Maria Andrikopoulou joined the EPAN lab as a PhD candidate in 2024. Her research focuses on how steroid hormones, cognitive, and environmental factors influence neural mechanisms of emotion control. The ultimate goal of her work is to uncover how these factors and their interplay may influence developmental trajectories of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. To achieve this, she combines behavioral assessments with neural (fMRI, DTI) and physiological (hormonal) measures. This comprehensive methodology will allow her to examine longitudinal associations from childhood to young adulthood.
Maria’s academic journey began with a BSc in Psychology followed by a Research Masters in Clinical and Health Psychology at Leiden University. During her masters, Maria investigated the role of the LC-NE arousal system in the human threat and safety learning and co-developed an application of real-time fMRI-based neurofeedback for socially anxious youth.
Prior to her PhD, Maria worked as a research assistant at Leiden University and Leiden University Medical Center. At the C.J. Gorter MRI Center, she joined the radiology and neurology research groups studying the Dutch and sporadic types of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). This experience further enhanced her knowledge and skills in advanced neuroimaging techniques and their application to understand cognitive impairment in neurological disorders.