EMAIL pcf22@cam.ac.uk

College Clare College

Department

School

Clinical Medicine

Institute

Wellcome – MRC Institute of Metabolic Science

Research Theme Adaptive Brain Computations Beyond the Neuron

Research Focus

Keywords

Appetite

Psychosis

Clinical Conditions

Psychotic disorders

Equipment & Techniques

Other

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Professor Paul Fletcher

University Position

Professor

Associated News Items

Cambridge Neuroscience honoured with Collaboration award
Feb 5, 2025
From helping to inoculate the public against misinformation to tackling air pollution in rapidly urbanising…
Cambridge Neuroscience welcomes new Clinical Co-Director
Oct 1, 2024
Today, October 1st 2024 marks the first day of the new term of Professor Alasdair…
Hellblade: A Journey of the Mind, in Collaboration with Cambridge Neuroscience
Apr 23, 2024
Ninja Theory led a special event at Clare College on Tuesday 9th April, Hellblade: A Journey of…
Catch up on CNS2024: Sleep, Consciousness and Cognition
Apr 23, 2024
On April 5th 2024, we welcomed more than 240 delegates to Queens’ College for our…

Key Publications

Characterising negative symptoms in schizophrenia: CHANSS study protocol.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2025.10880
Journal: BJPsych Open
E-pub date: 6 Nov 2025
Authors: N Wolpe, C Aymerich, Y Jin, M Martin-Subero, P Fuentes-Perez, C Ovejas-Catalan, S Salas-Rad, R Zirilli, S Shatford, R Cox, M Cartier, A Catalan, A Mane, J Pratt, L Airey, P Stanley, A Close, A Hall, J Vazquez-Bourgon, F Del Santo, M-P Garcia-Portilla, N Segarra, Y-J Zhao, PC Fletcher, M Husain, PB Jones, E Fernandez-Egea

The Presence of Real Food Usurps Hypothetical Health Value Judgment in Overweight People.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0025-16.2016
Journal: eNeuro
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2016
Authors: N Medic, H Ziauddeen, SE Forwood, KM Davies, AL Ahern, SA Jebb, TM Marteau, PC Fletcher

Publications

Assessment of Motivation in Schizophrenia: Patient- and Clinician-Rated Outcomes.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjpmh.2025.08.001
Journal: Span J Psychiatry Ment Health
E-pub date: 15 Nov 2025
Authors: E Fernandez-Egea, G Robert, A Mane, M Sabe, N Kuenzi, M Kaliuzhna, F Carruzzo, F Diniel, AJ Riclet, L Martinez Sadurni, EA Budak, B Giordana, P Bucci, GM Giordano, L Giuliani, PB Jones, D Drapier, S Galderisi, P Robert, S Kaiser, N Wolpe, A Mucci

Ageing is associated with exaggerated overstaying in foraging behaviour.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41514-025-00240-1
Journal: npj Aging
E-pub date: 30 May 2025
Authors: N Wolpe, DN Scott, ML Salomon, MR Nassar, PC Fletcher, E Fernandez-Egea

Suboptimality in foraging and its association with age and mental health factors

DOI: http://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/bc7hp_v2
Journal:
E-pub date: 2 Mar 2025
Authors: N Wolpe, D Scott, ML Salomon, MR Nassar, P Fletcher, E Fernandez-Egea

Atypical Brain Aging and Its Association With Working Memory Performance in Major Depressive Disorder.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.04.008
Journal: Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging
E-pub date: 31 Aug 2024
Authors: NCW Ho, RAI Bethlehem, J Seidlitz, N Nogovitsyn, P Metzak, PL Ballester, S Hassel, S Rotzinger, J Poppenk, RW Lam, VH Taylor, R Milev, Lifespan Brain Chart Consortium, ET Bullmore, AF Alexander-Bloch, BN Frey, KL Harkness, J Addington, SH Kennedy, K Dunlop

