mind Research Group in the School of Psychology. His research combines neuroscientific, psychological, and educational perspectives to provide tools for enacting learning, well-being, and behavioural change in real-world contexts. With a focus on application, Dr Sherwell’s work aims to identify metrics of internal psychological mechanisms that can be easily interpreted and integrated by professionals and end-users to facilitate skill development and mental health in everyday life.
With a background in cognitive neuroscience, psychology, and education research, Dr Sherwell leads projects that aim to explain learning, development, and mental health across disciplinary lines: from the level of neural networks through to everyday experience. Integrating multi-modal techniques including digital interaction, biometrics, and neurophysiology, Dr Sherwell develops tools, user experiences, and analytics that provide actionable metrics and insights for professionals and researchers.
Dr Sherwell is a Research Fellow in the UQ Learning Lab: a team of multi-disciplinary researchers, educators, and industry partners who collaborate to transform learning, teaching, and training in diverse school and post-school environments through the science of learning. In this role, Dr Sherwell lends his expertise in cognitive neuroscience and psychology to develop projects aimed at understanding and measuring the barriers, facilitators, and mechanisms of self-regulation in professional contexts. He leads projects designing digital tools providing educators with real-time feedback on learner states and skill development integrating smartphone apps and biometrics from wearable devices.
Dr Sherwell is also the Principal Research Technician for the Compassionate Mind Research Group – the leading research hub for Compassion Science in Australia, based at the UQ School of Psychology. In this role, he oversees research design and development across projects investigating the mechanisms of prosocial behaviour in everyday life, barriers to clinical interventions, and the efficacy of online interventions for mental health.
Availability
- Dr Chase Sherwell is:
- Not available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science, The University of Queensland
- Bachelor (Honours), The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Works
Search Professor Chase Sherwell’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
Daily effects of a brief compassion‐focused intervention for self‐compassion
Varley, Deanna, Sherwell, Chase S. and Kirby, James N. (2025). Daily effects of a brief compassion‐focused intervention for self‐compassion. British Journal of Psychology, 116 (1), 183-197. doi: 10.1111/bjop.12746
2025
Journal Article
Examining the Impact of a Brief Compassion Focused Intervention on Everyday Experiences of Compassion in Autistic Adults Through Psychophysiology and Experience Sampling
Sherwell, Chase S., Varley, Deanna, Kinnane, Claudia, Turner, Wesley, Zimmerman, David and Kirby, James N. (2025). Examining the Impact of a Brief Compassion Focused Intervention on Everyday Experiences of Compassion in Autistic Adults Through Psychophysiology and Experience Sampling. Applied Psychophysiology Biofeedback. doi: 10.1007/s10484-024-09681-y
2024
Journal Article
Compassion focused imagery reduces fears of compassion irrespective of attachment
Varley, Deanna, Sherwell, Chase S. and Kirby, James N. (2024). Compassion focused imagery reduces fears of compassion irrespective of attachment. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 72 (1), 69-79. doi: 10.1037/cou0000770
2024
Journal Article
Attachment and propensity for reporting compassionate opportunities and behavior in everyday life
Varley, Deanna, Sherwell, Chase S. and Kirby, James N. (2024). Attachment and propensity for reporting compassionate opportunities and behavior in everyday life. Frontiers in Psychology, 15 1409537. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1409537
2024
Book Chapter
Compassion focused therapy and heart rate variability
Sherwell, Chase S. and Kirby, James N. (2024). Compassion focused therapy and heart rate variability. Integrating psychotherapy and Psychophysiology: theory, assessment, and practice. (pp. 391-411) edited by Donald Moss. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780198888727.003.0018
2024
Journal Article
Compassion training influences heart-rate variability within severe depression
Kim, Jeffrey J., Sherwell, Chase, Parker, Stacey L. and Kirby, James N. (2024). Compassion training influences heart-rate variability within severe depression. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 16 100760, 100760. doi: 10.1016/j.jadr.2024.100760
2024
Journal Article
A multi-level meta-analytic review of attachment and fears of compassion
Varley, Deanna, Sherwell, Chase S., Fu, Mina and Kirby, James N. (2024). A multi-level meta-analytic review of attachment and fears of compassion. Personality and Individual Differences, 218 112477, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2023.112477
2023
Journal Article
Compassion as a framework for creating individual and group-level wellbeing in the classroom: new directions
Kirby, James N., Sherwell, Chase, Lynn, Sasha and Moloney-Gibb, Dylan (2023). Compassion as a framework for creating individual and group-level wellbeing in the classroom: new directions. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 33 (1) PII S2055636523000058, 2-12. doi: 10.1017/jgc.2023.5
2023
Journal Article
Beliefs about action efficacy mediate the relationship between self-concept clarity and self-reported compassionate action
