Peter Todd

Formerly, post-graduate research psychologist, School of Surgery, UNSW, then Neuropsychiatric Institute, Prince Henry Hospital, Sydney, Australia, then member Biopsychosocial AIDS Project, University of California, San Francisco, USA, then Consultant, Department of Immunology, St Vincent's Hospital, UNSW and Research Coordinator Albion Street AIDS Clinic, Sydney. Currently, psychologist and psychotherapist in private practice with recent peer reviewed publications. Available as consultant for researchers in the PNI and psychosomatic fields.

Research skills

  • Technical
    Measurement of unconscious mental processes to be correlated with neuroendocrine, cytokine and immune system variables as well as disease outcome and mortality in immunologically mediated and resisted illnesses.
  • IT
    Basic
  • Statistical
    SPSS, Multivariate analyses, Eg, discriminant function, hierarchical logistic regression and mutiple correlation techniques.
  • Other
    Office Word, Powerpoint

Research interests

  • Interests
    Psychoneuroimmunology, Neuropsychoanalysis, depth psychology, unconscious mental processes such as ego-defences and affects, neuroendocrines, Neurotransmitter, psychosocial predictors, immunologically mediated and resisted diseases, including HIV infection., Cytokine

Research experience

  • Teaching: measurement and multivariate statistical analysis to colleagues and post-graduate students.
  • Teaching: 1). Presentations (2). Symposia (3). Lectures on PNI research
  • Jul 1984–
    Nov 1986
    Research: Psychoneuroimmunological study of HIV seropositive and negative subjects
    University of New South Wales · Immunology/ St Vincent's Hospital · University of New South Wales
    Sydney AIDS Project · Sydney
    Psychosocial, Psychoneuroimmunology, HIV/AIDS, antibody status, immunity, morbidity, mortality. Funding for psychosocial and psychoneuroimmunological research, particularly longitudinal studies is difficult to obtain in Australia. Hence a proposed and designed longitudinal study of 1250 subjects was unable to be conducted, in spite of promising preliminary results reported at the 1986 Paris AIDS Conference and to the Australian College of Clinical Psychologists. I am now in private practice as a consultant.
  • Jan 1983–
    Jun 1984
    Research: Conceptualizing Psychoneuroimmonological Aspects of AIDS Research
    University of California at Berkeley · Langley-Porter Psychiatric Institute · University of California
    Biopsychosocial AIDS Project, University of California, San Francisco · San Francisco
    AIDS, Biopsychosocial, Psychoneuroimmunology, morbidity, mortality
  • Jan 1977–
    Dec 1982
    Research: Neuropsychiatric Institute
    University of New South Wales · Psychiatry · University of New South Wales
    Dementia Projects and Brain/Behaviour Research Studies · Sydney
    Neuropsychology, evaluation of neurological disorders, cognitive dysfunction, psychophysical and brain behaviour relationships, psychosurgical procedures used to alleviate psychiatric conditions.Including intractable epilepsy and related disorders thought to involve such limbic system structures as the amygdala and frontal dyscontrol.
  • Jan 1973–
    Aug 1979
    Research: Doctor and patient in breast cancer diagnosis
    University of New South Wales · Medicine/ Surgery · University of New South Wales
    Australian Cancer Society · Sydney
    cancer, psychological aspects, education programs
  • Jan 1973–
    Dec 1976
    Research: Determinants of behaviour and outcome in women with symptoms of breast cancer
    University of New South Wales · Surgery · University of New South Wales
    Department of Surgery · Sydney
    Unconscious, ego-defences and affects, delay, biopsy, malignancy. Research funding to continue this project could not be obtained, in spite of the quality, peer-reviewed publications which resulted and are listed under journal articles. The study itself was essentially one providing construct validation for the psychoanalytic concepts of unconscious ego defences and affects, which predicted discrepancies between verbally reported and non-verbal expressions of negative emotions such as anxiety and anger in response to threat. Unconscious mental factors were hypothesised to be predictors of delayed presentation for diagnosis. However, prior to the implementation of this study, such factors had not been subject to rigorous operational analysis and measurement. This had constituted a significant methodological obstacle to the empirical study of unconscious processes as determinants of both behaviour and disease outcome. The highly significant data had important implications for surgeons concerned with patients' delay in presenting for diagnosis and cancer educators. Dr. C.J. Magarey was a surgeon with a particular interest in overcoming attitudes contributing to delay in the diagnosis of malignancy and mortality rates. As the research psychologist I was psychoanalytically oriented with a particular interest in psychosomatic aspects of such illnesses as cancer. The paper, "Ego Defences and Affects in Women with Breast Symptoms: A Preliminary Measurement Paradigm" in the British Journal of Medical Psychology, 1978, 50(2), 177-189, was considered by colleagues, for instance at Kings College Hospital, London and in the United States, to be innovative and of international salience because it represented one of the first successful attempts to quantify unconscious mental processes in testing predictions from psychoanalytic theory and implications for psychosomatic research.

