Dr Anne Schmechtig
Dipl. Psych. PhD
Postdoctoral Research Worker
Contact Details
Email: Anne.Schmechtig@kcl.ac.uk
Telephone / Fax: 020 3228 3054 / 2116
Location: Room 2.10, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences
Address: Institute of Psychiatry, PO89, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, U.K.
Biography
I studied Psychology at the Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg in Germany with specialization in clinical neuroscience.
I came to the Institute of Psychiatry for the first time in 2006 to gain research experience in clinical neuroscience and neuroimaging sciences. Throughout this time I finished my research thesis (INVESTIGATION OF THE FRONTAL LOBE IN TWINS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA -A STRUCTURAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING STUDY) under the supervision of Dr. Ulrich Ettinger. In 2008 I finished my university degree and returned to the Institute of Psychiatry to start a PhD.
Activities and Interests
My main research interests concern the investigation of oculomotor measures and their role as potential endophenotypes or biomarkers in schizophrenia research. In my PhD I investigate pharmacological as well as genetic influences on eye movement performance as well as their underlying neural mechanisms in schizophrenia spectrum populations.
Teaching Activities
SSC Psychiatry Research
SSC is a seminar- based teaching program hosted by the Department of Psychological Medicine. I support the course as an tutoring assistiant. The course is aimed at King’s College undergraduate medical students to gather some experiences in academic research. My involvement concerns the co-tutoring of lectures and seminars as well as general support on organizational issues.
Publications
(1) Schmechtig A, Vassos E, Kumari V, Hutton SB, Collier DA, Morris RG, Williams SCR, Ettinger U. Association of Neuregulin 1 rs3924999 Genotype with Antisaccades and Smooth Pursuit Eye Movements. Genes Brain and Behavior, 9(6):621-7.
(2) Crawford TJ, Hamm JP, Kean M, Schmechtig A, Kumari V, Anilkumar AP, Ettinger U. The perception of real and illusory motion in schizophrenia. Neuropsychologia, 48(10):3121-7.
(3) Ettinger U, Schmechtig A, Toulopoulou T, Borg C, Orrells C, Owens S, Marshall N, Matsumoto K, van Haren NE, Hall M, Kumari V, McGuire P, Murray RM, Picchioni M. Prefrontal and Striatal Volumes in Monozygotic Twins Concordant and Discordant for Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin.
(4) Petrovsky N, Quednow BB, Schmechtig A, Mössner R, Ettinger U, Collier D, Kühn KU, Maier W, Wagner M, Kumari V(in press). Sensorimotor gating is associated with CHRNA3 polymorphisms in schizophrenia and healthy volunteers. Neuropsychopharmacology 35(7), 1429-39.
(5) Quednow BB, Schmechtig A, Ettinger U, Petrovsky N, Collier DA, Vollenweider FX, Wagner M, Kumari V (2009). Sensorimotor gating depends on polymorphisms of the 5-HT2A receptor and COMT, but not on neuregulin-1 Arg38Gln genotype: a replication study. Biological Psychiatry, 66(6), 614-20.
(6) Petrovsky N, Schmechtig A, Flomen RH, Kumari V, Collier D, Makoff A, Wagner M, Ettinger U (2009). CHRFAM7A copy number and 2bp deletion polymorphisms and antisaccade performance. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 12, 267-273.
(7) Kempton MJ, Ettinger U, Schmechtig A, Winter EM, Smith L, McMorris T, Wilkinson I, Williams SCR, Smith M (2009). Effects of acute dehydration on brain morphology in healthy humans. Human Brain Mapping, 30, 291-298.
Poster Contributions
Schmechtig A, Picchioni M, Ettinger U, Kumari V, Matsumoto K, van Haren NE, Marshall N, Hall MH, Schulze K, Toulopoulou T, Davies N, Ribchester T, Williams SCR, McGuire PK, Murray RM (2008). Magnetic resonance imaging of the frontal lobe in twins with schizophrenia. [16th European Congress of Psychiatry, Nice, France, April 2008]
Schmechtig A, Vassos E, Kumari V, Hutton SB, Collier DA, Morris RG, Williams SCR, Ettinger U. Association of Neuregulin 1 rs3924999 Genotype with Antisaccades and Smooth Pursuit Eye Movements [26th AGNP Symposium, Munich, Germany, October 2009]
Schmechtig A, Dourish C, Craig K, Dawson GR, Williams SCR, Deakin W, Lees J, McMullen K, Wilkinson L, Morris R, Ettinger U. Effects of Risperidone, Amisulpride and Nicotine on Eye Movement Control and their Modulation by Schizotypy [40th Annual Meeting Society of Neuroscience, San Diego, USA, November 2010]