Professor Martina Callaghan is a Professor of MRI Physics and Head of the Physics Group at The Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging based in the Department of Imaging Neuroscience. Her research focuses on developing methods across the entire neuroimaging chain to probe the function, organisation, dysfunction and degeneration of the human brain at the microstructural scale.
7T MRI, which she was responsible for bringing to UCL, has potential to deliver a step change in the scale at which we can probe the human brain that is allowing its fine circuitry to be explored in order to test theories of human cognition, and how these may be impaired in neurological and psychiatric disorders. At the same time, computational modelling, more ecologically-valid paradigms and transformative technologies like ‘wearable’ optically-pumped MEG are taking imaging neuroscience into the real world. Collectively, these approaches will greatly advance our understanding of brain, behaviour and dysfunction in environments approaching real-world living conditions with meaningful, high precision characterisation for each person individually.
The Department of Imaging Neuroscience has unique world-leading expertise spanning computational modelling of brain and behaviour, technological innovation and clinical and cognitive neuroscience. Martina is looking forward to working with her outstanding colleagues, and the wider UCL neuroscience community, in her new role as the Head of the Department.
Professor Michael Hanna, Director of ION said:
“I would like to take this opportunity to offer my thanks to Professor Cathy Price for her excellent, supportive leadership as Head of Department over recent years. During this time Cathy’s leadership has enabled many significant successes including her leadership of the ~£10m Wellcome Centre renewal. Cathy has been a highly effective head and a valued member of the IoN executive and Heads committees at IoN. During this time she has also continued to lead her own world-leading research programme, including renewal of her Wellcome PRF.
I am also delighted to congratulate Professor Martina Callaghan on her appointment as new Head following a highly competitive and rigorous process including a presentation to stakeholders and then a formal interview. I look forward to working closely with Martina to ensure the future success of the Department, which builds on its world-class track record in cognitive neuroscience and continues to develop translational collaborations, especially through external links across Queen Square, the Faculty of Brain Sciences and UCL”