Dr Naghmeh Nikkheslat is a Senior Research Scientist at King’s College London. Her research focuses on understanding how adverse life experiences, alongside neuroendocrine and immune dysregulation, contribute to the development of psychiatric disorders and shape responses to psychopharmacological treatments.She completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences at Roehampton University in 2010 and obtained her PhD in Life Sciences in 2014, specialising in psychoneuroimmunology. Her doctoral research investigated the role of inflammation in patients with comorbid heart disease and depression. Following her PhD, she joined the Department of Psychological Medicine at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, as a postdoctoral researcher, where she has since contributed to a range of studies and clinical trials examining stress, neuroendocrine dysregulation, immune activation, and inflammation in mental disorders.Dr Nikkheslat is currently supported by the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre and serves as Principal Investigator on the project “Investigating the Kynurenine Pathway in Mental Health: From Early Years to Treatment Options”, funded by the Psychiatric Research Trust. Her contributions have been recognised with the Recognition Award for Exceptional Contribution and Outstanding Performance at King’s College London in 2025.In addition to her research, she is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and teaches across several MSc programmes at King’s. Her commitment to teaching and student support has been recognised through multiple award nominations, including the King’s Education Awards (2020, 2023, and 2024) and the Doctoral Support Excellence Award (2024).Dr Nikkheslat has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, as well as two book chapters: “Antidepressant Actions on Glucocorticoid Receptors” in Stress: Neuroendocrinology and Neurobiology: Handbook of Stress Series, and “Neuroendocrine Abnormalities in Major Depression: An Insight into Glucocorticoids, Cytokines, and the Kynurenine Pathway” in Inflammation and Immunity in Depression.

Research Interests

• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Inflammation and immune dysregulation in psychiatric disorders
• Kynurenine pathway and tryptophan metabolism
• Neuroendocrine mechanisms (including HPA axis function) in mental health
• Biological mechanisms of depression risk, resilience, and remission
• Sex differences in mental health and immune function
• Stress biology and impact of adverse life experiences
• Biomarkers and precision psychiatry approaches
• Psychopharmacology and predictors of treatment response
• Translational and clinical research in mental health

Research Groups

Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory (SPI Lab)

Psychoimmunometabolix and Interactions with the Environment Laboratory (PIXIE Lab)

Teaching

1) “Introduction to the Immune System and Inflammation in Mind-Body Interaction” Neuroscience of Mind-Body Interface Module – MSc Psychology and Neuroscience of Mind-Body Interface Programme;

2) “Introduction to Therapeutic Approaches of Mind-Body Interface” - MSc Psychology and Neuroscience of Mind-Body Interface Programme;

3) “Inflammation and its Regulation in Mental Disorders: an Insight into Glucocorticoids and Cytokines Imbalances” - Biological Psychiatry Module – MSc Psychiatric Research;

4) “Endocrine and Inflammatory Processes in Mood Disorders in Women” - Women’s Mental Health Module – MSc Mental Health Studies; 

5) “Introduction on How to Write a Scientific Paper and Abstract Writing Workshop” - Causes & Correlates of Affective Disorders – MSc Affective Disorders  “Inflammation and Neuroendocrine Abnormalities in Mood Disorders”- Psychology and Neuroscience of Affective Disorders Module – MSc Distance Learnings programmes 

Expertise and Public Engagement

Writing blogs for InSPIre the Mind, a digital mental health magazine:

Nikkheslat N. (2024). A key Biological Mechanism Linked to Depression Risk and Recovery in Teenage Girls
https://www.inspirethemind.org/post/a-key-biological-mechanism-linked-to-depression-risk-and-recovery-in-teenage-girls

Nikkheslat N. (2024). Can our brain be treated separately from our body?
https://www.inspirethemind.org/post/can-our-brain-be-treated-separately-from-our-body

Nikkheslat N. (2020). Next generation of rapid-acting antidepressants: Can ketamine help prevent suicide? https://www.inspirethemind.org/post/next-generation-of-rapid-acting-antidepressants-can-ketamine-help-prevent-suicide

And also acting as vetting professional to publish lay summaries with students on The Collaborative Library (TCL):

Cheung K.Y.E. and Nikkheslat N. (2026). Why Girls and Boys May Differ in Teenage Depression – A Look Inside the Body’s Chemical City: Video Lay Summary
https://thecollaborativelibrary.com/why-girls-and-boys-may-differ-in-teenage-depression-a-look-inside-the-bodys-chemical-city-video-lay-summary/

Steel A. and Nikkhelsat N. (2024) The Mystery of Reserpine: High Blood Pressure Medication and Depression Risk. Lay summery of The effects of reserpine on depression: A systematic review (2023) in Journal of psychopharmacology.
https://thecollaborativelibrary.com/the-mystery-of-reserpine-high-blood-pressure-medication-and-depression-risk/