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Magdalena Pfaff

PhD Student
E: mp667@sussex.ac.uk
T: +447452679975
Location: Trafford Centre for Medical Research, University of Sussex, BN1 9RY

Areas of expertise: Brain Body Interaction

Research areas: Beliefs, Interoception, Inflammation, MRI, EEG

Other faculty positions: Student representative for the Network of European Neuroscience School

Biography

Magdalena Pfaff completed her Honours undergraduate degree at Maastricht University in Liberal Arts and Sciences (University College Maastricht), with a focus on Human Physiology, Neuroscience and Psychology. In 2023, she joined Brighton and Sussex Medical School and the School of Psychology to complete a four-year Sussex Neuroscience PhD. Magdalena is setting up a multi modal study with a focus on the interaction of Beliefs and Inflammation, using methods such as MRI, EEG, and Blood processing, under the supervision of Prof. Hugo Critchley (BSMS), and Dr Charlotte Rae (School of Psychology).

Research

Magdalena is interested in interoception and the brain body interaction. In particular, she is interested in how beliefs, mindsets and thoughts can influence our physiology and vice versa. Magdalena is keen to take an interdisciplinary approach, by using different methods, such as EEG, MRI, physiological measures (e.g., ECG) and inflammatory cytokines, to explore how different aspects of the human experience and physiology interact.

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

Teaching

Alongside her PhD, Magdalena is working as a doctoral tutor on different modules at the University of Sussex, including Physiology and Disease (with Dr Alexander Stuart), Principles of Medical Neuroscience (with Prof Harry Witchel) and Developmental Biology (with Prof Claudio Alonso).

Selected publications

Nagai, Y., Kartar, A., Pfaff, M., & Elkholy, H. (2025). The paradox of hikikomori through a transcultural lens. BJPsych International, 22(1), 22-24. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1192/bji.2024.38