Publisher Correction: Brain charts for the human lifespan.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05300-0
Journal: Nature
E-pub date: 1 Oct 2022
Authors: RAI Bethlehem, J Seidlitz, SR White, JW Vogel, KM Anderson, C Adamson, S Adler, GS Alexopoulos, E Anagnostou, A Areces-Gonzalez, DE Astle, B Auyeung, M Ayub, J Bae, G Ball, S Baron-Cohen, R Beare, SA Bedford, V Benegal, F Beyer, J Blangero, M Blesa Cábez, JP Boardman, M Borzage, JF Bosch-Bayard, N Bourke, VD Calhoun, MM Chakravarty, C Chen, C Chertavian, G Chetelat, YS Chong, JH Cole, A Corvin, M Costantino, E Courchesne, F Crivello, VL Cropley, J Crosbie, N Crossley, M Delarue, R Delorme, S Desrivieres, GA Devenyi, MA Di Biase, R Dolan, KA Donald, G Donohoe, K Dunlop, AD Edwards, JT Elison, CT Ellis, JA Elman, L Eyler, DA Fair, E Feczko, PC Fletcher, P Fonagy, CE Franz, L Galan-Garcia, A Gholipour, J Giedd, JH Gilmore, DC Glahn, IM Goodyer, PE Grant, NA Groenewold, FM Gunning, RE Gur, RC Gur, CF Hammill, O Hansson, T Hedden, A Heinz, RN Henson, K Heuer, J Hoare, B Holla, AJ Holmes, R Holt, H Huang, K Im, J Ipser, CR Jack, AP Jackowski, T Jia, KA Johnson, PB Jones, DT Jones, RS Kahn, H Karlsson, L Karlsson, R Kawashima, EA Kelley, S Kern, KW Kim, MG Kitzbichler, WS Kremen, F Lalonde, B Landeau, S Lee, J Lerch, JD Lewis, J Li, W Liao, C Liston, MV Lombardo, J Lv, C Lynch, TT Mallard, M Marcelis, RD Markello, SR Mathias, B Mazoyer, P McGuire, MJ Meaney, A Mechelli, N Medic, B Misic, SE Morgan, D Mothersill, J Nigg, MQW Ong, C Ortinau, R Ossenkoppele, M Ouyang, L Palaniyappan, L Paly, PM Pan, C Pantelis, MM Park, T Paus, Z Pausova, D Paz-Linares, A Pichet Binette, K Pierce, X Qian, J Qiu, A Qiu, A Raznahan, T Rittman, A Rodrigue, CK Rollins, R Romero-Garcia, L Ronan, MD Rosenberg, DH Rowitch, GA Salum, TD Satterthwaite, HL Schaare, RJ Schachar, AP Schultz, G Schumann, M Schöll, D Sharp, RT Shinohara, I Skoog, CD Smyser, RA Sperling, DJ Stein, A Stolicyn, J Suckling, G Sullivan, Y Taki, B Thyreau, R Toro, N Traut, KA Tsvetanov, NB Turk-Browne, JJ Tuulari, C Tzourio, É Vachon-Presseau, MJ Valdes-Sosa, PA Valdes-Sosa, SL Valk, T van Amelsvoort, SN Vandekar, L Vasung, LW Victoria, S Villeneuve, A Villringer, PE Vértes, K Wagstyl, YS Wang, SK Warfield, V Warrier, E Westman, ML Westwater, HC Whalley, AV Witte, N Yang, B Yeo, H Yun, A Zalesky, HJ Zar, A Zettergren, JH Zhou, H Ziauddeen, A Zugman, XN Zuo, 3R-BRAIN, AIBL, Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Alzheimer’s Disease Repository Without Borders Investigators, CALM Team, Cam-CAN, CCNP, COBRE, cVEDA, ENIGMA Developmental Brain Age Working Group, Developing Human Connectome Project, FinnBrain, Harvard Aging Brain Study, IMAGEN, KNE96, Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, NSPN, POND, PREVENT-AD Research Group, VETSA, ET Bullmore, AF Alexander-Bloch

Characterizing cerebral metabolite profiles in anorexia and bulimia nervosa and their associations with habitual behavior.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-01872-7
Journal: Translational Psychiatry
E-pub date: 15 Mar 2022
Authors: ML Westwater, AG Murley, KMJ Diederen, TA Carpenter, H Ziauddeen, PC Fletcher

Dissociable hormonal profiles for psychopathology and stress in anorexia and bulimia nervosa.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720001440
Journal: Psychol Med
E-pub date: 1 Dec 2021
Authors: ML Westwater, F Mancini, J Shapleske, J Serfontein, M Ernst, H Ziauddeen, PC Fletcher

Characterizing cerebral metabolite profiles in anorexia and bulimia nervosa and their associations with habitual behavior

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.12.21263466
Journal:
E-pub date: 17 Sep 2021
Authors: M Westwater, A Murley, KMJ Diederen, A Carpenter, H Ziauddeen, P Fletcher

