Mapping circuits, modeling motivation, guiding precision interventions, digital phenotyping and biofeedback
The NeuroSCOPE lab investigates the brain circuits underlying motivation and mood, with a particular focus on characterising depression. We are interested in combining multi-modal neuroscientific tools to not only deepen our understanding of the human brain but also to advance personalised mental healthcare. Using high-resolution 7T MRI, reinforcement learning paradigms, and digital phenotyping via EMAware technology, we aim to characterise motivation and its neural mechanisms. Through integrating neuroimaging with precision biofeedback interventions, we aim to map and modulate brain activity, implementing a rigorous and individualised approach to understanding and treating mood disorders.
Our team
We Are Recruiting Participants!
People aged 18-65 years with or without psychiatric symptoms are invited to participate in our Motivation Study investigating anhedonia and motivation in depression.
Participants will be asked to:
Complete a short call for pre-screening (including 7T MRI safety screening)
Complete questionnaires online and/or via a smartphone
Complete computerized cognitive tasks
Attend up to 3 in-person visits at FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital site, Oxford which will include a 7T MRI scan session.
In-person Visit 1 will involve computer-based tasks and questionnaires (up to 2 hours), and an MRI scan session lasting up to 90 minutes. Some participants may also be invited for up to two additional MRI scan sessions (up to an hour each). Before any participation, we will ask questions about your medical history to ensure MRI scanning is safe and appropriate for you.
Participants will be reimbursed for their time. Please see the attached Participant Information Sheet for more details.
If you are interested or have any questions, please send an email to neuroscope@ndcn.ox.ac.uk.
If you would like to register your interest, with no obligation to participate, please complete our short survey here: https://redcap.link/jo2vu4e0.
Register Your Interest!
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MRI Visit: What To Expect?
Key Readings
Digital measures of activity and motivation impact depression and anxiety in the real world
Cross-species dissection of the modular role of the ventral tegmental area in depressive disorders
Ventral tegmental area integrity measured with high-resolution 7-Tesla MRI relates to motivation across depression and anxiety diagnoses
Latest publications
Tetraspanin-based immunocapture for high-depth proteomic profiling of extracellular vesicles from cerebrospinal fluid for biomarker discovery
Journal article
Dellar ER. et al, (2026), Clinical Proteomics, 23
Microglia in C9orf72–associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: More or less active?
Journal article
Vahsen BF. and Pasterkamp RJ., (2026), Neural Regeneration Research, 21, 4253 - 4254
CleanCTG: A deep learning model for multi-artefact detection and reconstruction in Cardiotocography
Journal article
Wong S. et al, (2026), Biomedical Signal Processing and Control, 123, 110654 - 110654