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Alessandra Borsini

Dr Alessandra Borsini

Lecturer

Biography

Alessandra Borsini is a lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London.

Her research interest focuses on the role of inflammation and stress on brain neurogenic alterations, particularly in the context of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, and on the ability of psychotropic, anti-inflammatory and nutrition-based treatments to prevent such alterations.

She has been a member of the MRC Immunopsychiatry Consortium, of the AMBROSIAC ERA-NET/MRC consortium, and of the ECNP Immuno-Neuropsychiatry Network. She has received various awards, including the Psychoneuroimmunology Award, from the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society (PNIRs), and the Preclinical Psychopharmacology Award from the British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP).

She has published over 50 papers, with a current H-index of 25, and has been recipient of both national and international research grants from the MRC, Wellcome Trust, NIHR BRC, European Commission and Rosetrees Trust. She is part of the Editorial Board of several journals, including Brain Behaviour and Immunity, Frontiers in Neuroscience, Frontiers in Psychiatry, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Psychiatric Research, Nutritional Neuroscience and Psychosomatic Medicine. She has been formal supervisor of 6 PhD students so far.

Teaching 

2022 – present

Course leader of MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mind-Body Interface

2018 – present

Module leader of Women’s Mental Health, MSc in Mental Health Studies

2018 – present

Lecturer for the module Specialized Topics in Nutrition, BSc in Nutrition

2015 – present

Lecturer for the module Causes and Correlates in Affective Disorders, MSc in Affective Disorders

2015 – present

Lecturer for the module Cell Biology and Neuroscience, BSc in Biomedical Sciences

Expertise and Public Engagement 

She was interviewed by The Sunday Times newspaper to discuss her review in The British Medical Journal (2020) on the effect of diet on mental health, and by The Guardian and The Independent newspapers to discuss her recent study in Molecular Psychiatry (2022) on the effect of COVID-19 on inducing delirium symptoms.

She was also interviewed for BBC Radio 4 Today and BBC Radio 4 All in the Mind programmes about her study in Molecular Psychiatry (2021) on the effect of inflammation and omega-3 treatment on hippocampal neurogenesis and depressive symptoms.

She is part of the organizing committees for scientific conferences including the International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology.

Newspaper articles and BBC Radio links

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/why-comfort-food-doesnt-make-you-happy-hpwcwnnm3

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/05/immune-reactions-to-severe-covid-may-trigger-brain-problems-study-finds

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09z1dgy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09cz4d1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0012q2v

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001p6yx

 

    News

    New study reveals possible brain mechanisms behind COVID-19 delirium

    Researchers from King’s College London have shown that when brain cells are directly exposed to blood taken from COVID-19 patients with delirium, there is an...

    BRC Covid Study

      News

      New study reveals possible brain mechanisms behind COVID-19 delirium

      Researchers from King’s College London have shown that when brain cells are directly exposed to blood taken from COVID-19 patients with delirium, there is an...

      BRC Covid Study