Dr. Clare Mackay

Biography

Clare Mackay is a Professor of Neuroscience and the Associate Director and Head of Translation at the Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity (OHBA). She leads the Translational Neuroimaging Group and is a co-theme lead for the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre focusing on Dementia. Her research centers on using neuroimaging to understand the risks related to psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, especially conditions like Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. Her work investigates the mechanisms of risk for these disorders, including the impact of specific genes on brain structure and function. Mackay has been involved in several large collaborative projects, including the Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre and the Whitehall II imaging study. In 2020, she launched the pilot Oxford Brain Health Clinic, which aims to integrate research with clinical pathways for memory clinic patients, offering high-quality assessments for clinical and research purposes. Most recently, she has developed an academic interest in trichotillomania, a lesser-known disorder linked to body-focused repetitive behaviors, and is actively seeking to develop new collaborations to address the needs of individuals suffering from these disorders.

Research Interests