Dr Alessandra Borsini
Head MBP Lab
Biography
Alessandra Borsini is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London and Head of the Mind-Body Psychoneuroimmunology Lab.
Her research interest focuses on the role of inflammation and stress on brain neurogenic alterations, particularly in the context of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, and on the ability of psychotropic, anti-inflammatory and nutrition-based treatments to prevent such alterations.
She has been a member of the MRC Immunopsychiatry Consortium, of the AMBROSIAC ERA-NET/MRC consortium, and of the ECNP Immuno-Neuropsychiatry and Perinatal Psychiatry Networks. She has received various awards, including the Psychoneuroimmunology Award, from the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society (PNIRs), the Senior Preclinical Psychopharmacology Award from the British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP), and has been nominated for the IoPPN Collaborative Research Excellence Award.
She has been recipient of both national and international research grants from the MRC, Wellcome Trust, NIHR BRC, European Commission and Rosetrees Trust, and she is part of the Editorial Board of several journals, including Brain Behaviour and Immunity, Frontiers in Neuroscience, Frontiers in Psychiatry, Scientific Reports and Associate Editor for Translational Psychiatry, Brain Behaviour and Immunity-Health and Nutritional Psychiatry.
Teaching
She has extensive experience in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching at King’s College London.
In 2022, she developed a new MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mind-Body Interface, which she currently leads. This pioneering programme combines advanced theoretical knowledge with practical, real-world training, providing students with an in-depth understanding of the psychological and neuroscientific processes that underpin brain–mind interactions and their influence on physical health.
She has also served as Module Leader for Women’s Mental Health within the MSc in Mental Health Studies and contributes to teaching across the BSc in Nutrition, MSc in Affective Disorders and BSc in Biomedical Sciences, covering areas including nutrition, affective disorders, cell biology and neuroscience.
Her sustained commitment to teaching excellence and student support has been recognised through nominations for the King’s Education Award and the IoPPN Innovation in Postgraduate Education Award.
Expertise and Public Engagement
She has contributed to public engagement through interviews with major national media outlets, including The Sunday Times, The Guardian and The Independent, discussing her research on diet and mental health and the impact of COVID-19 on delirium. She has also appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Today and All in the Mind to discuss her work on inflammation, omega-3 treatment, hippocampal neurogenesis and depression. In addition, she contributes to the wider scientific community through her involvement in the organising committees of international conferences, including the International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology and the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society.
Newspaper articles and BBC Radio links
The Times: Why comfort food does not make you happy
The Guardian: Immune reactions to severe Covid may trigger brain problems, study finds
BBC All in the Mind: Sibling rivalry, Prisoner of war diaries, Inflammation and depression
BBC All in the Mind: Fish Oils for depression, Kindness, Comedy memory
BBC The Food Programme: Feeding Your Brain: A Users Guide