The Global Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Elsa's work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
About Elsa
Professor of Neuroscience
Executive Director at BRIC
UKRI Future Leader FellowÌý
ARIA R&D creator
Bio: My research focuses on the neurobiology of decision-making and learning, both in healthy adults and in patients with psychiatric disorders. After working as a biomedical engineer, developing brain-related clinical devises, I pursued an academic career in computational neuroscience at the universities of Glasgow and Oxford. My previous research focused on the proof of principle that transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation can safely and transiently change neural activity in precise parts of the brain, particularly deep regions of the brain, repsonsible for core cognitive and motivational processes. I am now working towards bringing this technology forward and apply it to mental health challenges.Ìý
A few videos to introduce Ultrasound Neuromodulation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsuqRldCspU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZMM9qByvYY
Supervised Research Degrees
Post-Doctoral SUPERVISION
Dr Elena Brunet, University of Plymouth, UK, 2025 – Present
Dr Dylan Curtis, University of Plymouth, UK, 2025 – Present
Dr Sophie Clarke, University of Plymouth, UK, 2024 – Present
Dr Suraya Dunford, University of Plymouth, UK, 2023 – Present
Dr Siti Yaakub, University of Plymouth, UK, 2020 – 2023
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PhD SUPERVISION as DoS and co-S (6 completed, 6 currents)
Eleonora Carpino, PhD in Neuroscience, University of Plymouth, UK, 2023 – Present
Niamh Cameron, PhD in Neuroscience, University of Plymouth, UK, 2023 – Present
Rimsha Mahrukh, PhD in Neuroscience, University of Plymouth, UK, 2023 – Present
Mathilde Lojkiewiez, PhD in Neuroscience, University of Plymouth, UK, 2022 – Present
Nomiki Koutsoumpari, PhD in Neuroscience, University of Plymouth, UK, 2022 – Present
Timothy Palmer, PhD in Neuroscience, University of Plymouth, UK, 2021 – 2025 - Now postdoc at the CNRS, Lyon, France
Kenza Kadri, PhD in Psychology, University of Plymouth, UK, 2020 (VIVA 2023) - Now postdoc at the Max Plank Institute, Germany
Mica Komarnyckyj, PhD in Psychology, University of Huddersfield, UK, 2018 – 2022 (VIVA 2022) – Now postdoc at the University of Manchester
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Rory Baxter, PhD in Psychology, University of Plymouth, UK, 2018 – 2022 (VIVA 2022)
Eleonora Parrotta, PhD in Psychology, University of Aberdeen, UK, 2018 – 2022 (VIVA 2022)
Nadescha Trudel, PhD in Psychology, University of Oxford, UK, 2018 – 2021 (VIVA 2021) – Now postdoc at Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing, London
Davide Folloni, PhD in Psychology, University of Oxford, UK, 2018 – 2021 (VIVA 2021) - Now postdoc at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; USA; Science and PINS prize for Neuromodulation, followed by a Prize Essay in the journal Science (on co-authored papers).
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PhD EXAMINER
Benjamin Kop, PhD at the Donders Institute, 2021 – VIVA scheduled in September 2025
Daniel Graham, PhD at the university of Plymouth – VIVA passed in 2025
Lisa Spierling, PhD at Oxford, 2022 – VIVA passed in 2025
Benjamen Connell, PhD at Bristol, 2020 – VIVA passed in 2024
Kitty Ban, PhD at Glasgow, Glasgow, 2021 – VIVA passed in 2024
Joshua Bolam, PhD at Leeds, Leeds, 2021 – VIVA passed in 2023
Nicholar Clairis, PhD at the Sorbonne University, Paris, France, 2018 – VIVA passed in 2022
Paul Knytl, PhD at the University of Surrey, School of Psychology, UK, 2018 - VIVA passed in 2021
Elodie Levy, PhD at the Sorbonne University, Science and Engineering, Paris, France, 2020 - Present
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Teaching
LECTURING
Each course includes lectures and workshops/tutorials. In the methodological courses, I teach on a range of topics, including regions and connectivity brain analyses, model-based fMRI analyses, Bayesian model comparison and behavioural models of reinforcement learning
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MA in Human Neuroscience (three modules) – Physics of Neuroimaging (module leader 2022) – Fundamental in spatial and temporal neural signals – fMRI tools and analyses, Plymouth, 2020 – present
MA in Psychology (two modules) – Issues in Cognitive and Brain Science – The neural basis of decisions, Plymouth, 2018 – 2022
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UG in Psychology (two modules) – From Neurons to Behaviours – Introduction to cognitive neuroscience, Plymouth, 2018 – 2022
UNIQ (summer school) - Dopamine and Learning, University of Oxford, Summer 2017
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MA in Cognitive Sciences - Reinforcement Learning and Value-Based Decision, Trento, Italy, 2012
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Operating Centre, Central Air Navigation Systems, Cognitive Properties of Human Factors and Error Models in Engineering, Bordeaux, France, June 2007
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MA in Psychotherapy - Mental Imagery, Neurobiology, Stress, Institute of Hydrotherapy, France, 2006
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UG Sports Management - Mental Imagery for Cognitive Science, Bordeaux, France, 2005
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TUTORING
Dissertation Project, University of Plymouth, 2018 - present
Saint Peter College, University of Oxford, Hilary term 2018
Sarah Lawrence Programme, Wadham College, University of Oxford, Michaelmas Term 2017
UNIQ summer school, University of Oxford, July 2017
Critical review, University of Glasgow, first semester 2015, 2016
Dissertation Project, University of Glasgow, second semester 2015, 2016
Contact Elsa
+44 1752 584876
elsa.fouragnan@plymouth.ac.uk