Professor Kathrin Cohen Kadosh
Academic and research departments
School of Psychology, Brain and Behaviour section, Brain Nutrition Gut Microbiome Research Group, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.About
Biography
I read for my PhD at Birkbeck College, University of London and went on to receive postdoctoral training at University College London, King's College London, the National Institutes of Health, USA and the University of Oxford.
Since 2016, I am an associate professor in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Surrey, and head of the Social Brain & Development (SBD) Lab.
As a developmental cognitive neuroscientist, I use a combination of behavioural tests and brain-imaging techniques to understand how improving cognitive abilities and changes in brain function and structure shape the emerging social brain network.
I am also investigating the role of the microbiome gut-brain axis on behaviour and brain function in development, together with the Brain NUtrition Gut Microbiome group, a multidisciplinary research group at the University of Surrey.
News
ResearchResearch interests
My research group investigates how children and adolescents learn to make sense of the social world and how this is reflected in the improving social cognitive abilities and the developmental changes in the underlying brain network.
We also investigate the role of the microbiome in shaping behaviour and brain function during development
Our research is also motivated by the hope that a better understanding of the set-up process during development can provide insights into the developmental mechanisms of learning and plasticity.
In turn, this will allow us to spot potential problems early and to develop effective interventions that can improve mental health and well-being.
Find out more about our research here
Affiliations
Research interests
My research group investigates how children and adolescents learn to make sense of the social world and how this is reflected in the improving social cognitive abilities and the developmental changes in the underlying brain network.
We also investigate the role of the microbiome in shaping behaviour and brain function during development
Our research is also motivated by the hope that a better understanding of the set-up process during development can provide insights into the developmental mechanisms of learning and plasticity.
In turn, this will allow us to spot potential problems early and to develop effective interventions that can improve mental health and well-being.
Find out more about our research here
Affiliations
Publications
Highlights
Preprints
Johnstone, N. & Cohen Kadosh, K. (preprint). Empirical evidence of the neuroactive potential of the gut on neurochemistry in the gut-brain axis in humans. BioRxiv 2025.05.07.652653; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.07.652653
Johnstone, N. & Cohen Kadosh, K. (preprint). A Randomised Controlled Trial of the effects of Galacto-Oligosaccharides on the gut brain-axis of young females. medRxiv 2025.01.09.25320270; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.09.25320270
Books and Book Chapters
Cohen Kadosh, K. (ed.), Oxford Handbook of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Oxford Library of Psychology (2024; online edn, Oxford Academic, 2 Sept. 2020). doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198827474.001.0001.
Johnstone, N., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (forthcoming). Recognising the importance of nutrition for child and adolescent mental health. In: Dinan, T. Nutritional Psychiatry: a primer for clinicians. (1st edition). Cambridge: University Press.
Haller, S.P.W., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2018). A developmental approach to understanding psychiatric disorders: mapping etiological pathways. In: Savulescu, J. Rethinking Biopsychosocial Psychiatry. (1st edition, pp).Oxford: University Press
Pittner, K., Cohen Kadosh, K., & Lau, J.Y.F. (2016). Child and adolescent anxiety: Does fear conditioning play a role? In: Murphy, R.A., & Honey, R.C. The Wiley Handbook on the Cognitive Neuroscience of Learning. (1st edition, pp.). Wiley: NJ USA
Cohen Kadosh, K., & Haller, S.P.W. (2015). The Social Brain in Childhood and Adolescence. In: Arthur W. Toga, editor. Brain Mapping: An Encyclopedic Reference. (1st edition, vol. 3, pp.171-175). Academic Press: Elsevier
Blakemore, S.-J., Cohen Kadosh, K., Sebastian, C., Grossmann, T., & Johnson, M.H. (2014). Development of the social brain. In: Mareschal, Butterworth & Tolmie: The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Educational Neuroscience. (1st edition, pp: 268-297). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell
Burnett, S, Sebastian, C., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2012). Brain development and the emergence of social function. In: Andersen & Beauchamp: Developmental social neuroscience and childhood brain insult: Implications for theory and practice. (1st edition, pp: 45-65). New York: Guilford Press
Journal Articles
Cavon, J., Basso, M. , Cohen Kadosh, K., & Gibbons, S.M. (2025). The human gut microbiome and sleep across adulthood: associations and therapeutic potential. Letters in Applied Microbiology, 78(4). doi.org/10.1093/lambio/ovaf043
Johnstone N, Cohen Kadosh K. (2025). Indicators of improved emotion behavior in 6-14-year-old children following a 4-week placebo controlled prebiotic supplement intervention at home with a parent. Nutrition Journal 1;24(1):34. doi: 10.1186/s12937-025-01098-5.
