Our group comprises a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, pharmacologists and neuroscientists and aims to explore these questions using human models of cognitive and emotional processing.
Director of PERL
I am an experimental psychologist who became fascinated by how antidepressants work both in terms of our brains but also our psychology. Our research looks at different treatments for depression, trying to find out what makes treatment effective, whether it is based on a medicine, a talking therapy, lifestyle change and more. By taking this approach we try to improve treatments of the future – making them more effective, faster or working for subgroups of patients that might not be helped by current treatments.
Associate Professor
Using a translational experimental medicine approach, my research assesses novel treatment approaches in humans to understand their mechanisms and predict later treatment efficacy, particularly in psychiatric treatment development. I am currently characterizing the neuropsychological effects of novel antidepressant targets and work with pharmaceutical companies to deploy this approach in drug development.
Postdoctoral Researcher
I am interested in understanding the mechanisms of psychiatric problems and their treatments. My current project investigates the effect of a novel antidepressant on cognitive processing in patients with depression, and I also coordinate a large longitudinal online study investigating emotional cognition during the pandemic.
Senior Postdoctoral Researcher
I started in PERL after finishing my DPhil in 2019. The main focus of my role is providing supervision and support for everything brain scanning related (MRI) in our group. I also conduct my own studies where I aim to better understand a brain area important for emotional processing called the amygdala. For this I use a brain scanner that scans with great spatial detail (7 Tesla MRI scanner). We hope these studies will help us improve our predictions of which patients may benefit from different antidepressants. More info about my current study can be found here.
Postdoctoral Researcher
I am a clinical psychologist specialising in mood and anxiety disorders. I have always been interested in how psychological and medical treatments work. My focus is on these and other mental health conditions. At PERL, I work on a multi-site study to understand how the brain controls motivation and drive. I use experimental methods to study how brain chemicals influence decision-making. I also look at how they affect the effort people put into reaching their goals.
Post-doctoral researcher
At PERL, I work on a Wellcome Trust-funded project exploring how the antidepressant fluoxetine (often known as Prozac) influences emotions and social interactions in young people aged 14–24. A big part of my job involves designing studies and creating tasks that help us understand emotion-related thinking and social behaviour with and without antidepressants. I work closely with a group of young advisors to make sure our methods are meaningful and easy to engage with. If you would like to know more, please feel free to contact me on my LinkedIn or email.
Clinical Lecturer in General Adult Psychiatry
I am interested in psychopharmacology and the evidence-based treatment of mental illness, especially mood disorders including their cognitive and physical health aspects. My research investigates biomarkers and the use of drugs with metabolic and anti-inflammatory properties to treat psychiatric disorders, integrating a variety of approaches such as experimental medicine, pharmacoepidemiology, and evidence synthesis.
Post-doctoral researcher
It’s a pleasure to be a member of PERL, where I am working on projects aimed at better understanding how chemicals in our brain (neurotransmitters) influence important aspects of our lives, such as our ability to remember information or process emotions. If you’d like to know more, I would be more than happy to receive any emails.
BRC Scientific Administrator
I help support experimental medicine studies and carry out associated administration and project management. I very much enjoy being part of this dynamic group of researchers’ and being involved in projects that aim to better the lives of people struggling with mental health issues. I also sit on a number of Departmental People & Culture groups that are working towards achieving a more inclusive and diverse place of work.
DPhil Student
My research interests mainly sit at the intersection of social psychology and intervention science. With the SOMA study, I am presently investigating the potential benefits of cooperative, social movement-based activities (such as salsa dance!) for individuals with low mood, depression, and loneliness. We hope to translate this research to various applications within the NHS mental healthcare systems. Feel free to reach out to me on my LinkedIn or Twitter if you would like to learn more.
DPhil Student
I am interested in discovering how compounds impact various aspects of emotion and cognition, so that we might then better understand the potential mechanisms of action relevant to depression treatment. My current project is designed to assess how nitrous oxide impacts a number of psychological processes, including memory and emotional perception. Through my DPhil explorations, I hope to help inform the development of novel strategies for the treatment of depression, which may also be effective for individuals who have previously shown treatment-resistance.
DPhil Student
My research interest lies in the neurocognitive mechanism underlying the effect of SSRI treatments among young people. Currently, my study involves conducting qualitative interviews with young individuals who have encountered irritability during episodes of depression. By directly engaging with their firsthand experiences, we aim to refine our comprehension and assessment methods of irritability in depressed youth. This groundwork will lay the foundation for my future work, which further investigates the mechanisms underlying treatment effectiveness and potentially explain the differential impacts of various medications.
