Dr. Ciara McCabe, B.Sc, PhD.
Associate Professor of Neuroscience, Head of Neuroimaging of Reward Group (NRG)
Dept. of Psychology, University of Reading.
Honorary Member, Dept. Psychiatry, University of Oxford.
Our research links together the psychology and pharmacology of psychiatric disorders and their treatment. My PhD at the University of Ulster provided a firm grounding in preclinical psychopharmacology during which I developed a novel animal model of anxiety involving operant conditioning and frustrative non reward. My first post-doc position at Wake Forest University, USA, allowed me to refine my understanding of psychopharmacology in rigorously controlled designs by investigating disorders of addiction using non-human primate self-administration models. As I wanted to apply this knowledge directly to humans I moved to the Experimental Psychology Department at Oxford University and undertook extensive training in neuroimaging to understand the reward system in the human brain. Subsequently at the Psychiatry Department at Oxford University, and currently at Reading University, my lab and I have been able to examine the psychopharmacology of human reward and aversion processing in healthy volunteers. We also examine these systems in adolescents with mood disorders and in those "at risk" of psychiatric disorders.
McCabe C.V.
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Post-doctoral training:
Employer: University of Oxford, Dept. Psychiatry. Position: Senior Research Fellow Dates: Mar 2007-Mar 2013 Employer: University of Oxford, Dept. Experimental Psychology. Position: Senior Post Doc Dates: Dec 2004- Feb 2007 Employer: Wake Forest University, Dept. Phys-Pharm, NC, USA. Position: Post Doc Dates: Jan 2003 - Aug 2004 |
Higher Education:
Name: PhD Award body: University of Ulster, Northern Ireland. Date: August 2002 Subj: Experimental Psychology: “The effects of GABAergic and serotonergic drugs on the extinction of mouse operant behaviour”. Name: B.Sc Honours Award body: Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Date: June 1998 Subj: Psychology |
Funding and Awards:
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PhD Studentship: PhD Studentship: UROP Award: Psychopharmacology Award: In Vivo Initiation Award: UG Poster Prize: Celebrating Success Award: PhD Studentship: PhD Studentship: PhD Studentship: PhD Studentship: UG 3rd yr. Project Prize: In Vivo Initiation Award: Pharma Grant: MRC Project Grant: Refaelsen Investigator Award: BAP bursary: Fellowship Award: Merit Award: Fellowship Award: Merit Award: Travel Award: Lockey Bequest Award: |
Turkish Government funded Doctoral Training Grant, 2018-2022. South Eastern Doctoral Training Grant, £55,000. 2016-2020. University Research Placement Award, University of Reading, £1,320 , May 2016. Senior non-clinical Award, British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP), £250, 2015. British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP), £1000, 2015 First place, Megan Setterfield, University of Reading, Mar, 2015. University of Reading, £50, Oct 2014. Medical Research Council, PhD studentship, £55,000, 2015-2019. Medical Research Council, PhD studentship, £55,000, 2014-2018. University of Reading, Social Sciences PhD studentship, £38,000, 2014-2018. Medical Research Council, PhD studentship, £55,000, 2013-2017. First place, Anna-Lena Frey, University of Reading, June 2014. British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP), £1000, 2014. GWPharma: THCv and reward in the brain, £120,000, 2012:2014. Disease Models of Depression, Co-applicant, £450,000, 2008-2011. The International College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP), Stockholm, 2012. Post-doc travel bursary, British Association of Psychopharmacology (BAP), 2012. European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Amsterdam, €1500, 2010. Recurrent merit increment award for excellence, 2009. Eli Lilly Fellowship, British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP), 2008. Recurrent merit increment award for excellence, 2006 Brain Travel grant, 2006 and 2007. Travel grant, University of Oxford, 2006 and 2007. |
Administration:
Editor:
Reviewer: Examiner: Council Member: Athena Swan Member: Outreach Director: Executive Committee Member: Associate Fellow (HEA): Trustee: Teaching Mentor: |
Associate Editor, Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Frontiers in Psychiatry Translational Developmental Psychiatry MRC Grants, UK, BBSRC Grants, NIMH R01 Grants, USA. Journals e.g. JAMA Psychiatry, Biological Psychiatry, Neuroimage, Human Brain Mapping, American Journal of Psychiatry, Journal of Obesity, Psychopharmacology (Berl), European Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of Eating Disorders, Neuropsychopharmacology and Journal of Neuroscience. UG library dissertations, UG Research projects, MSc theses, PhD theses, Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, Dept Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading. British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP), 2014-2019. Committee member, Psychology Department, University of Reading, 2014-current Psychology Department, University of Reading, 2014-current. Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, CINN, University of Reading, 2013-current. Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Authority (EDMAP1 completed, EdMAP2 July 2015). Immigrant Counselling and Psychotherapy (ICAP). Enhancing Teaching Programme (ETP) Oxford Learning Institute, University of Oxford. |
Symposia:
McCabe C (2018). "What can brain responses to food tell us about depression and eating disorders?" Symposium: New concepts in the co-morbidity of psychiatric disorders, eating disorders and obesity, British Association of Psychopharmacology Annual conference, BAP, London, UK. July. 2018.