Dalile, B., Boyle, N.B., Ruiz, F. T., Chakrabarti, A., Respondek, F., Dodd, G. F., Cohen Kadosh, K., Hepsomali, P., Brummer, R. J., McArthur, S., Dam, V., Zanzer, Y. C., Vermeiren, Y. & Schellekens, H. (2024). Targeting Cognitive Resilience through Prebiotics: A Focused Perspective. Advances in Nutrition 16(1): 100343.10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100343
Johnstone, N., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2024). Excitatory and inhibitory neurochemical markers of anxiety in young females. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 66. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101363
Basso, M., Zorzan, I., Johnstone, N., Barberis, M., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2024). Diet quality and anxiety: a critical overview with focus on the gut microbiome. Frontiers in Nutrition-Nutrition, Psychology and Brain Health. 11. doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1346483
Basso, M., Johnstone, N., Knytl, P., Nauta, A., Groeneveld, A., Cohen Kadosh, K. (2022). A systematic review of psychobiotic interventions in children and adolescents to enhance cognition functioning and emotional behaviour. Nutrients. 14(3): 614. doi:10.3390/nu14030614
Zacharopoulos, G., F. Sella, K. Cohen Kadosh, U. Emir and R. Cohen Kadosh (2022). The effect of parietal glutamate/GABA balance on test anxiety levels in early childhood in a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. Cereb Cortex 32(15): 3243-3253. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhab412
Johnstone, N., Dart, S., Knytl, P., Nauta, A., Hart, K., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2021). Nutrient Intake and Gut Microbial Genera Changes after a 4-Week Placebo Controlled Galacto-Oligosaccharides Intervention in Young Females. Nutrients. 13(12): 4384. doi: 10.3390/nu13124384
Cohen Kadosh, K., Basso, M., Knytl, P., Johnstone, N., Lau, J. Y. F., & Gibson, G. (2021). Psychobiotic interventions for anxiety in young people: a systematic review and meta-analysis, with youth consultation. Translational Psychiatry. 11: 52. doi:10.1101/2020.11.09.20228445. pdf
Zacharopoulos, G., Sella, F., Cohen Kadosh, K., Hartwright, C., Emir, U., & Cohen Kadosh, R. (2021). Predicting learning and achievement using GABA and glutamate concentrations in human development. PLOS BIOLOGY. 19(7):e3001325. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001325.
Haugg, A., Renz, F. M., Nicholson, A. A., Lor, C., Götzendorfer, S., J., Sladky, R., Skouras, S., McDonald, A., Craddock, C., Hellrung, L., Kirschner, M., Herdener, M.,Koush, Y., Papoutsi, M., Keynan, J., Hendler, T., Cohen Kadosh, K., Zich, C., Kohl, S. H., Hallschmid, M., MacInnes, J., Adcock, R. A., Dickerson, K., Chen, N.K., Young, K., Bodurka, J., Marxen, M., Yao, S., Becker, B., Auer, T., Schweizer, R., Pamplona, G., Lanius, R. A., Emmert, K., Haller, S., Van De Ville, D., Kim, D. Y., Lee, Y. H., Marins, T., Fukuda, M., Sorger, B., Kamp, T., Liew, S. L., Veit, R., Spetter, M., Weiskopf, N., Scharnowski, F., & Steyrl, D. (2021). Predictors of Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback Performance and Improvement - a Machine Learning Mega-Analysis. Neuroimage. 237: 118207 doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118207.