Precision weighting of cortical unsigned prediction error signals benefits learning, is mediated by dopamine, and is impaired in psychosis.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-020-0803-8
Journal: Mol Psychiatry
E-pub date: 1 Sep 2021
Authors: J Haarsma, PC Fletcher, JD Griffin, HJ Taverne, H Ziauddeen, TJ Spencer, C Miller, T Katthagen, I Goodyer, KMJ Diederen, GK Murray

Prefrontal Responses during Proactive and Reactive Inhibition Are Differentially Impacted by Stress in Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2853-20.2021
Journal: J Neurosci
E-pub date: 19 May 2021
Authors: ML Westwater, F Mancini, AX Gorka, J Shapleske, J Serfontein, C Grillon, M Ernst, H Ziauddeen, PC Fletcher

Reinforcement learning as an intermediate phenotype in psychosis? Deficits sensitive to illness stage but not associated with polygenic risk of schizophrenia in the general population.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2020.04.022
Journal: Schizophr Res
E-pub date: 31 Aug 2020
Authors: M Montagnese, F Knolle, J Haarsma, JD Griffin, A Richards, PE Vertes, B Kiddle, PC Fletcher, PB Jones, MJ Owen, P Fonagy, ET Bullmore, RJ Dolan, NSPN Consortium, M Moutoussis, IM Goodyer, GK Murray

Prefrontal responses during proactive and reactive inhibition are differentially impacted by stress in anorexia and bulimia nervosa

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.27.968719
Journal:
E-pub date: 28 Feb 2020
Authors: ML Westwater, F Mancini, AX Gorka, J Shapleske, J Serfontein, C Grillon, M Ernst, H Ziauddeen, PC Fletcher

Combined effects of age and BMI are related to altered cortical thickness in adolescence and adulthood.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100728
Journal: Dev Cogn Neurosci
E-pub date: 1 Dec 2019
Authors: ML Westwater, R Vilar-López, H Ziauddeen, A Verdejo-García, PC Fletcher

Combined effects of age and BMI are related to altered cortical thickness in adolescence and adulthood

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1101/596064
Journal:
E-pub date: 2 Apr 2019
Authors: M Westwater, R Vilar-López, H Ziauddeen, A Verdejo-García, P Fletcher

BMI-related cortical morphometry changes are associated with altered white matter structure.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-018-0269-9
Journal: Int J Obes (Lond)
E-pub date: 1 Mar 2019
Authors: N Medic, P Kochunov, H Ziauddeen, KD Ersche, PJ Nathan, L Ronan, PC Fletcher

Disaggregating physiological components of cortisol output: A novel approach to cortisol analysis in a clinical sample – A proof-of-principle study.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100153
Journal: Neurobiol Stress
E-pub date: 1 Feb 2019
Authors: VB Dobler, SAS Neufeld, PF Fletcher, J Perez, N Subramaniam, C Teufel, IM Goodyer

Opioid Antagonists and the A118G Polymorphism in the μ-Opioid Receptor Gene: Effects of GSK1521498 and Naltrexone in Healthy Drinkers Stratified by OPRM1 Genotype.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2017.287
Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology
E-pub date: 1 Mar 2018
Authors: H Ziauddeen, LJ Nestor, N Subramaniam, C Dodds, PJ Nathan, SR Miller, BK Sarai, K Maltby, D Fernando, L Warren, LK Hosking, D Waterworth, A Korzeniowska, B Win, DB Richards, LV Johnson, PC Fletcher, ET Bullmore

Comparative study of endoscopic surveillance in hereditary diffuse gastric cancer according to CDH1 mutation status.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.gie.2017.06.028
Journal: Gastrointest Endosc
E-pub date: 1 Feb 2018
Authors: EZ Mi, EZ Mi, M di Pietro, M O'Donovan, RH Hardwick, S Richardson, H Ziauddeen, PC Fletcher, C Caldas, M Tischkowitz, K Ragunath, RC Fitzgerald

Oxytocin administration suppresses hypothalamic activation in response to visual food cues

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-04600-01
Journal: Scientific Reports
E-pub date: 1 Dec 2017
Authors: AA Van Der Klaauw, H Ziauddeen, JM Keogh, E Henning, S Dachi, PC Fletcher, I Sadaf Farooqi

Sugar addiction: the state of the science.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1229-6
Journal: Eur J Nutr
E-pub date: 1 Nov 2016
Authors: ML Westwater, PC Fletcher, H Ziauddeen

