Dr Elsa Fouragnan
Profiles

Dr Elsa Fouragnan

Lecturer in Psychology

School of Psychology (Faculty of Health)

Dr Elsa Fouragnan can be contacted through arrangement with our Press Office, to speak to the media on these areas of expertise.
  • Computational neuroscience
  • Addiction
  • Ultrasound brain stimulation
  • Decision-making
  • Depression
  • fMRI
  • EEG
  • Reward-based learning
Biography

Biography

Future Leader Fellow UKRI
Head of the Stimulation Unit at BRIC
Lecturer in Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience 


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 use of multimodal neuroimaging, including simultaneous EEG and fMRI methods, which allowed uncovering latent brain states that remain unobserved with conventional methods. Additionally, I worked on the proof of principle - in an animal model - that transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation can safely and transiently change neural activity in precise parts of the brain. 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 

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
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) , 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
View all publications
Teaching

Teaching

Teaching interests

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:

  • Elodie Levy, ICM, CNRS, Paris, France
  • Nicolas Clairis , ICM, CNRS, Paris, France  
PhS supervisor:
  • Kenza Kadri, University of Plymouth, UK. DoS
  • Timothy Palmer, University of Plymouth, UK DoS
  • Nomiki Koutsoumpari, University of Plymouth, UK DoS
  • Mathilde Lojkiewiez , University of Plymouth, UK Co-DoS
  • Mica Komarnyckyj, University of Huddersfield, UK co-DoS (VIVA passed in 2022)


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 and comparative neuroscience.

Research groups

Other research

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

Mica Komarnyckyj, PhD in Psychology, University of Huddersfield, UK, 2018 – 2022 (VIVA planned for November 2022) – Now postdoc at the University of Manchester

Rory Baxter, PhD in Psychology, University of Plymouth, UK, 2018 – VIVA 2022

Eleonora Parrotta, PhD in Psychology, University of Plymouth, UK, 2018 – Present

Nadescha Trudel, PhD in Psychology, University of Oxford, UK, 2018 – VIVA 2021 – Now postdoc at Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing, London

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

Wellcome Trust Career Development Award (SIF) 2023-2029 (£2,140,669) Collaborator “New generation of ultrasound brain stimulation device for double-blinded investigations“

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 (>£30,000) 

  • 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
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) , 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

Key publications are highlighted

Journals
Articles
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
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) , 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) , 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, , 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, Author Site , DOI
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 , 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' Journal of Neuroscience 33, (8) 3602-3611 , 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]

Personal

Personal

Reports & invited lectures

Description of my UKRI project in images! https://vimeo.com/user2051960/review/409202167/d5d450272b 

News article about our latest research at the Focused Ultrasound Federation: https://www.fusfoundation.org/news/focused-ultrasound-used-to-identify-behavior-specific-regions-of-the-brain

Interview: https://medicalresearch.com/neurological-disorders/pulse-ultrasound-to-the-brain-could-be-used-to-affect-decision-making/48683/

Science daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190415113822.htm


Conferences organised

Focused Ultrasound 2022: link here

Computational Properties of the Prefrontal Cortex, link.

Other academic activities

Key speaker:

Society for Psychophysiological Research, Presidential Symposium, September 2022

8th International Symposium on Focused Ultrasound, September 2022

Welcome for Integrative Neuroscience, Launch Symposium, Oxford, November 2017

 

Chair:

8th International Symposium on Focused Ultrasound, September 2022

Computational Properties of the Prefrontal Cortex, Oxford, May 2021

 

Invited guest lecturer:

Workshop NIBS Copenhagen, December 2022

Seminar series, University of Liverpool, December 2022

Workshop Nijmegen, Invited lecturer by Lennart Verhagen, September 2022

32nd International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology, September 2022

18th NWG-funded NIBS-course “TUS: Best Practice“, July 2022

Seminar on Ultrasound Neurostimulation. Oxford, July 2022

15th World congress of the International Neuromodulation Society, Barcelona, May 2022

International Symposium on Biology of Decision Making. Oxford, May 2020

ISAM Neuroscience Interest Group (NIG), seminar, February 2020

Seminar series Huddersfield, UK. September, 2019

British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, Glasgow, UK. September, 2019

INSPIRE Interdisciplinary Meeting. School of medicine, Plymouth, April 2019

Seminar series. University of Huddersfield. Huddersfield, UK, November 2018

Seminar series. University of Plymouth. Plymouth, UK, October 2018

Cognitive & Behavioural Neuroscience Seminar. Oxford, UK, January 2017

LNiF series, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Science. Trento, Italy, June 2015

Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience. CNRS, Lyon, France, January 2015

Centre for Decision Research & Experimental Economics. Nottingham, UK, February 2013

LNiF series, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Science, Trento, Italy, April 2012,

Department of Economics KAP, USC, Los Angeles, USA, November 2010

Alptis Conferences and debates. Annual congress, Pessac, France, October 2008

 

Poster presentation as first author:

British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, Plymouth, UK, September, 2017

Society for Neuroscience. Washington, USA, October 2017

Neuroeconomics Society, Annual Conference, Toronto, Canada. October, 2017

International Symposium on Biology of Decision Making, Bordeaux, France, May 2017

Society for Neuroscience. Chicago, USA, October 2015

Organisation for Human Brain Mapping, Hamburg, Germany, June 2014

Society for Neuroeconomics. Lausanne, Switzerland, June 2013

Society for Neuroeconomics. Miami, USA, September 2012

Concepts, Actions and Object (CAOs), Rovereto, May 2011

 

Poster presentation as last author:

8th International Symposium on Focused Ultrasound, September 2022

Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum, Paris, France, July 2022

6TH HBP student conference on interdisciplinary brain research, February 2022

Faculty of Health PGR showcase, Plymouth, June 2022

Computational Properties of the Prefrontal Cortex, Oxford, May 2022

International Symposium on Biology of Decision Making (online), 2021

Neurofrance (online), May 2021

SSA PhD symposium (online), November 2021

SSA Annual conference (online), November 2021

International Symposium on Biology of Decision Making (online), May 2020