Bas-Hoogendam, J. M., van Steenbergen, H., Cohen Kadosh, K., Westenberg, P. M., & van der Wee, N. J. A. (2021). Intrinsic functional connectivity in families genetically enriched for social anxiety disorder – an endophenotype study. EBioMedicine, 69, 103445. pdf
Ahmed A., Ruiz M.J., Cohen Kadosh K., Patton R., & Resurrección D.M. (2021) Khat and neurobehavioral functions: A systematic review. PLOS ONE 16(6): e0252900. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252900. pdf
Johnstone, N., Milesi, C., Burn, O., van den Borgert, T., Hart, K., Sowden, P. T., Burnet, P. W. J., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2021). Anxiolytic effects of a galacto-oligosaccharides prebiotic in healthy female volunteers are associated with reduced negative bias and the gut bacterial composition. Nature Scientific Reports, 11: 8302. DOI.org/10.1101/19011403. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K.; Muhardi, L.; Parikh, P.; Basso, M.; Jan Mohamed, H.J.; Prawitasari, T.; Samuel, F.; Ma, G.; Geurts, J.M. (2021). Nutritional Support of Neurodevelopment and Cognitive Function in Infants and Young Children—An Update and Novel Insights. Nutrients, 13(1), 199. doi: 10.3390/nu13010199. pdf
Lisk, S., Cohen Kadosh, K., Zich, C., Haller, S.P.W., & Lau, J.Y.F. (2020). Training negative connectivity patterns between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and amygdala through fMRI-based neurofeedback to target adolescent socially-avoidant behaviour. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 135. DOI.org/10.1016/j.brat.2020.103760. pdf
Zich, C., Johnstone, N., Lührs, M., Lisk, S., Haller, S.P., Lipp, A., Lau, J.Y.F., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2020). Modulatory effects of dynamic fMRI-based neurofeedback on emotion regulation networks in adolescent females. NeuroImage. DOI.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117053. pdf
Quevedo, K., Yuan Teoh, J., Engstrom, M., Wedan, R., Zewde, B, Porter, D, & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2020). Amygdala circuitry during neurofeedback training change in adolescents with varying depression symptoms. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 14: 110. DOI.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00110. pdf
Haugg, A., Sladky, R., Skouras, S., McDonald, A., Craddock, C., Kirschner, M., Herdener, M., Koush, Y., Papoutsi, M., Keynan, J., Hendler, T., Cohen Kadosh, K., Zich, C., MacInnes, J., Adcock, R. A., Dickerson, K., Chen, N-k., Young, K., Bodurka, J., Yao, S., Becker, B., Auer, T., Schweizer, R., Pamplona, G., Emmert, K., Haller, S., Van De Ville, D., Blefari, M. L., Kim, D-Y., Lee, J-H., Marins, T., Megumi, F., Sorger, B., Kamp, T., Liew, S-L., Veit, R., Spetter, M., Weiskopf, N., & Scharnowski, F. (2020). Can we predict real-time fMRI neurofeedback learning success from pre-training brain activity? Human Brain Mapping. DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.14611. pdf
Lipp, A., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2020). Training the anxious brain: using functional magnetic resonance imaging-based neurofeedback to change functional brain activity in adolescence. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.14611. pdf
Paret, C., Goldway, N., Zich, C., Keynan, J.N., Hendler, T., Linden, D.E.J., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2019). Current progress in real-time functional magnetic resonance-based neurofeedback: methodological challenges and achievements. Neuroimage. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116107. pdf
Johnstone, N., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2019). Why a developmental cognitive neuroscience approach may be key for future-proofing microbiota-gut-brain research: commentary on Microbiota-gut-brain research: a critical analysis. Brain and Behavioural Sciences. 42: e73. DOI: 10.1017/S0140525X18002753.
