Profile
Dr Helen Collins
Profile
I completed my B.A. in Cell and Systems Biology at Lincoln College in 2018, where I was awarded the Gibbs Prize for Biomedical Sciences. I went on to earn an M.Sc. in Neuroscience in 2019, then joined the 1+3 Wellcome Trust D.Phil. in Neuroscience programme, conducting research on the neurobiology of SSRI discontinuation syndrome. After completing my D.Phil. in 2023, I worked at a biotech company in Oxfordshire. I returned to the University and joined the MRC BNDU in April 2024 to study neuromodulator signalling dynamics in behaviour.
- Research
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My research is driven by an interest in how neuromodulators such as serotonin and dopamine influence behaviour and neural function, particularly in the context of neurodegenerative diseases. Over the course of my DPhil and subsequent postdoctoral work, I have focused on how disruptions to neuromodulator systems contribute to mood disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. My career goal is to further our understanding of the role of neuromodulators in the symptoms of AD and PD, as well as to develop new therapeutic strategies aimed at the early stages of neurodegeneration.
- Select publications
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Sharp T, Collins HM. Mechanisms of SSRI Therapy and Discontinuation. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2024;66:21-47. doi: 10.1007/7854_2023_452.
Collins HM, Pinacho R, Ozdemir D, Bannerman DM, Sharp T. Effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor discontinuation on anxiety-like behaviours in mice. J Psychopharmacol. 2022 Jul;36(7):794-805. doi: 10.1177/02698811221093032.
Collins HM, Gullino LS, Ozdemir D, Lazarenco C, Sudarikova Y, Daly E, Pilar Cuéllar F, Pinacho R, Bannerman DM, Sharp T. Rebound activation of 5-HT neurons following SSRI discontinuation. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2024 Sep;49(10):1580-1589. doi: 10.1038/s41386-024-01857-8.
Collins HM, Pinacho R, Tam SKE, Sharp T, Bannerman DM, Peirson SN. Continuous home cage monitoring of activity and sleep in mice during repeated paroxetine treatment and discontinuation. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2023 Nov;240(11):2403-2418. doi: 10.1007/s00213-023-06442-3.
Collins HM. Psychedelics for the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Efficacy and Proposed Mechanisms. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2024 Dec 1;27(12):pyae057. doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyae057.
Positions
- George and Susan Brownlee Junior Research Fellow in Biomedical Sciences
- Postdoctoral Neuroscientist