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Diede  Fennema

Diede Fennema

KCL/IDOR Pioneer Science Fellow

Biography

My research interests have always been versatile, allowing me to approach problems from different angles. I am currently settling down in the fields of cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging which offer many exciting challenges and promises, especially in the context of potential for clinical applications in mood disorders.

As part of a KCL/IDOR Pioneer Science Fellowship, I am currently investigating the neural basis of self-blaming biases in major depressive disorder (MDD) and whether these biases represent state- or trait-related features, and whether they can be normalised by treatments. This project is linked to a larger Medical Research Council-funded validation study of previously identified neural and cognitive signatures as risk factors of recurrent MDD (“NESPRED”).

Before starting the fellowship, I joined the Medical Research Council Doctoral Training Partnership (MRC DTP) programme at King’s College London in October 2018, working towards a PhD in Psychological Medicine under the supervision of Prof. Roland Zahn and Prof. Gareth Barker. My PhD investigated the value of neuroimaging biomarkers, related to emotional biases, in predicting response to treatment in MDD. The findings confirmed the pathophysiological relevance of these complementary neurocognitive aspects of MDD (specifically, self-blaming biases, emotional perception biases and dysfunction of task-independent neural networks) in capturing a meaningful proportion of clinical variability.

As part of my PhD, I also contributed to a National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded clinical trial exploring the feasibility of a novel computerised decision support algorithm to provide antidepressant treatment guidance for general practitioners in the UK primary care service.

After completing a BSc in Liberal Arts and Sciences from University College Roosevelt (The Netherlands) in 2013, I went on to do a MSc in Biomedical Sciences at University College London. For my research project, I joined the laboratory of Prof. Elizabeth Shephard, investigating the microbiome of mice with regard to age, gender, and a therapeutic in the context of trimethylaminuria.

Research Interests

  • Major depressive disorder  
  • Neuroimaging 
  • Biomarkers 

    Research

    brain trees
    Centre for Affective Disorders

    The Centre for Affective Disorders focuses on mood and anxiety disorders, common disorders which cause great suffering for many people.

    antidepressants
    Antidepressant Advisor Study (ADeSS)

    For many people with depression, the antidepressants most usually prescribed by GPs are only somewhat helpful.

    Project status: Ongoing

    Therapy-Session
    ADeSS study 3: fMRI study to predict treatment response in patients with depression

    The aim of this study is to find better ways to predict how well a treatment works for a particular person with depression.

    Project status: Ongoing

      Research

      brain trees
      Centre for Affective Disorders

      The Centre for Affective Disorders focuses on mood and anxiety disorders, common disorders which cause great suffering for many people.

      antidepressants
      Antidepressant Advisor Study (ADeSS)

      For many people with depression, the antidepressants most usually prescribed by GPs are only somewhat helpful.

      Project status: Ongoing

      Therapy-Session
      ADeSS study 3: fMRI study to predict treatment response in patients with depression

      The aim of this study is to find better ways to predict how well a treatment works for a particular person with depression.

      Project status: Ongoing