Lubianker, N., Goldway, N., Fruchtman-Steinbok, T., Paret, C., Keynan, J.N., Singer, S., Cohen, A., Cohen Kadosh, K., Linden, D.E.J., & Hendler, T. (2019). Process-based neurofeedback: towards precise endogenous neuromodulation. Nature Human Behaviour. 3:436-445. DOI:10.1038/s41562-019-0573-y. pdf
Staunton, G.P., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2019). A systematic review of the psychological factors that influence neurofeedback learning outcomes. NeuroImage. 15: 545-555. DOI:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.10.021. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K., Haller, S. P. W., Schliephake, L., Duta, M. D., Scerif, G., & Lau, J. Y. F. (2018). Subclinically anxious adolescents do not display attention biases when processing emotional faces - an eye-tracking study. Frontiers: Cognition. 9: 1584. DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01584. pdf
Haller, S.P.W., Mills, K.L., Hartwright, C.E., David, A. S., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2018). When change is the only constant: The promise of longitudinal neuroimaging in understanding social anxiety disorder. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 33: 73-82. doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2018.05.005. pdf
Steinbeis, N, Crone, E., Blakemore, S-J., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2017). Development holds the key to understanding the interplay of nature versus nurture in shaping the individual. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 25: 1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.05.006. pdf
Haller, S.P.W., Doherty, B., Duta., M., Cohen Kadosh, K., Lau, J.Y.F., & Scerif, G., (2017). Attention allocation and social worries predict interpretations of peer-related social cues in adolescents. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 25: 105-112. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.03.004. pdf
Fuhrmann, D., Knoll, L.J., Sakhardande, A.L., Speekenbring, M., Cohen Kadosh, K., & Blakemore S.-J. (2017). Perception and recognition of faces in adolescence. Scientific Reports. 6. 33497 doi:10.1038/srep33497. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K., Lisk, S., & Lau, J.Y.F. (2016). The Ethics of (Neuro) Feeding Back to the Developing Brain. American Journal of Bioethics Neuroscience. 7(2): 132-133, doi:10.1080/21507740.2016.1189979. pdf
Shore, T., Cohen Kadosh, K., Lommen, M., Cooper, M., & Lau, J.Y.F. (2016). Investigating the effectiveness of brief cognitive reappraisal training to reduce fear in adolescents. Cognition and Emotion. doi:10.1080/02699931.2016.1159542. pdf
Haller, S.P.W., Cohen Kadosh, K., Scerif, G., & Lau, J.Y.F. (2016). Measuring online interpretations and attributions of social situations: links with adolescent social anxiety. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry. 50: 250-256. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.09.009. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K., Luo, Q., De Burca, C., Sokunbi, M., Feng, J., Linden, D.E.J., & Lau, J.Y.F. (2016).Using real-time fMRI to influence effective connectivity in the developing emotion regulation network. NeuroImage. 15(125): 616-26. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.09.070. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K., Krause, B., King, A., Near, J., & Cohen Kadosh, R. (2015). Linking GABA and glutamate to cognitive skill acquisition in development. Human Brain Mapping. 36(11): 4334-4345. doi:10.1002/hbm.22921. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K., Haddad, A.D.M., Heathcote, L.C., Murphy, R.A., Pine, D.S., & Lau, J.Y.F. (2015). High trait anxiety during adolescence interferes with discriminatory context and safety learning. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. 123: 50-57. doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2015.05.002. pdf
Fonville, L., Cohen Kadosh, K., Drakesmith, M., Zammit, S., Reichenberg, A., Mollon, J., Lewis, G., Jones, D.K., & David, A. (2015). Psychotic Experiences, Working Memory and the Developing Brain: a Multimodal Neuroimaging Study. Cerebral Cortex. 25 (12): 4828. doi:10.1093/cercor/bhv181. pdf
Haller, S.P.W., Cohen Kadosh, K., Scerif, G., & Lau, J.Y.F. (2015). Social anxiety disorder: a new developmental cognitive neuroscience approach to uncover risk factors during adolescence. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 13: 11-20. doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2015.02.002. pdf
Haller, S.P., Cohen Kadosh, K., & Lau, J.Y.F. (2014). A developmental angle to understanding the mechanisms of biased cognition in social anxiety. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 7: 846. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00846. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K., Heathcote, L.C., & Lau, J.Y.F. (2014). Age-related changes in attentional control across adolescence: How does this impact emotion regulation capacities? Frontiers in Psychology. 5, 111. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00111. pdf
