Katja Wiech

BIOGRAPHY

ACADEMIC POSITION:
• Post-doctoral scientist at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences & FMRIB Centre, University of Oxford (UK)
• Visiting Professor at KU Leuven (Belgium)

EDUCATION:
• MA in Psychology; Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf (Germany)
• Dr rer soc (PhD equivalent), Psychology; Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen (Germany)

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
My main interest is to develop an understanding of brain systems involved in the modulation of pain by beliefs people hold. These beliefs can be related to various aspects – pain itself, one’s ability to cope with it or conditions that can influence the two.

I use a multi-methods approach combining different non-invasive neuroimaging techniques including functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), behavioral and autonomic measures. In my studies I have shown that beliefs can engage powerful mechanisms in the brain that can aggravate as well as alleviate pain. My recent work suggests that belief-related signals arise from the prefrontal cortex and influence the processing of incoming sensory information via the anterior insula as the key region involved in the monitoring of bodily states. I am particularly interested in the dynamic interplay between these and other brain regions during perceptual judgments about changes in pain induced by various types of interventions. In future work, I hope to define in more detail the decision-making process that integrates beliefs with incoming sensory information and the failure of optimal integration in biased perceptual decisions.

With my background in Experimental and Clinical Psychology I seek to translate my basic research into clinical pain to make our findings available for the development of new prevention and treatment options for chronic pain.

HOME PAGE
http://www.neuroscience.ox.ac.uk/directory/katja-wiech