Other

  • Languages
    English, Latin, French (a little)
  • Scientific Memberships
    (1). Full Member, Australian Psychological Society (APS)
    (2). Member of the Psychoanalytically oriented interest group (APS)
    Formerly: Member of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia (COSA)
    Member of the Surgical Research Society of Australia (SRS)
    (3).The professional psychological memberships currently entail both post-graduate research, publications and qualifications equivalent to masters level or PhD degrees with supervised experience in empirical research methods and statistical analysis.
  • Journal Referee
    Peer-review of research papers and book reviews
  • Other Interests
    Scholarly reading and publication in peer reviewed journals. Book and scientific paper reviewer in relevant fields. The reading includes publications in such fields as psychoneuroimmunology, the philosophy of science, mind-matter anomalies research, epistemology and the nature of the mind/brain relationship.

    Writing on the relationship between science and religion

    Music of the Renaissance and Baroque Periods., (1). "Mind and Matter" link: http://www.mindmatter.de/
    (2). "Psychosomatic Medicine"
    (3). "Psychoneuroimmunology"
    (4). "Neuro-psychoanalysis" (Turnbull, O et al. Eds)
    (5). "Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology"
    (6). "Health Psychology"
    (7). "International Journal of Psychoanalysis"
    (8). "Cortex"
    (9). "Biosystems", (1). Papers published in the abovementioned journals, (1). "Psychoneuroimmunology", Ader, R., Academic Press, New York (1981- 2007).
    (2). Freud, S. Collected Works, Hogarth.
    (3). Jung, C.G. Collected Works, Routledge.
    (4). Fordham, M., (1985): "Explorations into the Self", Academic Press, London.
    (5). Schrodinger, E. (1992): "What is Life and Mind and Matter and Autobiograpical Sketches", Cambridge University Press, Cambrdge.
    (6). Winnicott, D. (1971): "Playing and Reality", Tavistock, London.
    (7). Popper, K.R. and Eccles, J.C. (1990): "The Self and its Brain: An Argument for Interactionism", Springer, Berlin.
    (8). Kuhn, T.S. "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions", 3rd edn, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
    (9). Popper, K.R., "The Logic of Scientific Discovery", London: Hutchinson, 1972.
    (10). Bowlby, J. (1989): "Attachment and Loss", Penguin Books, New York.
    (11). Laurikainen, K.V. (1988): "Beyond the Atom- The Philosophical Thought of Wolfgang Pauli", Springer-Verlag, New York.

Publications

  • The Numinous and the Archetypes as Timeless, Cosmic Ordering and Regulating Principles in Evolution

    P.B. Todd

    C.G. Jung Society of Sydney Lecture, April 9, 2011, Level 2, 484 Kent Street Sydney; 01/2011

    Psychoanalytic self-psychology as outlined by such depth psychologists as Jung, Fordham, Winnicott and Kohut provide a framework for conceptualizing a relationship of complementarity between psychic and immune defence as well as loss of bodily and self integration in disease. Physicist Erwin Schrö... [more] Psychoanalytic self-psychology as outlined by such depth psychologists as Jung, Fordham, Winnicott and Kohut provide a framework for conceptualizing a relationship of complementarity between psychic and immune defence as well as loss of bodily and self integration in disease. Physicist Erwin Schrödinger’s thesis that the so-called “arrow of time” does not necessarily deal a mortal blow to its creator is reminiscent of the concept of timeless dimensions of the unconscious mind and the Self in Analytical Psychology, manifest for instance, in dream content and archetypal symbols. These notions are not only consistent with the concepts of timelessness and meaningful coincidence (synchronicity) in psychoanalysis. They are also implicitly spiritual with intimations of a numinous dimension of the evolutionary process in which humanity participates. This includes the idea that an evolving God becomes conscious through and is completed by humankind in a process (Incarnational) theology which regards the numinous as both immanent and transcendent. And concepts of mind which transcend the individual in a transpersonal sense. The treatment of the psychophysical problem by depth psychologist Carl Jung and physicist Wolfgang Pauli with their notion of the unconscious archetypes as timeless, cosmic ordering and regulating principles creating a bridge between mind and matter in a relationship of complementarity is compatible with such a perspective on the numinous which might in turn be useful for contemporary theology and spirituality.
  • Review of, "HIV Treatment and Prevention Technologies:An International Perspective", London: Palgrave Macmillan pp 210. Davis Mark and Squire, Corinne (2010)

    Todd P.B.