McCabe C (2018): Chair: The opiate system in addiction: Latest findings from substance and behavioural addictions. British Association of Psychopharmacology Annual conference, BAP, London, UK. July. 2018.
McCabe C (2017). "The neurobiology of reward as a biomarker for depression and target for psychological and pharmacological treatments”.
"The New Talent Talk": The Brain Prize Meeting 2017, Lundbeck Foundation, Denmark, Oct 2017.
McCabe C (2017). The neurobiology of reward in adolescent depression. Symposium: How can neuro-biological models help us understand adolescent depression? British Psychological Society, BPS, Edinburgh, Scotland, May, 2017.
McCabe C (2017). Reward processing in Psychiatric disorders. Symposium: Disorders of Motivation in Brain Conditions. The British Neuroscience Association, BNA, Birmingham, April 2017, UK.
McCabe C (2017). THCv and the neural response to reward in humans: Symposium: Cannabinoids as medicines. DrugScience Meeting, Host Prof Nutt, London, Mar 2017.
McCabe C (2017). Reward and the Emotional Brain: Symposium: The Emotional Brain: The 14th Oxford Brain Day. University of Oxford. Feb. 2017.
McCabe C (2016). "The Neural response to reward and aversion as a biomarker for depression and target for antidepressant treatments". Symposium : Anhedonia, apathy, amotivation, anergia? Disrupted reward processing as a trans-diagnostic construct in mental illness, Society of Biological Psychiatry Annual conference, SOBP, Atlanta, May 2016, USA.
McCabe C (2016). "The Neural response to reward and aversion as a biomarker for depression and target for antidepressant treatments". Symposium : Anhedonia, apathy, amotivation, anergia? Disrupted reward processing as a trans-diagnostic construct in mental illness, British Association of Psychopharmacology Annual conference, BAP, Brighton July 2016, UK.
McCabe C (2015). "Investigating reward function as a biomarker and target for pharmacological treatments”. Symposium : Psychopharmacology Award Winners Talks. British Association of Psychopharmacology Annual conference, BAP, Bristol July 2015, UK.
McCabe C (2014). "Reward Function in the Human Brain as a Biomarker for Psychiatric Disorders". Public Lecture: The institute of Physics, Oct, 2014, London, UK.
McCabe C (2014). "Food on the brain" The Times Cheltenham Science Festival, Chelteham, June, UK.
McCabe C (2013). "Effect of naltrexone on neural reward and aversive processing; implications for compulsive disorders" Special Congress on Addiction and Mental Health: The International College of Neurppsychopharmacology, (CINP) Oct, Regional Meeting, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
McCabe C (2013). "Why study Psychology in the UK?" British Council Fair, Oct, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia.
McCabe C (2013). "Investigating reward function as a biomarker and target for pharmacological treatments" British Association of Psychopharmacology, (BAP) July, Harrogate, UK.
McCabe C (2012). “Antidepressants and reward”. Is depression a disorder of reward? European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Oct, Vienna, Austria.
(click on title for video link).
McCabe C (2012). “Anhedonia in depression and neural reward as a risk factor/trait marker”. European Science Foundation Workshop on Motivation and Action. Aug, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
(click on title for video link).
McCabe C (2012). “Reward, Rest and Antidepressant drug action in the human brain” Serotonergic Neurotransmission from a Developmental Perspective. Mar, Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
McCabe C (2012). “Investigation of reward as a neural biomarker for depression”. International Society of Affective Disorders (ISAD), Apr, London, UK.
McCabe C (2011). “Antidepressant medications reduce subcortical-cortical resting-state functional connectivity in healthy volunteers”. Anxiety and Depression: 21st Neuropharmacology Conference. Official satellite to the Meeting of the Society For Neuroscience (SFN) conference, Nov, Washington DC, USA.
McCabe C (2011). Targeted Expert Meeting (TEM) on Reward and Antidepressants. European College Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Annual Conference, Paris, France.
McCabe C (2011). Lecture: " Study skills" Henry Drucker Study Skills School (Brooke house Sixth Form College), Hackney, London.
McCabe C (2010). “Effects of antidepressants on the neural processing of emotional and rewarding stimuli”. Processing of affective stimuli: from the molecular basis to the emotional experience. 2010 Spring School in Schweinfurt. Event hosted by the Graduiertenkolleg GRK 1253/1: Apr, University of Würzburg, Wurzburg, Germany.