Perrykkad, Kelsey, Sherwell, Chase, Kirby, James and Hohwy, Jakob (2023). Beliefs about action efficacy mediate the relationship between self-concept clarity and self-reported compassionate action. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice. doi: 10.1037/cns0000349
2022
Journal Article
Reaction Time “Mismatch Costs” Change with the Likelihood of Stimulus–Response Compatibility
Campbell, Megan E. J., Sherwell, Chase S., Cunnington, Ross, Brown, Scott and Breakspear, Michael (2022). Reaction Time “Mismatch Costs” Change with the Likelihood of Stimulus–Response Compatibility. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 30 (1), 1-16. doi: 10.3758/s13423-022-02161-6
2022
Journal Article
The role of likeability in discriminating between kindness and compassion
Kirby, James N., Gerrish, Ruby, Sherwell, Chase and Gilbert, Paul (2022). The role of likeability in discriminating between kindness and compassion. Mindfulness, 13 (6), 1555-1564. doi: 10.1007/s12671-022-01900-z
2022
Journal Article
Learning research in a laboratory classroom: a reflection on complementarity and commensurability among multiple analytical accounts
Chan, Man Ching Esther, Moate, Josephine, with the Social Unit of Learning project team, Clarke, David, Cunnington, Ross, Díez-Palomar, Javier, Friesen, Marita, Haataja, Eeva, Hošpesová, Alena, Kuntze, Sebastian, Nieminen, Juuso, Novotná, Jarmila, Ochoa, Xavier, Sherwell, Chase, Tran, Dung and Tuohilamp, Laura (2022). Learning research in a laboratory classroom: a reflection on complementarity and commensurability among multiple analytical accounts. ZDM - Mathematics Education, 54 (2), 317-329. doi: 10.1007/s11858-022-01330-0
2022
Journal Article
Neural activation during emotional interference corresponds to emotion dysregulation in stressed teachers
Fynes-Clinton, Samuel, Sherwell, Chase, Ziaei, Maryam, York, Ashley, O’Connor, Emma Sanders, Forrest, Kylee, Flynn, Libby, Bower, Julie, Reutens, David and Carroll, Annemaree (2022). Neural activation during emotional interference corresponds to emotion dysregulation in stressed teachers. npj Science of Learning, 7 (1) 5, 5. doi: 10.1038/s41539-022-00123-0
2020
Book Chapter
Building a secure learning environment through social connectedness
Cunnington, Ross, MacMahon, Stephanie, Sherwell, Chase and Gillies, Robyn (2020). Building a secure learning environment through social connectedness. Building a secure learning environment through social connectedness. (pp. 112-124) edited by Annemaree Carroll, Ross Cunnington and Annita Nugent. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429027833-8
2019
Journal Article
Changes in science attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and physiological arousal after implementation of a multimodal, cooperative intervention in primary school science classes
Carroll, Annemaree, Gillies, Robyn M., Cunnington, Ross, McCarthy, Molly, Sherwell, Chase, Palghat, Kelsey, Goh, Felicia, Baffour, Bernard, Bourgeois, Amanda, Rafter, Mary and Seary, Tennille (2019). Changes in science attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and physiological arousal after implementation of a multimodal, cooperative intervention in primary school science classes. Information and Learning Science, 120 (7/8), 409-425. doi: 10.1108/ILS-08-2018-0089
2017
Other Outputs
Predictive timing in perception and action
Sherwell, Chase (2017). Predictive timing in perception and action. PhD Thesis, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2017.762
2017
Journal Article
Timing in predictive coding: the roles of task relevance and global probability
Sherwell, Chase S., Garrido, Marta I. and Cunnington, Ross (2017). Timing in predictive coding: the roles of task relevance and global probability. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 29 (5), 780-792. doi: 10.1162/jocn_a_01085
2014
Journal Article
Intergroup relationships do not reduce racial bias in empathic neural responses to pain
Contreras-Huerta, Luis Sebastian, Hielscher, Emily, Sherwell, Chase S., Rens, Natalie and Cunnington, Ross (2014). Intergroup relationships do not reduce racial bias in empathic neural responses to pain. Neuropsychologia, 64, 263-270. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.09.045
2011
Other Outputs
Neural processes underlying the temporal allocation of attention
Sherwell, Chase (2011). Neural processes underlying the temporal allocation of attention. Honours Thesis, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland.
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Chase Sherwell is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Feasibility and pilot testing of a compassion-focused intervention in young offenders and children in care
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor James Kirby
-
Doctor Philosophy
The Student and Teacher Relationship: Exploring Behavioural and Neuroscience Variables that impact upon Student and Teacher Wellbeing
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ross Cunnington, Professor Robyn Gillies
-
Doctor Philosophy
Social and Affective Impacts of Adult Attachment Style on The Experience of Compassion
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jonathan Redshaw, Associate Professor James Kirby
Completed supervision
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Social and Affective Impacts of Adult Attachment Style on Sensitivity to Distress and the Experience of Compassion
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jonathan Redshaw, Associate Professor James Kirby
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
The Student and Teacher Relationship: Exploring Behavioural and Neuroscience Variables that impact upon Student and Teacher Wellbeing
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ross Cunnington, Professor Robyn Gillies
Media
Enquiries
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