    Gay & Lesbian Issues and Psychology Review. 01/2011; 7(1).

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  • The Numinous and the Archetypes as Timeless, Cosmic Ordering and Regulating Principles in Evolution

    P.B. Todd

    JungDownunder. 01/2011;

    Psychoanalytic self-psychology as outlined by such depth psychologists as Jung, Fordham, Winnicott and Kohut provide a framework for conceptualizing a relationship of complementarity between psychic and immune defence as well as loss of bodily and self integration in disease. Physicist Erwin Schrö... [more] Psychoanalytic self-psychology as outlined by such depth psychologists as Jung, Fordham, Winnicott and Kohut provide a framework for conceptualizing a relationship of complementarity between psychic and immune defence as well as loss of bodily and self integration in disease. Physicist Erwin Schrödinger’s thesis that the so-called “arrow of time” does not necessarily deal a mortal blow to its creator is reminiscent of the concept of timeless dimensions of the unconscious mind and the Self in Analytical Psychology, manifest for instance, in dream content and archetypal symbols. These notions are not only consistent with the concepts of timelessness and meaningful coincidence (synchronicity) in psychoanalysis. They are also implicitly spiritual with intimations of a numinous dimension of the evolutionary process in which humanity participates. This includes the idea that an evolving God becomes conscious through and is completed by humankind in a process (Incarnational) theology which regards the numinous as both immanent and transcendent. And concepts of mind which transcend the individual in a transpersonal sense. The treatment of the psychophysical problem by depth psychologist Carl Jung and physicist Wolfgang Pauli with their notion of the unconscious archetypes as timeless, cosmic ordering and regulating principles creating a bridge between mind and matter in a relationship of complementarity is compatible with such a perspective on the numinous which might in turn be useful for contemporary theology and spirituality.
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  • Psychoanalysis: Operational Analysis and measurement of Constructs

    P.B. Todd

    Open Symposium, POPIG NSW, Giving the Shadows Form (with Jonathan Shedler PhD) November 13-14, 2010, Sydney; 01/2010

    One of the historic criticisms of psychoanalytic explanatory theories has been that constructs have been regarded as inaccessible to operational analysis and measurement and therefore devoid of empirical meaning. This paper demonstrates that constructs such as unconscious ego-defences and affects ca... [more] One of the historic criticisms of psychoanalytic explanatory theories has been that constructs have been regarded as inaccessible to operational analysis and measurement and therefore devoid of empirical meaning. This paper demonstrates that constructs such as unconscious ego-defences and affects can be operationally defined and measured and predictions derived from theory concerning behaviour and disease outcome empirically tested. Several examples of such construct research are discussed from the psychosomatic and neuropsychoanalytic fields.
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  • Review of Kalichman Seth, (2009) Denying AIDS: Conspiracy Theories, Psuedoscience and Human Tragedy, Copernicus books, Springer Science, New York

    P.B. Todd

    Gay & Lesbian Issues and Psychology Review (APS publication). 08/2009; 5:130-131.

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  • Unconscious Mental Factors in HIV Infection

    P.B. Todd

    Mind and Matter. 01/2009; 6:193-206.

    Multiple drug resistant strains of HIV and continuing difficulties with vaccine development highlight the importance of psychological interventions which aim to influence the psychosocial and emotional factors empirically demonstrated to be significant predictors of immunity, illness progression and... [more] Multiple drug resistant strains of HIV and continuing difficulties with vaccine development highlight the importance of psychological interventions which aim to influence the psychosocial and emotional factors empirically demonstrated to be significant predictors of immunity, illness progression and AIDS mortality in seropositive persons. Such data have profound implications for psychological interventions designed to modify psychosocial factors predictive of enhanced risk of exposure to HIV as well as the neuroendocrine and immune mechanisms mediating the impact of such factors on disease progression. Many of these factors can be construed as unconscious mental ones, and psychoanalytic self-psychology may be a useful framework for conceptualizing psychic and immune defence as well as bodily and self-integration in HIV infection. Although further prospective studies and cross-cultural validation of research are necessary, existing data suggest that psychoanalytic insights may be useful both in therapeutic interventions and evaluative research which would require an underlying epistemology of the complementarity of mind and matter.
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  • Beyond Pharmacology: Psychological Interventions in HIV Infection

    P.B. Todd

    Symposium presentation at the Australian Psychological Society National Conference, Hobart, Australia; 09/2008

  • The Psychoneuroimmunological Data Base for Psychological Interventions in HIV Infection

    Peter B. Todd

    Gay & Lesbian Issues and Psychology Review (APS Publication). 08/2008; 4:141-147.

