Dana Abdulhafiz is a PhD student in the Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences (FANS) at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London. She is based at the BRAIN Centre (Biomarker Research and Imaging for Neuroscience), where her research focuses on translational neuroscience, using preclinical approaches to investigate the biological and immunological mechanisms that contribute to atypical brain and behavioural development.

She joined King’s in 2024, initially undertaking the MSc in Developmental Psychology and Psychopathology before progressing to PhD research within the FANS department.

She holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology with Neuroscience from Middlesex University. Her research interests centre on developmental neurobiology, behaviour, immunological influences on brain development, and the mechanisms linking early biological processes to later brain outcomes.

Memberships

• British Neuroscience Association (BNA)
• British Psychological Society (BPS)
• British Society for Immunology (BSI)
• British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP)
• European Society for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (ESCAN)
• International Society for Autism Research (INSAR)
• International Society for Neuroimmunology (ISNI)
• Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS)

Research Interests

• Developmental neurobiology
• Neuroimmunology
• Translational neuroscience
• Behavioural neuroscience
• Neuroimaging and biomarker research
• Autism and neurodevelopmental disorders
• Neurobiology of speech and communication