Bio: My research focuses on the neurobiology of decision-making and learning, both in healthy adults and in patients with psychiatric disorders. After working as a biomedical engineer, developing brain-related clinical devises, I pursued an academic career in computational neuroscience at the universities of Glasgow and Oxford. My previous research focused on the proof of principle that transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation can safely and transiently change neural activity in precise parts of the brain, particularly deep regions of the brain, repsonsible for core cognitive and motivational processes. I am now working towards bringing this technology forward and apply it to mental health challenges.
Do you know how incredible the different applications of therapeutic ultrasound can be for mental health disorders? I created this cool video with @Animate_Science https://youtube.com/watch?v=KsuqRldCspU… feel free to distribute it for educational purpose.
Qualifications
PhD in Computational Neuroscience - European fellowship & Visiting scholar at USC, Los Angeles, USA Master in Biomedical Engineering (ENSC Bordeaux, France) with distinction
Roles on external bodies
Excecutive board member of ITRUSST (International Transcranial Ultrasonic Stimulation Safety and Standards). We are an international consortium working together towards the safe and effective application of transcranial focused ultrasound for neuromodulation. ITRUSST aims to establish consensus on expert guides, guidelines, and standardization for this neuromodulatory technique. Effective member since 2018-present
Board member of the Change Group, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Oxford, 2017-2018
Treasurer, French federation of students and early researchers in Cognitive Sciences, 2006
Key publications
Fouragnan EF, Chau BKH, Folloni D, Kolling N, Verhagen L, Klein-Flügge M, Tankelevitch L, Papageorgiou GK, Aubry J-F & Sallet J (2019) 'The macaque anterior cingulate cortex translates counterfactual choice value into actual behavioral change' Nature Neuroscience 22, (5) 797-808 , DOI Open access
Yaakub SN, White TA, Roberts J, Martin E, Verhagen L, Stagg CJ, Hall S & Fouragnan EF (2023) 'Transcranial focused ultrasound-mediated neurochemical and functional connectivity changes in deep cortical regions in humans' Nature Communications 14, (1) , DOI Open access
Fouragnan EF, Hosking B, Cheung Y, Prakash B, Rushworth M & Sel A (2024) 'Timing along the cardiac cycle modulates neural signals of reward-based learning' Nature Communications 15, (1) Publisher Site , DOI
UG: · 412 - Psychological Science · 415 - Topics in Psychology · 406 - Applied psychology · 404 - Current topics in Psychology · 606 - Applications of Psychological Theory MA: · 771 - Issues in Cognitive and Brain Science · 778 - The physics of neuroimaging · 775 - Foundations and Applications of Neuroimaging and Neurostimulation · 778 - The Physics of Neuroimaging (Module leader) · 784 - Advanced Practice in Neuroimaging and Neurostimulation · 785 - Neuroscience research project
Staff serving as external examiners
PhD examiner (past VIVA):
Ben Clennell, University of Bristol, UK
Kitty Ban, University of Glasgow, UK
Joshua Bolam, University of Leeds, UK
Elodie Levy, ICM, CNRS, Paris, France
Nicolas Clairis , ICM, CNRS, Paris, France
Joshua Bolam (University of Leeds)
Paul Knytl (University of Surrey)
PhS supervisor:
Kenza Kadri, University of Plymouth, UK. DoS (VIVA passed in October 2023, now postdoc at the Max Plank Institute)
Mica Komarnyckyj, University of Huddersfield, UK co-DoS (VIVA passed in 2022, now postdoc at the university of Manchester)
Timothy Palmer, University of Plymouth, UK DoS
Nomiki Koutsoumpari, University of Plymouth, UK DoS
Mathilde Lojkiewiez , University of Plymouth, UK Co-DoS
Rimsha Mahrukh , University of Plymouth, UK DoS
Davide Folloni, PhD in Psychology, University of Oxford, UK, 2018 – VIVA 2021 - Now postdoc at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; USA; Science and PINS prize for Neuromodulation, followed by a Prize Essay in the journal Science (on co-authored papers).
Research
Research
Research interests
I am fascinated by the brain's remarkable capacity to process our continually changing environment, allowing us to avoid repeated mistakes and make smart decisions. How is this normally achieved, and what are the consequences of brain damage? To address these questions, a large part of my work focuses on both value-based decision-making and reward-learning and involves various methods including multimodal neuroimaging (simultaneous EEG-fMRI), focal ultrasound neurostimulation (TUS) and comparative neuroscience.
John Rothwell Award (Reward excellence in non-invasive brain stimulation research), 2023
Science and PINS prize for Neuromodulation, followed by a Prize Essay in the journal Science(awarded to supervised PhD student Davide Folloni for co-authored papers)
Vice Chancellor’s Award – University of Plymouth - Research and Impact Excellence, 2022
Award for best Neuroscientific contribution (~$20,000) by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2019
Best poster price, Foundation for Focused Ultrasound, Oxford University, September 2019
Best poster price, Neuroeconomics Summer School, Amsterdam University, June 2012
Award for exceptional performance in Mathematics, Atomic Energy Commissariat, Toulouse, 2006
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
Kenza Kadri, University of Plymouth, UK. DoS (VIVA passed in October 2023, now postdoc at the Max Plank Institute)
Mica Komarnyckyj, University of Huddersfield, UK co-DoS (VIVA passed in 2022, now postdoc at the university of Manchester)
Davide Folloni, PhD in Psychology, University of Oxford, UK, 2018 – VIVA 2021 - Now postdoc at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; USA; Science and PINS prize for Neuromodulation, followed by a Prize Essay in the journal Science (on co-authored papers).
Grants & contracts
RESEARCH GRANTS UKRI Future Leaders Fellow - Phase II - 2024-2027 (£569,897) PI “Towards a targeted neuromodulation intervention for substance use disorders”
BBSRC Standard Responsive Mode 2024-2029 (£1,285,749) PI “Multi-site and state-dependent effects of Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation on brain function and cognition”
Wellcome Trust Career Development Award 2023-2029 (£2,140,669) Collaborator “Neural simulation as a neurocompational mechanism underpinning pathological worry”
Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) 2021-2022 (£116,200) PI “New generation of ultrasound brain stimulation device for double-blinded investigations”
UKRI Future Leaders Fellow 2020-2024 (£1,030,995) PI “Mapping the neural basis of credit assignment for a new targeted intervention in addiction”
Leverhulme 2019-2022: Award to Patric Bach (PI) (£462,995) Co-I “Social perception as Bayesian hypothesis testing and revision”
SMALL RESEARCH GRANTS
Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research (PIHR) 2022-2023 (£2,947) PI “The effects of transcranial ultrasound stimulation of the anterior cingulate cortex in a human model of secondary hyperalgesia: a pilot study“
Multiple BRIC Pump Priming (>£40,000)
PI “Neuromodulation of hyperalgesia with TUS on the anterior cingulate cortex” 2022-2023
PI “Neurochemical and functional connectivity effects of TUS in humans” 2021-2022
PI “Effects of TUS on early visual detection” 2021-2022
Co-I “The Neuropsychological Markers of Specific Digital Harms: Highly Visual Social Media & Body Image Concern” 2022-2023
Co-I “Double dissociation of the dmPFC and TPJ in social counterfactual learning” 2022-2023
Co-I “Optimizing acquisition of prefrontal signal with multiband-multiecho fMRI” 2021-2022
Praxis Clinical Grant 2012: Award to Remi Neveu (£2000) Co-I “The role of emotions and impulsivity in eating disorders”
Travel grant for J-1 exchange visitor (6 months), USC, Los Angeles, USA, 2010 PhD visitor Scholar, KAP Economics Department, University of Southern California
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Fouragnan EF, Chau BKH, Folloni D, Kolling N, Verhagen L, Klein-Flügge M, Tankelevitch L, Papageorgiou GK, Aubry J-F & Sallet J (2019) 'The macaque anterior cingulate cortex translates counterfactual choice value into actual behavioral change' Nature Neuroscience 22, (5) 797-808 , DOI Open access
Yaakub SN, White TA, Roberts J, Martin E, Verhagen L, Stagg CJ, Hall S & Fouragnan EF (2023) 'Transcranial focused ultrasound-mediated neurochemical and functional connectivity changes in deep cortical regions in humans' Nature Communications 14, (1) , DOI Open access
Fouragnan EF, Hosking B, Cheung Y, Prakash B, Rushworth M & Sel A (2024) 'Timing along the cardiac cycle modulates neural signals of reward-based learning' Nature Communications 15, (1) Publisher Site , DOI
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
Fouragnan EF, Hosking B, Cheung Y, Prakash B, Rushworth M & Sel A (2024) 'Timing along the cardiac cycle modulates neural signals of reward-based learning' Nature Communications 15, (1) Publisher Site , DOI
Bault N, Yaakub SN & Fouragnan E (2024) 'Early-phase neuroplasticity induced by offline transcranial ultrasound stimulation in primates' Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences 56, Publisher Site , DOI Open access
Klein-Flügge MC, Fouragnan EF & Martin E (2023) 'The importance of acoustic output measurement and monitoring for the replicability of transcranial ultrasonic stimulation studies' Brain Stimulation 17, (1) 32-34 , DOI Open access
Yaakub SN, White TA, Roberts J, Martin E, Verhagen L, Stagg CJ, Hall S & Fouragnan EF (2023) 'Transcranial focused ultrasound-mediated neurochemical and functional connectivity changes in deep cortical regions in humans' Nature Communications 14, (1) , DOI Open access
Komarnyckyj M, Retzler C, Whelan R, Young O, Fouragnan E & Murphy A (2023) 'Anticipatory reward dysfunction in alcohol dependence: An electroencephalography monetary incentive delay task study' Addiction Neuroscience 8, , DOI Open access
Luca ED (2023) 'Erratum: Arabadzhiyska et al., “A Common Neural Account for Social and Nonsocial Decisions”' The Journal of Neuroscience 43, (11) 2035-2035 Publisher Site , DOI Open access
Yaakub SN, White TA, Kerfoot E, Verhagen L, Hammers A & Fouragnan EF (2023) 'Pseudo-CTs from T1-weighted MRI for planning of low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound neuromodulation: An open-source tool' Brain Stimulation 16, (1) 75-78 , DOI Open access
Attali D, Tiennot T, Schafer M, Fouragnan E, Sallet J, Caskey C, Chen R, Darmani G, Bubrick EJ & Butler C (2022) 'Three-layer model with absorption for conservative estimation of the maximum acoustic transmission coefficient through the human skull for transcranial ultrasound stimulation' Brain Stimulation 16, (1) 48-55 , DOI Open access
Pisauro MA, Fouragnan EF, Arabadzhiyska DH, Apps MAJ & Philiastides MG (2022) 'Neural implementation of computational mechanisms underlying the continuous trade-off between cooperation and competition' Nature Communications 13, (1) , DOI Open access
Fouragnan E, Arabadzhiyska DH, Garrod OGB, Philippe G S & Marios G. P (2022) 'A common neural account for social and non-social decisions' Journal of Neuroscience , DOI Open access
Komarnyckyj M, Retzler C, Cao Z, Ganis G, Murphy A, Whelan R & Fouragnan EF (2022) 'At‐risk alcohol users have disrupted valence discrimination during reward anticipation' Addiction Biology 27, (3) , DOI Open access
Darmani G, Bergmann TO, Butts Pauly K, Caskey CF, de Lecea L, Fomenko A, Fouragnan E, Legon W, Murphy KR & Nandi T (2021) 'Non-invasive transcranial ultrasound stimulation for neuromodulation' Clinical Neurophysiology 135, 51-73 , DOI Open access
Folloni D, Fouragnan E, Wittmann MK, Roumazeilles L, Tankelevitch L, Verhagen L, Attali D, Aubry J-F, Sallet J & Rushworth MFS (2021) 'Ultrasound modulation of macaque prefrontal cortex selectively alters credit assignment–related activity and behavior' Science Advances 7, (51) , DOI Open access
Lopez-Persem A, Roumazeilles L, Folloni D, Marche K, Fouragnan EF, Khalighinejad N, Rushworth MFS & Sallet J (2020) 'Differential functional connectivity underlying asymmetric reward-related activity in human and nonhuman primates' Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117, (45) 28452-28462 , DOI Open access
Trudel N, Scholl J, Klein-Flügge MC, Fouragnan E, Tankelevitch L, Wittmann MK & Rushworth MFS (2020) 'Polarity of uncertainty representation during exploration and exploitation in ventromedial prefrontal cortex' Nature Human Behaviour 5, (1) 83-98 , DOI Open access