DPhil Student
I am currently involved in the PIPPA Study, which examines how a commercial probiotic might affect the gut microbiome, emotional processing, and cognitive functions in perimenopausal women experiencing mood and cognitive disturbances. Through my DPhil research, I aim to generate data that can inform future clinical applications of probiotics for managing perimenopausal symptoms. Before starting my DPhil, I earned my undergraduate degree in biomedical science from the University of Brighton and my Master’s degree in reproductive and developmental biology from Imperial College London.
DPhil Student
My research focuses on investigating the potential effects of ketamine, a medication, on motivation and anhedonia in individuals who are taking an antidepressant but still experiencing symptoms of depression. Through my DPhil thesis, I strive to advance our knowledge in this important area and make a positive impact on the lives of those with depression. Feel free to contact me via email or twitter for more information about my research.
Research Assistant
I am working on a variety of research projects in the lab that explore how people learn and process their environment, like emotional processing, as well as potential new treatments for depression. My role involves designing and setting up studies, finding participants, running participant research visits, and analysing data. I am interested in how the brain and thinking patterns change in mood disorders and during their treatment.
Research Assistant
I am currently working on the PROGRESS Study, which aims to investigate if Prucalopride, a drug used to treat constipation, can improve emotion processing and cognition in healthy participants who have recovered from depression. I am interested in understanding the mechanisms of depression and finding alternative treatments, particularly in instances of treatment-resistance. I completed my undergraduate degree in psychology at the National University of Singapore and worked as a research assistant there for a year, before pursuing a Master’s degree in Psychiatric Research at King’s College London.
Research Assistant
I am currently working on a project aiming to innovate treatments and assessments for adolescents with depression. For this, we have created a Young Persons’ Advisory Group to collaborate with PERL at several stages of our research. I had studied for an undergraduate degree in neuroscience at UCL, before completing a research masters with a greater focus on personality disorders at Yale University. Previously, I worked as a criminal justice recovery caseworker at a mental health charity supporting women in prisons, where I gained insight into the intersection of mental health and the justice system.
MSc by Research student
My master’s project focuses on understanding how new insomnia medications, specifically dual orexin receptor antagonists, may impact certain brain processes that are often affected by depression, such as emotional processing. This study is funded by the Wellcome Trust. It is part of a larger project aimed at exploring the relationship between sleep, circadian rhythms, resting-state brain networks, and depression. I am also a medical doctor undergoing speciality training in psychiatry.
Research Assistant
I am a visiting research master’s student from Maastricht University. I am currently working on the “7T FACES” study with Dr. Marieke Martens. My research interest is the neuropsychological mechanism of depression. I am highly passionate about reducing patient suffering, and hope to contribute to this with my research activities.
Research Assistant
I work on projects within the PERL group, all of which focus on how certain treatment interventions can have wide-reaching effects on emotional processing, memory consolidation, and the treatment of a variety of psychiatric disorders. Prior to my role, I conducted my undergraduate study in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Oxford, before studying the effects of semaglutide on the brain whilst pursuing my Master's in Neuroscience at PERL. My ongoing research interests centre around the exciting potential of psychedelics, particularly in treatment-resistant depression. Please don't hesitate to reach me via email or LinkedIn!
Research Assistant
I work on a variety of research projects that investigate potential new interventions for depression and anxiety. My role includes behavioural and psychophysiological assessment, data analysis, and contributing to co-design and public engagement. I previously worked at the University of Cambridge on neuroimaging studies of language development in children with developmental disorders. I hold a BSc in Neuroscience with Cognitive Sciences from the University of Sussex and an MSc in Neuroimaging for Clinical & Cognitive Neuroscience from the Uni of Manchester.
DPhil Student
I am pursuing my DPhil in Neuroscience in the Department of Psychiatry at the PERL Lab. My research explores the neural mechanisms of apathy and how they are modulated by ketamine. Using a combination of behavioural tasks and advanced neuroimaging techniques, I aim to understand how ketamine affects different domains of apathy (e.g., behavioural, cognitive, social, and emotional) and the underlying brain circuits. My previous research focused on understanding how neuroinflammation and parasitic brain infections (neurocysticercosis) affect neural excitability and network function, using electrophysiology and single-nucleus RNA sequencing techniques in mouse brain slice models.
Visiting Student
I am an undergraduate BSc Natural Sciences student at the University of Bath, currently undertaking my placement year in the Psychopharmacology and Emotion Research Laboratory, supervised by Professor Susannah Murphy.During my time at the University of Oxford, I am assisting primarily with the SCOPE study where we are investigating how low doses of the anticholinergic medication scopolamine affects emotional processing and cognition in healthy human volunteers. Additionally, I help with the PANDER study which looks at the impact of pimavanserin on emotional processing and cognition.
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If you are experiencing low moods or depression and would like advice or support, please read our mental health support page.
Psychopharmacology and Emotion Research Laboratory