Karin is interested in how multiple learning, memory, and decision-making systems interact to facilitate adaptive and maladaptive behavior. She combines behavioral experimentation, functional neuroimaging, and studies in neuropsychological populations to address these questions.

A prominent focus of current research is to understand the mechanisms underlying the persistent, maladaptive eating behavior observed in anorexia nervosa. In particular, the influence of habitual and goal-directed behavior on maladaptive food choices.

Karin has worked in the Brain and Cognition area of the Psychology Department at the University of Amsterdam since 2022. Prior to moving to the University of Amsterdam, she worked at the Psychiatry Department at Columbia University and continues to collaborate closely with researchers and clinicians at Columbia University Eating Disorders Clinic.

Caroline is a PhD candidate in the Brain and Cognition group at the University of Amsterdam under the supervision of Karin Førde, Sanne de Wit, and Hilde Geurts. 

Her PhD research will investigate the contributions of maladaptive decision-making and habitual behaviour to the persistence of anorexia nervosa in adults and teenagers. She will explore whether individuals with anorexia nervosa exhibit a stronger tendencies to habitual behaviour than those without the disorder, and whether this plays a role in disease progression and contribute to Anorexia’s high rate of relapse. Her project is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and is conducted in collaboration with Dr Joanna Steinglass’ lab at Columbia University, New York.

Caroline has a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from Trinity College Dublin and a master’s degree in Psychology (Music, Mind and Brain) from Goldsmiths, University of London. Prior to starting her PhD, she worked as a research assistant in the Decisions and Action Lab at the University of Oxford, under the supervision of Matthew Rushworth, using fMRI, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and behavioural tasks to identify the brain areas involved in complex social decision-making in everyday life.

Michaela is a PhD candidate at the Brain and Cognition department and under the supervision of Karin Førde, Tim Ziermans and Jaap Murre. 

Her work focuses on understanding social learning and value-based decision-making in individuals with dopamine dysfunctions, such as Parkinson's disease. She is curious about why people with these conditions often tend to withdraw from social interactions and may struggle with making decisions regarding social activities in everyday life.

She aims to understand the role of the dopaminergic system in social reward processing, which is postulated to be dampened by lowered dopamine levels. She hopes to shed light on the neurological underpinnings of reinforcement learning and decision making, ultimately leading to a better understanding of cognitive challenges in people with dopamine dysfunction.

In 2021, she graduated from Abertay University in Scotland with a Bachelors degree with Honors in Psychology, and completed a Research Master’s degree in Cognitive Neuropsychology at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam in 2023. After graduation, she worked at the VU as a research assistant in the lab of Dr. Anne Marije Kaag on the SANE and SEGA studies, using fMRI, cardiovascular measures, and diagnostic questionnaires to investigate the effectiveness of a novel treatment strategy for alcohol use disorder and the sex differences therein.