Murat Yucel

We study self-control and decision-making from several perspectives, including neuroscience, neuropsychology and psychiatry. My group are recognised for our application and integration of advanced neuroimaging techniques (of brain anatomy, function and chemistry) with psychiatric and neuropsychological assessments to understand the biological and psychological factors that contribute to impaired self-control in addictive and mental health disorders. This approach requires the integration of basic neuroscientists, clinical researchers, and those with computational, engineering and physics expertise. My group is in a unique position to generate a 'new breed' of multi-disciplined and talented researchers with cross-discipline expertise and capacity.

My group have recently adopted a 'trans-diagnostic' approach to investigate whether the initiation and maintenance of several clinical disorders are underpinned by overlapping psychological tendencies (e.g., impulsivity and compulsivity), and brain substrates (e.g., ventro-medial and dorso-lateral cortico-striatal circuits). Our findings will have implications for rethinking, customizing and ultimately improving the available psychological and pharmacological interventions. This approach will be applied to clinical populations including substance and behavioural addictions (e.g., drug dependence, problem gambling, obesity), as well as neurological (e.g, Parkinson's) and psychiatric disorders (e.g., OCD).