    The emergence of multiple drug resistant strains of HIV creates the need for a renewed focus upon the status of scientific knowledge concerning the impact of psychosocial and emotional factors upon immunity, disease progression and AIDS mortality in HIV seropositive persons. To this end, the field o... [more] The emergence of multiple drug resistant strains of HIV creates the need for a renewed focus upon the status of scientific knowledge concerning the impact of psychosocial and emotional factors upon immunity, disease progression and AIDS mortality in HIV seropositive persons. To this end, the field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) has provided a vast empirical data base of psychosocial determinants of immunity, illness progression and mortality in HIV infection since the early 1980’s. Such data have demonstrated that psychosocial factors are highly significant predictors of behaviour known to enhance risk of exposure to HIV and therefore need to be considered as a vital foundation of primary prevention programs aiming to minimize new infection rates. This paper reviews the psychosocial factors already identified as significant to both primary and secondary prevention while outlining directions for future research, including the need for studies which permit the use of multivariate techniques such as hierarchical logistic regression and discriminant function analyses. Homophobia in particular seems to be a health menace as a determinant of high risk behaviour, immunosuppression and AIDS mortality. Cross cultural validation of research is emphasized as most PNI studies have been conducted in the developed world, especially North America.
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  • The Neglected Holocaust

    P.B. Todd

    Griffith Review. 08/2007; 16:195-202.

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  • AIDS: A Pilgrimage to Healing-a guide for health professionals, the clergy, educators and carers

    P.B. Todd

    10/1992: pages 150 pages;

    ISBN: 0855749024, 9780855749026

  • Psychosocial Interventions in HIV Infection: A Preliminary Report with Group Counseling and Visualization

    P.B. Todd

    Consultation on Psychology & Preventive Health, Australian College of Clinical Psychologists, Canberra, A.C.T. Australia; 07/1988

  • Psychosocial Factors Predicting HIV Antibody Status, T-Cell Immunity and Symptoms of AIDS Spectrum Disorders

    Todd. P.B., Burcham J.

    AIDS Conference, Paris; 08/1986

  • Psychosomatic Aspects of Cancer: Problems of Language, Operational Analysis and Measurement

    P.B. Todd

    Lecture to Graduate Students in Psychology, California School of Professional Psyhology, Berkeley, California, USA; 03/1983

  • Models and Measurements: The Dimension of Operational Clarity

    P.B. Todd

    First national symposium, "The Psychosocial and Biomedical Determinants of the Outcomes of Cancer", sponsored by NSW State Cancer Council, Sydney, Australia; 08/1979

  • Ego defences and affects in women with breast symptoms: a preliminary measurement paradigm.

    P B Todd, C J Magarey

    The British journal of medical psychology. 07/1978; 51(2):177-89.

    Terms derived from psychoanalytic theory such as the concepts of ego defences and affects, have often been regarded as inaccessible to operational analysis and measurement and therefore devoid of empirical meaning. However, these explanatory terms are frequently employed in hypotheses concerning the... [more] Terms derived from psychoanalytic theory such as the concepts of ego defences and affects, have often been regarded as inaccessible to operational analysis and measurement and therefore devoid of empirical meaning. However, these explanatory terms are frequently employed in hypotheses concerning the determinants of behaviour and outcome in naturally occurring illnesses, such as breast cancer as well as other life crises and stress situations. The results of the present study demonstrate not only that it is possible to operationally define and measure the ego defences and affects associated with the crisis induced by finding a breast symptom suggesting cancer and awaiting biopsy, but also that on the basis of such measurement, behaviour related to breast cancer can be predicted and hypotheses concerning the relevance of these variables to aetiology put to the test. The operational definitions and measurement methods described could also be modified for application in other crisis situations to which ego defences and affects are thought to be pertinent and the results of these operations compared empirically to determine the extent of their convergence. the methods can be used by independent observers with different theoretical and professional backgrounds. The delay by women in reporting breast symptoms to their doctors was strongly related to a combination of non-rational, unconscious psychological factors. Those who delayed used the ego defences of denial and suppression, not intellectualization-isolation, and verbally expressed depression but not anxiety while showing behavioural manifestations of anxiety. Conscious factors such as fear and education were unrelated to the length of delay. These findings have important implications for educators and doctors concerned with the early detection of breast cancer.
  • Psycho-social factors influencing delay and breast self-examination in women with symptoms of breast cancer.

