Malin Gingnell
Researcher at Department of Medical Sciences; Experimental Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (ECAN)
- E-mail:
- malin.gingnell@neuro.uu.se
- Visiting address:
- Akademiska sjukhuset, ingång 10
- Postal address:
- Akademiska sjukhuset, ingång 10
751 85 UPPSALA
Visiting researcher at Department of Psychology; Emotion Psychology
- E-mail:
- malin.gingnell@psyk.uu.se
- Visiting address:
- Von Kraemers allé 1A och 1C
752 37 Uppsala - Postal address:
- Box 1225
751 42 UPPSALA
Download contact information for Malin Gingnell at Department of Psychology; Emotion Psychology
Research
Experimental Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience –Lab
ECAN
With a background in neuroimaging, one foot in psychology and the other in medicine, the research within our group focuses on various aspects of neural processing in relation to affective stimuli as well as during cognitive tasks, both in one individual at a time and simultaneously during social interaction. This involves both studying healthy participants and clinical cohorts, in the lab or in more natural settings, as well as performing various treatment studies. Our methods include fMRI, PET, EEG, fNIRS and psychophysiological measurements.
The interplay between emotions and ovarian steroid hormones has been in particular focus, such as how the changes in sex hormone levels during puberty interacts with levels of anxiety.
In addition to this, we look at how profound changes in physiology (such as during hypoglycemia or after a sudden decrease in blood flow), as well as more subtle manipulations (such as the intake of caffeine) affect affective symptoms and brain function. Another research trajectory includes the mechanisms underlying treatment effects, both regarding pharmaceutical treatments such as SSRI, but also applying brain stimulating techniques such as ECT and TMS as well as therapeutic interventions such as CBT. In relation to the later, we do in-depth studies of especially the learning process during extinction, using conditioning as a proxy for mechanisms activated during exposure therapy or fear learning. We also conducted studies that explore the mechanisms behind the placebo effect, both in more general terms and in relation to affective disorders and the neurobiological features of curiosity and grief.
Data collection is performed in collaboration with several research groups at Uppsala University as well as together with international groups. As an example, the group is part of RE-MEND and UPIC and collaborates with the research centers WOMHER, CIRCUS and CMH. The team members also coordinate activity in anxiety - an interdisciplinary research network.
Lab leaders:
Malin Gingnell & Andreas Frick
Post docs:
PhD-students:
Magdalena Wlad
Lykke Silfverbrandt
Ebba Widegren
Ashika Roy
Patricia Gil Paterna
Barry Karlsson
Carolina Knhis de Camargo
Carl Brandt
Sara Chergia
Kristina Stenström
Lab manager:
Hampus Berg
Lab assistants:
Vanessa Messinger
Felicia Pohl
Previously associated:
Matilda Frick, post doc (now at Stockholm University, Sweden)
Wiebke Struckmann, PhD (now at Stanford, USA)

Publications
Recent publications
Fear extinction retention in children, adolescents, and adults
Part of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 2025
- DOI for Fear extinction retention in children, adolescents, and adults
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A Japanese translation of the Swedish Universities Scales of Personality
Part of Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences, 2024
- DOI for A Japanese translation of the Swedish Universities Scales of Personality
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Part of Developmental Psychobiology, 2024
- DOI for The influence of anterior cingulate GABA+ and glutamate on emotion regulation and reactivity in adolescents and adults
- Download full text (pdf) of The influence of anterior cingulate GABA+ and glutamate on emotion regulation and reactivity in adolescents and adults
Part of BMC Psychiatry, 2024
- DOI for Allopregnanolone and progesterone in relation to a single electroconvulsive therapy seizure and subsequent clinical outcome: an observational cohort study
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Directed causal effect with PCMCI in hyperscanning EEG time series
Part of Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2024
- DOI for Directed causal effect with PCMCI in hyperscanning EEG time series
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All publications
Articles in journal
Fear extinction retention in children, adolescents, and adults
Part of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 2025
- DOI for Fear extinction retention in children, adolescents, and adults
- Download full text (pdf) of Fear extinction retention in children, adolescents, and adults
A Japanese translation of the Swedish Universities Scales of Personality
Part of Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences, 2024
- DOI for A Japanese translation of the Swedish Universities Scales of Personality
- Download full text (pdf) of A Japanese translation of the Swedish Universities Scales of Personality
Part of Developmental Psychobiology, 2024
- DOI for The influence of anterior cingulate GABA+ and glutamate on emotion regulation and reactivity in adolescents and adults
- Download full text (pdf) of The influence of anterior cingulate GABA+ and glutamate on emotion regulation and reactivity in adolescents and adults
Part of BMC Psychiatry, 2024
- DOI for Allopregnanolone and progesterone in relation to a single electroconvulsive therapy seizure and subsequent clinical outcome: an observational cohort study
- Download full text (pdf) of Allopregnanolone and progesterone in relation to a single electroconvulsive therapy seizure and subsequent clinical outcome: an observational cohort study
Directed causal effect with PCMCI in hyperscanning EEG time series
Part of Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2024
- DOI for Directed causal effect with PCMCI in hyperscanning EEG time series
- Download full text (pdf) of Directed causal effect with PCMCI in hyperscanning EEG time series
Blinding integrity of dorsomedial prefrontal intermittent theta burst stimulation in depression
Part of International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 2023
- DOI for Blinding integrity of dorsomedial prefrontal intermittent theta burst stimulation in depression
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Part of Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, p. 312-318, 2023
- DOI for Intercorrelation of physiological seizure parameters and hormonal changes in electroconvulsive therapy
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Part of Translational Psychiatry, 2023
- DOI for Triple network model of brain connectivity changes related to adverse mood effects in an oral contraceptive placebo-controlled trial
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Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex activity during cognitive challenge in social anxiety disorder
Part of Behavioural Brain Research, 2023
- DOI for Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex activity during cognitive challenge in social anxiety disorder
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Part of Behavioural Brain Research, 2023
- DOI for Pupil dilation during negative prediction errors is related to brain choline concentration and depressive symptoms in adolescents
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An fMRI-study of leading and following using rhythmic tapping
Part of Social Neuroscience, p. 558-567, 2022
- DOI for An fMRI-study of leading and following using rhythmic tapping
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Part of NeuroImage, 2022
- DOI for Modulation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex functional connectivity after intermittent theta-burst stimulation in depression: combining findings from fNIRS and fMRI
- Download full text (pdf) of Modulation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex functional connectivity after intermittent theta-burst stimulation in depression: combining findings from fNIRS and fMRI
Part of Translational Psychiatry, 2022
- DOI for Serotonin and dopamine transporter availability in social anxiety disorder after combined treatment with escitalopram and cognitive-behavioral therapy
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Part of Learning and Motivation, 2022
- DOI for Internet-delivered approach-avoidance conflict task shows temporal stability and relation to trait anxiety
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Postpartum Gray Matter Changes in the Auditory Cortex
Part of Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021
- DOI for Postpartum Gray Matter Changes in the Auditory Cortex
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Part of Journal of Neuroscience Research, p. 2261-2270, 2021
Part of Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2021
- DOI for Unchanged cognitive performance and concurrent prefrontal blood oxygenation after accelerated intermittent theta-burst stimulation in depression: a sham-controlled study
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Part of Translational Psychiatry, 2021
- DOI for Expectancy effects on serotonin and dopamine transporters during SSRI treatment of social anxiety disorder: a randomized clinical trial
- Download full text (pdf) of Expectancy effects on serotonin and dopamine transporters during SSRI treatment of social anxiety disorder: a randomized clinical trial
Part of Molecular Psychiatry, p. 3970-3979, 2021
- DOI for Expression and co-expression of serotonin and dopamine transporters in social anxiety disorder: a multitracer positron emission tomography study
- Download full text (pdf) of Expression and co-expression of serotonin and dopamine transporters in social anxiety disorder: a multitracer positron emission tomography study
Part of Diabetes, p. 1265-1277, 2021
Part of Psychiatry Research, 2021
- DOI for Inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitter systems in depressed and healthy: A positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance spectroscopy study
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Gray matter increases within subregions of the hippocampal complex after pregnancy
Part of Brain Imaging and Behavior, p. 2790-2794, 2021
Part of World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, p. 247-256, 2021
- DOI for Modulation of the prefrontal blood oxygenation response to intermittent theta-burst stimulation in depression: A sham-controlled study with functional near-infrared spectroscopy
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From baby brain to mommy brain: Widespread gray matter gain after giving birth
Part of Cortex, p. 334-342, 2020
Higher- and lower-order personality traits and cluster subtypes in social anxiety disorder
Part of PLOS ONE, 2020
- DOI for Higher- and lower-order personality traits and cluster subtypes in social anxiety disorder
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Part of Psychiatry Research, 2020
Part of Journal of Affective Disorders, p. 230-237, 2020
- DOI for Neuroimaging, genetic, clinical, and demographic predictors of treatment response in patients with social anxiety disorder
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Part of Brain Stimulation, p. 1665-1667, 2020
- DOI for Transcranial magnetic intermittent theta-burst stimulation for depression in pregnancy - A case series
- Download full text (pdf) of Transcranial magnetic intermittent theta-burst stimulation for depression in pregnancy - A case series
Part of Behavioural Brain Research, 2020
- DOI for Intermittent theta burst stimulation over the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex modulates resting-state connectivity in depressive patients: A sham-controlled study
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Potential Brain Age Reversal after Pregnancy: Younger Brains at 4–6 Weeks Postpartum
Part of Neuroscience, p. 309-314, 2018
Part of Neuropsychopharmacology, p. 555-563, 2018
Part of BJPsych bulletin, 2018
- DOI for Anterior cingulate cortex activity as a candidate biomarker for treatment selection in social anxiety disorder
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Emotional anticipation after delivery - a longitudinal neuroimaging study of the postpartum period
Part of Scientific Reports, 2017
- DOI for Emotional anticipation after delivery - a longitudinal neuroimaging study of the postpartum period
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Different patterns of attentional bias in antenatal and postpartum depression
Part of Brain and Behavior, 2017
- DOI for Different patterns of attentional bias in antenatal and postpartum depression
- Download full text (pdf) of Different patterns of attentional bias in antenatal and postpartum depression
Part of EBioMedicine, p. 179-188, 2017
- DOI for Do You Believe It? Verbal Suggestions Influence the Clinical and Neural Effects of Escitalopram in Social Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Trial
- Download full text (pdf) of Do You Believe It? Verbal Suggestions Influence the Clinical and Neural Effects of Escitalopram in Social Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Trial
Part of Psychiatry Research, p. 85-90, 2017
- DOI for Within-session effect of repeated stress exposure on extinction circuitry function in social anxiety disorder
- Download full text (pdf) of Within-session effect of repeated stress exposure on extinction circuitry function in social anxiety disorder
The effect of combined hormonal contraceptives use on brain reactivity during response inhibition
Part of European journal of contraception & reproductive health care, p. 150-157, 2016
Part of British Journal of Psychiatry, p. 229-235, 2016
Emotion Reactivity Is Increased 4-6 Weeks Postpartum in Healthy Women: A Longitudinal fMRI Study
Part of PLOS ONE, 2015
- DOI for Emotion Reactivity Is Increased 4-6 Weeks Postpartum in Healthy Women: A Longitudinal fMRI Study
- Download full text (pdf) of Emotion Reactivity Is Increased 4-6 Weeks Postpartum in Healthy Women: A Longitudinal fMRI Study
Personality and risk for postpartum depressive symptoms
Part of Archives of Women's Mental Health, p. 539-546, 2015
Part of Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine, 2015
Enlargement of visual processing regions in social anxiety disorder is related to symptom severity
Part of Neuroscience Letters, p. 114-119, 2014
Part of Human Brain Mapping, p. 4450-4458, 2014
Part of Frontiers in Neuroscience, p. 380, 2014
Part of Biological Psychiatry, 2014
Part of Biological Psychiatry, 2014
Part of Behavioural Brain Research, p. 330-335, 2014
Part of Biology of Mood & Anxiety Disorders, p. 3, 2014
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder and prefrontal reactivity during anticipation of emotional stimuli
Part of European Neuropsychopharmacology, p. 1474-1483, 2013
Part of Biological Psychiatry, 2013
Altered Amygdala but not Default Mode Network Functional Connectivity in Social Anxiety Disorder
Part of Biological Psychiatry, 2013
Part of Biological Psychiatry, 2013
Part of Biological Psychiatry, 2013
Part of Psychoneuroendocrinology, p. 1133-1144, 2013
Prefrontal activity during response inhibition decreases over time in the postpartum period
Part of Behavioural Brain Research, p. 132-138, 2013
Acute Sleep Deprivation Enhances the Brain's Response to Hedonic Food Stimuli: An fMRI Study
Part of Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2012
Part of Journal of Affective Disorders, p. 347-350, 2012
Part of Hormones and Behavior, p. 400-406, 2012
Part of Gynecological Endocrinology, p. 486-490, 2011
Part of Archives of Women's Mental Health, p. 417-423, 2010
Part of Biological Psychiatry, p. 124, 2009
Articles, review/survey
Part of Psychoneuroendocrinology, p. 28-52, 2014