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 have been a post-doctoral researcher with PERL since 2017. I am interested in understanding how new and existing treatments for depression change emotional cognition (e.g. negative biases), and work across multiple studies. Having experienced depression myself, I am particularly passionate about this area, as well as involving people with experience of depression in designing our research. I support PERL in ensuring our research is as well-designed, inclusive, carefully run and analysed, and overall successful as possible!
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.
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.
Postdoctoral 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.
Postdoctoral 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 sit at the intersection of social psychology, intervention science, and psychometrics. My doctorate research has investigated the benefits of creative, social movement-based activities (such as salsa dance!) for individuals with depression and related mental health difficulties both in communities samples and with NHS Talking Therapies service users. I’m always happy to discuss relevant collaborations!
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.
DPhil Student
In the PIPPA study, I examine how a commercial probiotic might affect the gut microbiome, emotional processing, and cognitive functions in perimenopausal women experiencing mood and cognitive disturbances. 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.
Consultant Psychiatrist
I am a neuroscientist and consultation-liaison psychiatrist with a strong interest in where neurology and psychiatry meet, and in bringing neuroscience closer to clinical practice. I am motivated by understanding how the brain and mind work, and by translating this knowledge into meaningful real-world benefits for patients. At PERL, I use translational and experimental psychopharmacology approaches to study how neuromodulatory systems shape motivation and apathy.
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. 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 research assistant, currently working on the "7T FACES" study. I am interested in the neuropsychological mechanisms of depression, highly passionate about improving treatment options for patients, and I hope to contribute to this with my research activities. Prior to joining the PERL lab, I completed an undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences: Cognitive Neuroscience at Tilburg University and a research master's in Neuropsychology at Maastricht University.
Research Assistant
The projects I work on explore 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 and master's study in Neuroscience at the University of Oxford. My ongoing research interests centre around the exciting potential of psychedelics in treating psychiatric disorder. 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.
Visiting Researcher
My research focuses on experimental and translational psychiatry, with interests in psychopharmacology, cognitive neuroscience, and digital mental health. In the group, I work on studies investigating novel treatments for depression, remote cognitive assessment, and patient and public involvement (PPI) in mental health research. I am particularly interested in understanding how emerging interventions influence cognition and emotional processing and how these findings can be translated into meaningful clinical advances.
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