Opioid Antagonists and the A118G Polymorphism in the μ-Opioid Receptor Gene: Effects of GSK1521498 and Naltrexone in Healthy Drinkers Stratified by OPRM1 Genotype.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2016.60
Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology
E-pub date: 1 Oct 2016
Authors: H Ziauddeen, LJ Nestor, N Subramaniam, C Dodds, PJ Nathan, SR Miller, BK Sarai, K Maltby, D Fernando, L Warren, LK Hosking, D Waterworth, A Korzeniowska, B Win, DB Richards, L Vasist Johnson, PC Fletcher, ET Bullmore

Adolescence is associated with genomically patterned consolidation of the hubs of the human brain connectome.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1601745113
Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
E-pub date: 9 Aug 2016
Authors: KJ Whitaker, PE Vértes, R Romero-Garcia, F Váša, M Moutoussis, G Prabhu, N Weiskopf, MF Callaghan, K Wagstyl, T Rittman, R Tait, C Ooi, J Suckling, B Inkster, P Fonagy, RJ Dolan, PB Jones, IM Goodyer, NSPN Consortium, ET Bullmore

Increased body mass index is associated with specific regional alterations in brain structure.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2016.42
Journal: Int J Obes (Lond)
E-pub date: 1 Jul 2016
Authors: N Medic, H Ziauddeen, KD Ersche, IS Farooqi, ET Bullmore, PJ Nathan, L Ronan, PC Fletcher

Abnormal Frontostriatal Activity During Unexpected Reward Receipt in Depression and Schizophrenia: Relationship to Anhedonia.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2015.370
Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology
E-pub date: 1 Jul 2016
Authors: N Segarra, A Metastasio, H Ziauddeen, J Spencer, NR Reinders, RB Dudas, G Arrondo, TW Robbins, L Clark, PC Fletcher, GK Murray

Reduction in ventral striatal activity when anticipating a reward in depression and schizophrenia: a replicated cross-diagnostic finding.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01280
Journal: Front Psychol
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2015
Authors: G Arrondo, N Segarra, A Metastasio, H Ziauddeen, J Spencer, NR Reinders, RB Dudas, TW Robbins, PC Fletcher, GK Murray

Effects of the mu-opioid receptor antagonist GSK1521498 on hedonic and consummatory eating behaviour: a proof of mechanism study in binge-eating obese subjects

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2014.126
Journal: Molecular psychiatry
E-pub date: 1 Dec 2014
Authors: H Ziauddeen, SR Chamberlain, PJ Nathan, A Koch, K Maltby, M Bush, WX Tao, A Napolitano, AL Skeggs, AC Brooke, L Cheke, NS Clayton, I Sadaf Farooqi, S O'Rahilly, D Waterworth, K Song, L Hosking, DB Richards, PC Fletcher, ET Bullmore

Brain structural signatures of negative symptoms in depression and schizophrenia.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00116
Journal: Front Psychiatry
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2014
Authors: J-Y Chuang, GK Murray, A Metastasio, N Segarra, R Tait, J Spencer, H Ziauddeen, RB Dudas, PC Fletcher, J Suckling

Studying food reward and motivation in humans.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.3791/51281
Journal: Journal of Visualized Experiments
E-pub date: 19 Mar 2014
Authors: H Ziauddeen, N Subramaniam, VC Cambridge, N Medic, IS Farooqi, PC Fletcher

Effects of the mu-opioid receptor antagonist GSK1521498 on hedonic and consummatory eating behaviour: a proof of mechanism study in binge-eating obese subjects.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2012.154
Journal: Mol Psychiatry
E-pub date: 1 Dec 2013
Authors: H Ziauddeen, SR Chamberlain, PJ Nathan, A Koch, K Maltby, M Bush, WX Tao, A Napolitano, AL Skeggs, AC Brooke, L Cheke, NS Clayton, I Sadaf Farooqi, S O'Rahilly, D Waterworth, K Song, L Hosking, DB Richards, PC Fletcher, ET Bullmore

Central nervous system biomarkers for antiobesity drug development.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.drudis.2013.08.015
Journal: Drug Discovery Today
E-pub date: 1 Dec 2013
Authors: H Ziauddeen, PC Fletcher

The effects of alcohol on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the selective mu-opioid receptor antagonist GSK1521498 in healthy subjects.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/jcph.110
Journal: J Clin Pharmacol
E-pub date: 1 Oct 2013
Authors: H Ziauddeen, PJ Nathan, C Dodds, K Maltby, SR Miller, D Waterworth, K Song, L Warren, L Hosking, M Zucchetto, M Bush, LV Johnson, B Sarai, K Mogg, BP Bradley, DB Richards, PC Fletcher, ET Bullmore

