Curriculum Vitae

Current Employment

Senior Lecturer, 2019 – Present University of Roehampton, Department of Psychology

Previous Employment

Lecturer, 2018-2019 University of Roehampton, Department of Psychology

Junior Faculty Member, 2017-2018 University California Los Angeles, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior

Postdoctoral Fellow, 2014-2017 University California Los Angeles, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior

Teaching Associate, 2017 Semel Institute, University California, Los Angeles

Education

PhD Cognitive Neuroscience, 2009-13 Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Queen Square, University College London. Thesis title: ‘Decision-making, serotonin and mood.’            

MSc Neuroscience, 2008-2009 Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London

BSc Psychology, 2005-2008 (1st class with honours) University of Sheffield

Grant Funding/Awards

2019 - 2022: Principal Investigator on University of Roehampton Research Grant for project entitled ‘The effects of brain stimulation on tobacco-related difficulties in emotion regulation: A concurrent tDCS/fMRI study’

2017 - 2020: Co-Applicant on NIDA-funded R01 project entitled ‘Neural substrates of cigarette craving, withdrawal and relief: Male-female differences’

2017: Recipient of NIDA Women and Sex/Gender Differences Junior Investigator Award Travel Award for annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence

2015 - 2016: Co-Applicant on extension to project (R01DA036487-01) to examine sex/gender differences in cognitive and neural responses to smoking Reduced Nicotine Cigarettes

2012: Sully Scholarship for best PhD thesis ‘upgrade’ in department of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London

2012: Travel grant for Society for Neuroscience conference (University College London Graduate School)

2012: Travel grant for Society for Neuroscience conference (Guarantors of Brain)

2011: Travel grant for British Association of Psychopharmacology Annual Conference

2009-2013: MRC Doctoral Training studentship for 4-year PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London

2008-2009: MRC studentship award for MSc Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London (full stipend and fees)

Invited Talks

2022: ‘Alleviating Smoking-Related Difficulties in Emotion Regulation via Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation; A Concurrent tDCS/fMRI Study’ – Royal Holloway University, Combined Universities Brain Imaging Centre Conference

2021: ‘Smoking-Related Difficulties in Emotion Regulation: Implications for the Treatment of Tobacco Use Disorder’ – Combined Universities Brain Imaging Centre Conference (Online)

2019: ‘Alleviating Neurocognitive Deficits to Aid Smoking Cessation’ – University of Roehampton Interdisciplinary Research Symposium

2019: ‘Glutamatergic Mechanisms of Decreases in Prefrontal Volume in Smokers’ – University of Surrey, Combined Universities Brain Imaging Centre Conference

2018: ‘The Serotonergic Mechanisms of Tobacco Use Disorder’ – University of Roehampton Psychology Seminar Series

2018: ‘Emotion Dysregulation in Young Smokers: Links to raphe nuclei – amygdala connectivity’ – College on Problems of Drug Dependence Annual Conference

2018: ‘Emotion Dysregulation and Deficits in Amygdala Connectivity’- UCLA Integrative Center on Addictions Retreat

2017: ‘The Neural Mechanisms of Smoking-Induced Relief from Craving and Withdrawal: Influence of nicotine metabolic rate and sex’ – Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto

2017: ‘Sex Differences in Behavioral and Neural Responses to Reduced Nicotine Cigarettes’ – College on Problems of Drug Dependence Annual Conference

2016: ‘Reduced Nicotine Cigarettes Alleviate Craving and Withdrawal, But Do Not Alter Attention or Coupling Between Functional Networks in Young Smokers’ - National Institute of Health Tobacco Regulatory Science Conference

2016: ‘Responses to Smoking Reduced Nicotine Cigarettes in Young Smokers’ - UCLA Integrative Center on Addictions Retreat 

2016: ‘Drugs, Mind and Society – MDMA’ - The University of Southern California

2015: ‘Drugs, Mind and Society – Nicotine and Tobacco’ - The University of Southern California

2014: ‘The Relationship Between Serotonin, Decision-Making and Mood’ - The University of Manchester

2013: ‘The Sub-Acute Effects of MDMA Administration on Risky Decision-Making’ - University of Cambridge

2013: ‘MDMA and Pruning’ - British Association for Psychopharmacology Conference

2013: ‘The Sub-Acute Effects MDMA Administration on Sequential Decision-Making’ - University College London

2012: ‘Bonsai Trees in Your Brain: The Relationship Between Depression and Decision-Tree Pruning’ - University College London

2011: ‘Decision-Tree Pruning in Depression: The Role of Serotonin’ - The Brain Meeting, Imperial College London

Teaching Experience

2018-2020: Module Convener for Research Methods Modules, University of Roehampton

2018-2020: Undergraduate Lectures on Cognitive Neuroscience and Health Psychology Modules, and supervising final-year dissertations of undergraduate students, University of Roehampton

2015-2018: Supervised final-year dissertations of five undergraduate students, University of California Los Angeles

2017: Teaching Associate, University of California Los Angeles

2015-2017: Undergraduate Lectures on the Neuroscience of Drug Abuse, University of Southern California

2014-2015: Supervision of two undergraduate dissertations for the international UCLA-CDS Biomedical program, University of California Los Angeles

2012: Taught Dynamic Causal Modelling for ‘Methods for Dummies’ lecture series, University College London