Dr Marija Petrinovic is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences and Deputy Director of the BRAIN Centre for Preclinical Imaging at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN). She joined King’s College London in August 2016. Prior to this, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the pharmaceutical company Roche (Switzerland). Dr Petrinovic completed her PhD in Neuroscience at ETH Zurich (Switzerland) and her BSc in Molecular Biology at the University of Zagreb (Croatia). Dr Petrinovic’s research focuses on understanding the development and organisation of neural circuits and the mechanisms through which they mediate behaviour. Within this framework, her work also seeks to identify causal links between genetic variation, neural circuit function, and behaviour in order to better understand the biological mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental conditions. These efforts contribute to the development of next-generation therapeutic strategies and support the translation of basic neuroscience discoveries into clinical applications (“bench to bedside”).

Research Interests

• Neuroscience
• Neurodevelopment
• Autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions
• Social Behaviour, Aggression and Empathy
• Neuroimaging (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy)
• Translational neuroscience and drug development

Research Groups

Group Leader at the MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Deputy Director of the BRAIN Centre for Preclinical Imaging https://brain-imaging.org/

Teaching

Dr Petrinovic is the Module Lead for Translational Neuroscience and Drug Development on the BSc Neuroscience and Psychology programme and Module Lead for Personal and Professional Development on the MSc Clinical Neurodevelopmental Sciences programme. Previously, she co-led the Research Methods and Statistics module for the MSc Clinical Neurodevelopmental Sciences and served as Assessment Sub-Board Chair for the programme. She has also held the role of Departmental Education Lead for the Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences (FANS), contributing to the development and delivery of high-quality teaching and assessment practices.  Dr Petrinovic contributes to teaching, mentoring, and dissertation supervision across several undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including the MSc Neuroscience, MSc Developmental Psychology and Psychopathology, MSc Forensic Mental Health, MSc Clinical Neuropsychiatry, MSc Clinical Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the BSc Neuroscience and Psychology. She has supervised over 90 MSc dissertations and more than 60 MBBS student projects, supporting the training and development of the next generation of clinicians and researchers.  Dr Petrinovic is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). In recognition of her contributions to education and student support, she has received two King’s Education Awards.

Expertise and Public Engagement

Regular public lectures Regular review panels (UKRI, EU, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine)