Dr Eleni Pantelis

Research Interests

My broad area of research is affective neuroscience and more specifically, the basic emotion systems of the brain centrally involved in depression: PANIC/GRIEF (a system that regulates social affect) and SEEKING (a positively motivated action system). My research focus has been on re-conceptualising depression as pathological ‘despair’ and showing that depression feels bad because a dampened SEEKING system and a stimulated PANIC/GRIEF system produce the type of feelings that are characteristic of depression. This research also investigates the role of attachment style in relation to depressive feelings and loss.

Research Areas

Cognitive & Behavioural Neuroscience