    C J Magarey, P B Todd, P J Blizard

    Social science & medicine. 04/1977; 11(4):229-32.

  • 0.57
    Impact points
    The doctor and the patient in early breast cancer diagnosis.

    C J Magarey, P B Todd

    Australian family physician. 04/1977; 6(3):243-4,248-9,251.

    Breast cancer mortality has not fallen in 30 years, and a renewed attempt at early diagnosis should be made. A study of women's attitudes to breast cancer and surgery has shown their behaviour to be influenced mainly by unconscious factors, including ego-defences, anxiety and depression. Doctors... [more] Breast cancer mortality has not fallen in 30 years, and a renewed attempt at early diagnosis should be made. A study of women's attitudes to breast cancer and surgery has shown their behaviour to be influenced mainly by unconscious factors, including ego-defences, anxiety and depression. Doctors know that early breast cancer treatment is desirable, but the proportion of women having their breasts examined, or being taught breast self-examination, is small. Further attempts at reducing delay in breast cancer treatment must take into account the unconscious processes affecting behaviour, and individual doctors could play a greater part by the education of women in their surgeries.
  • Retrospective survey of women attending a hospital breast clinic

    DJ Hill, P Todd, J Ryan, CJ Margarey, G Pickford

    Cancer Forum (Australian Cancer Society). 01/1977;

    This retrospective survey examined womens' attitudes to breast cancer and impending surgery with a view to elucidating the determinants of delay in presenting with symptoms and the practice of breast self eamination.... [more] This retrospective survey examined womens' attitudes to breast cancer and impending surgery with a view to elucidating the determinants of delay in presenting with symptoms and the practice of breast self eamination.
  • Breast loss and delay in breast cancer diagnosis: behavioural science in surgical research.

    C J Magarey, P B Todd

    The Australian and New Zealand journal of surgery. 12/1976; 46(4):391-3.

    By the use of the methods of behavioural science, a study of women's attitudes to breast cancer and to breast surgery was carried out to provide firm data which might begin to settle the argement regarding conservative surgery for breast cancer. Conscious fears, including that of mastectomy, wer... [more] By the use of the methods of behavioural science, a study of women's attitudes to breast cancer and to breast surgery was carried out to provide firm data which might begin to settle the argement regarding conservative surgery for breast cancer. Conscious fears, including that of mastectomy, were found to have no significatn influence on the time that a woman takes to report the presence of a breast lump to her doctor, or to commence the practice breast self-examination. The length of delay is determined by unconscious, non-rational processes, and other factors beyond her control. Rational argument, therefdore, such as that earlier diagnosis will permit more conservative surgery including partial mastectomy, will not influence women to present any earlier or to practise breast self-examination.
  • Breast loss and delay in breast cancer diagnosis: behavioural science in surgical research.

    Magarey CJ, Todd PB

    Aust N Z J Surg. 1976 Nov;46(4):391-3. 11/1976; 46:391-3.

    By the use of the methods of behavioural science, a study of women's attitudes to breast cancer and to breast surgery was carried out to provide firm data which might begin to settle the argument regarding conservative surgery for breast cancer. Conscious fears, including that of mastectomy, wer... [more] By the use of the methods of behavioural science, a study of women's attitudes to breast cancer and to breast surgery was carried out to provide firm data which might begin to settle the argument regarding conservative surgery for breast cancer. Conscious fears, including that of mastectomy, were found to have no significant influence on the time that a woman takes to report the presence of a breast lump to her doctor, or to commence the practice of breast self-examination. The length of delay is determined by unconscious, non-rational processes, and other factors beyond her control. Rational argument, therefore, such as that earlier diagnosis will permit more conservative surgery including partial mastectomy, will not influence women to present any earlier or to practise breast self-examination.
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Following (13)

23
Publications
16
Followers
Current advisors
also in private practice.
University of Western Sydney and current president of the C.G. Jung Society of Sydney
UNSW faculty assocate and convenor of the psychoanalytically oriented interested group of the Australian Psychological Society and Adjunct Professor David Bede Russell
psychoanalyst
Dr Timothy Keogh
Past advisors
Australia).
Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria
Education Director
(demonstrated lymphocyte suppression post-bereavement) Dr David Hill
Sydney
Royal North Shore Hospital
Dr Roger Bartrop
Prince Henry Hospital UNSW
Neuropsychiatric Institute
Scientific Officer
UNSW and others. Dr Phil Levy
department of immunology
Professor Ron Penny
UNSW
biostatistics
Professor Wayne Hall
UCSF Biopsychosocial AIDS Project
The late Professor George Freeman Solomon