Intrinsic gray-matter connectivity of the brain in adults with autism spectrum disorder.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1221880110
Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
E-pub date: 6 Aug 2013
Authors: C Ecker, L Ronan, Y Feng, E Daly, C Murphy, CE Ginestet, M Brammer, PC Fletcher, ET Bullmore, J Suckling, S Baron-Cohen, S Williams, E Loth, MRC AIMS Consortium, DGM Murphy

Neural and behavioral effects of a novel mu opioid receptor antagonist in binge-eating obese people.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.10.022
Journal: Biological Psychiatry
E-pub date: 1 May 2013
Authors: VC Cambridge, H Ziauddeen, PJ Nathan, N Subramaniam, C Dodds, SR Chamberlain, A Koch, K Maltby, AL Skeggs, A Napolitano, IS Farooqi, ET Bullmore, PC Fletcher

Is food addiction a valid and useful concept?

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2012.01046.x
Journal: Obesity Reviews
E-pub date: 1 Jan 2013
Authors: H Ziauddeen, PC Fletcher

Food images engage subliminal motivation to seek food.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.239
Journal: International Journal of Obesity
E-pub date: 1 Sep 2012
Authors: H Ziauddeen, N Subramaniam, R Gaillard, LK Burke, IS Farooqi, PC Fletcher

Food addiction: is there a baby in the bathwater?

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3212-c2
Journal: Nat Rev Neurosci
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2012
Authors: H Ziauddeen, IS Farooqi, PC Fletcher

Obesity and the brain: how convincing is the addiction model?

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3212
Journal: Nature Reviews Neuroscience
E-pub date: 1 Apr 2012
Authors: H Ziauddeen, IS Farooqi, PC Fletcher

Hippocampal dysfunction in patients with mild cognitive impairment: a functional neuroimaging study of a visuospatial paired associates learning task.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.03.037
Journal: Neuropsychologia
E-pub date: 1 Jun 2011
Authors: M de Rover, VA Pironti, JA McCabe, J Acosta-Cabronero, FS Arana, S Morein-Zamir, JR Hodges, TW Robbins, PC Fletcher, PJ Nestor, BJ Sahakian

Illusions and delusions: relating experimentally-induced false memories to anomalous experiences and ideas.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.3389/neuro.08.053.2009
Journal: Front Behav Neurosci
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2009
Authors: PR Corlett, JS Simons, JS Pigott, JM Gardner, GK Murray, JH Krystal, PC Fletcher

Is the parietal lobe necessary for recollection in humans?

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.07.024
Journal: Neuropsychologia
E-pub date: 7 Mar 2008
Authors: JS Simons, PV Peers, DY Hwang, BA Ally, PC Fletcher, AE Budson

Separable forms of reality monitoring supported by anterior prefrontal cortex.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2008.20036
Journal: J Cogn Neurosci
E-pub date: 1 Mar 2008
Authors: JS Simons, RNA Henson, SJ Gilbert, PC Fletcher

Differences in orbitofrontal activation during decision-making between methadone-maintained opiate users, heroin users and healthy volunteers.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0515-z
Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl)
E-pub date: 1 Oct 2006
Authors: KD Ersche, PC Fletcher, JP Roiser, TD Fryer, M London, TW Robbins, BJ Sahakian

Cingulate control of fronto-temporal integration reflects linguistic demands: a three-way interaction in functional connectivity.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.06.012
Journal: Neuroimage
E-pub date: 15 Oct 2005
Authors: EA Stamatakis, WD Marslen-Wilson, LK Tyler, PC Fletcher

Impairment of specific episodic memory processes by sub-psychotic doses of ketamine: the effects of levels of processing at encoding and of the subsequent retrieval task.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-005-0001-z
Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl)
E-pub date: 1 Sep 2005
Authors: GD Honey, RAE Honey, SR Sharar, DC Turner, E Pomarol-Clotet, D Kumaran, JS Simons, X Hu, MD Rugg, ET Bullmore, PC Fletcher

Professor Paul Fletcher

Associated News Items

Cambridge Neuroscience honoured with Collaboration award

Cambridge Neuroscience welcomes new Clinical Co-Director

Hellblade: A Journey of the Mind, in Collaboration with Cambridge Neuroscience

Catch up on CNS2024: Sleep, Consciousness and Cognition

Key Publications

Publications