McCabe C (2008). “Decreased affective representations of chocolate in those at risk of depression compared to healthy controls”. British Association of Psychopharmacology, (BAP) Lilly Fellowship winner, July, Harrogate, UK.
Departmental Talks:
McCabe C (2018). "The neurobiology of reward as a biomarker for depression and target for psychological and pharmacological treatments”. Department of Psychology, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland. Mar 2018.
McCabe C (2018). "Investigating reward function as a possible biomarker for depression”. Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK. Feb 2018.
McCabe C (2018). "The neurobiology of reward as a biomarker for depression and target for psychological and pharmacological treatments”. Prospect Park Hospital, Berkshire NHS Trust, Reading, UK. Jan 2018.
McCabe C (2014 and 2015). "Investigating reward function as a biomarker for psychiatric disorders" Littlemore Hospital, Oxford NHS trust, Oxford, UK.
McCabe C (2013 and 2015). "Investigating reward function as a biomarker for psychiatric disorders and a target for treatment development" Prospect Park Hospital, Berkshire NHS Trust, Reading, UK.
McCabe C (2012). “Neural correlates of reward as trait marker for depression”. McLean Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, USA.
McCabe C (2012). " Neuroimaging of reward, rest and antidepressant drug action". Guest lecture: David Nutt's ICL Neuropsychopharmacology unit meeting, Imperial College London, UK.
McCabe C (2010). “Reward processing and depression: A novel model of anhedonia”. Institute of Psychiatry Neuroimaging Meetings, Institute of Psychiatry, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, London, UK.
McCabe C (2010). “Reward processing and depression”. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB) JR Hospital, University of Oxford.
McCabe C (2008). “No pain no gain? Diminished neural responses to chocolate during SSRI treatment”. Interdepartmental meeting, University of Oxford.
McCabe C (2007). “Affective Representations of Reward: A Novel Model of Anhedonia”. Psychiatry Departmental Meeting, University of Oxford.
McCabe C (2005). “Effects of serotonergic pharmacotherapies on cocaine choice in cynomolgous macaques”. Interdepartmental meeting, Wake Forest University, Baptist Medical School, NC, USA.
McCabe C (2004). “Models of cocaine abuse in socially housed non-human primates”. Computational Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford.
McCabe C (2004). “Models of cocaine abuse in socially housed non-human primates”. Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge.
McCabe C (2002). “Effects of anxiolytic and novel drugs on extinction of operant behaviour in mice”. Harvard Primate Research Centre, Harvard University. Boston, USA.
McCabe C (2002). “Effects of anxiolytic and novel drugs on extinction of operant behaviour in mice”. McLean Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard University. Boston, USA.
McCabe C (2018). "Investigating reward function as a possible biomarker for depression”. Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK. Feb 2018.
McCabe C (2018). "The neurobiology of reward as a biomarker for depression and target for psychological and pharmacological treatments”. Prospect Park Hospital, Berkshire NHS Trust, Reading, UK. Jan 2018.
McCabe C (2014 and 2015). "Investigating reward function as a biomarker for psychiatric disorders" Littlemore Hospital, Oxford NHS trust, Oxford, UK.
McCabe C (2013 and 2015). "Investigating reward function as a biomarker for psychiatric disorders and a target for treatment development" Prospect Park Hospital, Berkshire NHS Trust, Reading, UK.
McCabe C (2012). “Neural correlates of reward as trait marker for depression”. McLean Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, USA.
McCabe C (2012). " Neuroimaging of reward, rest and antidepressant drug action". Guest lecture: David Nutt's ICL Neuropsychopharmacology unit meeting, Imperial College London, UK.
McCabe C (2010). “Reward processing and depression: A novel model of anhedonia”. Institute of Psychiatry Neuroimaging Meetings, Institute of Psychiatry, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, London, UK.
McCabe C (2010). “Reward processing and depression”. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB) JR Hospital, University of Oxford.
McCabe C (2008). “No pain no gain? Diminished neural responses to chocolate during SSRI treatment”. Interdepartmental meeting, University of Oxford.
McCabe C (2007). “Affective Representations of Reward: A Novel Model of Anhedonia”. Psychiatry Departmental Meeting, University of Oxford.
McCabe C (2005). “Effects of serotonergic pharmacotherapies on cocaine choice in cynomolgous macaques”. Interdepartmental meeting, Wake Forest University, Baptist Medical School, NC, USA.
McCabe C (2004). “Models of cocaine abuse in socially housed non-human primates”. Computational Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford.
McCabe C (2004). “Models of cocaine abuse in socially housed non-human primates”. Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge.
McCabe C (2002). “Effects of anxiolytic and novel drugs on extinction of operant behaviour in mice”. Harvard Primate Research Centre, Harvard University. Boston, USA.
McCabe C (2002). “Effects of anxiolytic and novel drugs on extinction of operant behaviour in mice”. McLean Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard University. Boston, USA.