Sorcha is an early-stage neuroscience researcher committed to understanding psychiatric disorders and human emotion. Passionate about studying mental health through various lenses, she integrates molecular neuroscience, brain imaging, and clinical/psychological assessments into her research. Currently pursuing her PhD at Imperial College London, Sorcha leads the PsilOCD study. This pioneering UK study investigates the effects of low-dose psilocybin on patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as a potential treatment.

The PsilOCD study evaluates improvements in OCD symptoms and various cognitive facets such as rule learning, attentional flexibility, and decision-making. It also examines whether psilocybin treatment enhances neuroplasticity through EEG neuroimaging and looks at genetic and immune-related blood markers. Sorcha’s journey into brain sciences began at the University of Manchester, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience with Spanish as a minor. This included a year in Madrid researching the epigenetic landscape of schizophrenia. She then pursued a Master’s in Cognitive Neuroscience at Pompeu Fabra University, focusing on various neuroimaging techniques to understand the hierarchical dysfunctions underlying mental illness.

Psychiatric conditions are complex and challenging to treat, with neural and psychological factors often misunderstood or inadequately acknowledged. Traditional psychiatric perspectives sometimes misalign with modern neuroscience, leading to reductionist views. Sorcha advocates for integrated models that combine neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry, essential for identifying modifiable causal factors and charting a path towards more precise treatments.

While psychiatric medication serves a purpose, it is rarely a silver bullet, with many of the symptoms it addresses being manifestations of underlying maladaptive psychological patterns that require targeted treatment. Hence, therapies that focus on addressing these psychological components, such as exposure response prevention (ERP) for OCD, are most likely to catalyse the biggest improvements.

Yet, the effectiveness of these therapies is often hindered by imprecise delivery methods, with around 40% of patients with OCD failing to respond adequately to ERP offered by clinicians. This deficiency highlights the need for more systematic and personalized techniques to accurately identify and address sufferers' core fears and triggers.

Sorcha also advocates for the efficacy of positive lifestyle changes during recovery; intermittent fasting, cold water exposure, and exercise can all help individuals gain the momentum required to do the necessary self-work. Outside academia, she channels her passion for mental health research into writing, contributing to various freelance and ghostwriting projects. She also harbours a strong interest in bio-related entrepreneurship and the biotech sector, with a specific focus on investigating how digital solutions could transform mental health care delivery. Sorcha is excited to see PsilOCD come to an end and looks forward to the opportunity to share the findings with the general public as well as embark on her next steps.