Wittmann M, Fouragnan E, Folloni D, Klein-Flugge M, Chau B, Khamassi M & Rushworth M (2020) 'Global reward state affects learning and activity in raphe nucleus and anterior insula in monkeys' Nature Communications 11, (1) 0-0 , DOI Open access
Queirazza F, Fouragnan E, Steele JD, Cavanagh J & Philiastides MG (2019) 'Neural correlates of weighted reward prediction error during reinforcement learning classify response to cognitive behavioral therapy in depression' Science Advances 5, (7) eaav4962-eaav4962 , DOI Open access
Fouragnan EF, Chau BKH, Folloni D, Kolling N, Verhagen L, Klein-Flügge M, Tankelevitch L, Papageorgiou GK, Aubry J-F & Sallet J (2019) 'The macaque anterior cingulate cortex translates counterfactual choice value into actual behavioral change' Nature Neuroscience 22, (5) 797-808 , DOI Open access
Folloni D, Verhagen L, Mars R, Fouragnan E, Constans C, Aubry J-F, Rushworth MFS & Sallet J (2019) 'Manipulation of subcortical and deep cortical activity in the primate brain using transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation' Neuron , DOI Open access
Fouragnan E, Retzler C & Philiastides MG (2018) 'Separate neural representations of prediction error valence and surprise: Evidence from an fMRI meta-analysis' Human Brain Mapping Author Site , DOI Open access
Fouragnan E, Queirazza F, Retzler C, Mullinger KJ & Philiastides MG (2017) 'Spatiotemporal neural characterization of prediction error valence and surprise during reward learning in humans' Scientific Reports 7, (1) Publisher Site , DOI Open access
Pisauro MA, Fouragnan E, Retzler C & Philiastides MG (2017) 'Neural correlates of evidence accumulation during value-based decisions revealed via simultaneous EEG-fMRI' Nature Communications 8, (1) Publisher Site , DOI Open access
Neveu R, Fouragnan E, Barsumian F, Carrier E, Lai M, Nicolas A, Neveu D & Coricelli G (2016) 'Preference for Safe Over Risky Options in Binge Eating' Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 10, Publisher Site , DOI Open access
Fouragnan E, Retzler C, Mullinger K & Philiastides MG (2015) 'Two spatiotemporally distinct value systems shape reward-based learning in the human brain' Nature Communications 6, (0) 0-0 , DOI Open access
Neveu R, Neveu D, Barsumian F, Fouragnan E, Carrier E, Lai M, Sultan J, Nicolas A & Coricelli G (2014) 'Improved Planning Abilities in Binge Eating' PLoS ONE 9, (8) e105657-e105657 Publisher Site , DOI Open access
Fouragnan E, Chierchia G, Greiner S, Neveu R, Avesani P & Coricelli G (2013) 'Reputational Priors Magnify Striatal Responses to Violations of Trust' The Journal of Neuroscience 33, (8) 3602-3611 Publisher Site , DOI
Reports
Fouragnan E. The Neural Computation of Trust and Reputation.(April 2013) PhD thesis
http://eprints-phd.biblio.unitn.it/970/ Matthews R, Soussou W, Fouragnan E, Turner P J, Shelby R A. (June, August, October, December
2008) Wearable Electrophysiological Sensor Array for Detection of Neurotoxic Effects.Defence Advanced
Research Projects Agency Phase II [bi-monthly reports and final report submitted to DARPA]
4
Matthews R, Fouragnan E, McDonald N J, Soussou W, Turner P J, Shelby RA. (August, October 2008)
Real-Time Bio-Sensors for Enhanced C2ISR Operator Performance.Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
Phase II [bi-monthly reports and final report submitted to DARPA]
Soussou W, Turner PJ, Fouragnan E, Trejo J. (November 2008) EEG Electrode Noise/Classification
trade-off study and CMR/Classification experimentation [QUASAR internal report]
Fouragnan E, Lofi A, Hugon E, Danoy P. (July 2002) Which services for wellbeing, stress and
anxiety management?[Technical Reports of Nouvelles Frontières]
Presentations and posters
Komarnyckyj M, Retzler C, Whelan R, Fouragnan E & Murphy A Komarnyckyj M, Retzler C, Whelan R, Fouragnan E & Murphy A 'Anticipatory reward dysfunction in alcohol dependence: an electroencephalography monetary Incentive delay task study' , DOI