Platt, B., Cohen Kadosh, K., & Lau, J.Y.F. (2013). The role of peer rejection in adolescent depression. Depression and Anxiety. 30(9): 809-821. doi:10.1002/da.22120. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K., Linden, D.E.J., & Lau, J.Y.F. (2013). Plasticity during childhood and adolescence: innovative approaches to investigating neurocognitive development. Developmental Science. 6(4): 574-83. doi:10.1111/desc.12054. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K., Johnson, M.H., Henson, R.N.A., Dick, F., & Blakemore, S.-J. (2013). Differential face-network adaptation in children, adolescents and adults. Neuroimage. 69C, 11. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.11.060. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K., Johnson, M.H., Dick, F., Cohen Kadosh, R., & Blakemore, S.-J. (2013). Effects of age, task performance, and structural brain development on face processing. Cerebral Cortex. 3(7): 1630-42. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.11.060. pdf
Benn, Y., Wilkinson, I. D., Zeng, Y., Cohen Kadosh, K., Romanowski, C.A.J., Siegal, M., & Varley, R. (2013). Differentiating core and co-opted mechanisms in calculation: The neuroimaging of calculation in aphasia. Brain and Cognition. 82(3): 254-264. doi:10.1111/desc.12054. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K. (2012). Differing processing abilities for specific face properties in mid-childhood and adulthood. Frontiers in Developmental Psychology. 2(400). doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00400. pdf
Burnett, S., Sebastian, C., Cohen Kadosh, K., & Blakemore, S.-J. (2011). The social brain in adolescence: evidence from functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioural studies. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 35(8), 1654-1564. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.10.011. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K. (2011). What can emerging cortical face networks tell us about mature brain organisation?Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 1(3), 246-255. doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2011.02.001. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K., Cohen Kadosh, R., Dick, F., & Johnson, M.H. (2011). Developmental changes in effective connectivity in the core face network. Cerebral Cortex. 21: 139-1394. doi:10.1093/cercor/bhq215. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K., Walsh, V., & Cohen Kadosh, R.(2011). TMS to the right OFA impairs the processing of specific face properties. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.6(1): 58-65. doi:10.1093/scan/nsq015. pdf
Mercure, E., Cohen Kadosh, K., & Johnson, M.H. (2011). The N170 shows differential repetition suppression effects for faces, objects and orthographic stimuli. Human Frontiers in Neuroscience. 5, doi:10.3389/fnhum.2011.00006. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K., Henson, R.N.A., Cohen Kadosh, R., Johnson, M.H., & Dick, F. (2010). Task-dependent activation in face-sensitive cortex: an fMRI adaptation study. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 22(5): 903–917. pdf
Johnson, M.H., Grossmann, T., & Cohen Kadosh, K.(2009). Mapping functional brain development: Building a social brain through Interactive Specialization. Developmental Psychology. 45: 151-159. doi:10.1037/a0014548. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, R., Cohen Kadosh, K., & Henik, A. (2008). When Brightness Counts: The Neuronal Correlate of Numerical-Luminance Interference. Cerebral Cortex.18: 337-343. doi:10.1093/cercor/bhm058. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, R., Cohen Kadosh, K., Henik, A., & Linden, D.E.J. (2008). Processing conflicting information: Facilitation, interference, and functional connectivity. Neuropsychologia. 46(12): 2872-2879. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2008.05.025. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, K., & Johnson, M.H. (2007). Developing a cortex specialized for face perception. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 11(9): 367-369. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2007.06.007. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, R., Cohen Kadosh, K., & Henik, A. (2007). The Neural Correlate of Bi-Directional Synaesthesia. A combined ERP and fMRI study. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 19: 2050-2059. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, R., Cohen Kadosh, K., Kaas, A., Henik, A., & Goebel, R. (2007). Notation-dependent and independent representations of numbers in the parietal lobes. Neuron. 53(2): 307-314. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2006.12.025. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, R., Cohen Kadosh, K., Linden, D.E.J., Gevers, W., Berger, A., & Henik, A. (2007). The brain locus of interaction between number and size: A combined functional magnetic resonance imaging and event-related potential study. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 19: 957-970. pdf
Cohen Kadosh, R., Cohen Kadosh, K., Schumann, T., Kaas, A., Goebel, R., Henik, A., & Sack, A.T. (2007). Virtual dyscalculia induced by parietal lobe TMS impairs automatic magnitude processing. Current Biology. 17(8): 689-693. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2007.02.056. pdf
Bledowski, C., Cohen Kadosh, K., Wibral, M., Rahm, B., Bittner, R.A., Hoechstetter, K., Scherg, M., Maurer, K., Goebel, R., & Linden, D. E. J. (2006). Mental Chronometry of Working Memory Retrieval: A Combined fMRI and ERP approach. Journal of Neuroscience. 26(3): 821-829. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3542-05.2006. pdf