  Mid-heavy nuclei offer unique opportunities to study the collective and
single-particle aspects of nuclear structure. This mass regime is a dynamic
area where protons and neutrons generally occupy different orbitals, giving
rise to complex structures with a wide variety of shapes, shape evolution and
shape coexistence. To that end, measurements of nuclear lifetimes and
electromagnetic moments ($\mu$,$Q$) can be invaluable. Recent experimental
activities of the NuSTRAP group in Athens have focused on $\gamma$-spectroscopy
studies employing the RoSPHERE array in Magurele, Romania. In recent studies
[1,2], the neutron-rich $^{144-146}$Ba isotopes have exhibited octupole degrees
of freedom. Similar questions exist for the lighter $^{140}$Ba isotope, which
is located at the onset of octupole collectivity. In addition, understanding
the structure of heavier, even-even hafnium isotopes requires more data
regarding shape coexistence and shape evolution. Preliminary results on
lifetimes in this area pave the way to understand dynamical phenomena prior to
studying more exotic species in the future.
