Professor Matthew Garner

Research groups

Research interests

• Neuropsychological mechanisms and treatment targets in anxiety disorders. 
• Psychopharmacology/experimental medicine (acute pharmacological challenge).
• Psychophysiology (e.g. interoception, autonomic markers of emotion processing),
• Cognitive neuroscience (event related brain potentials, functional imaging)
• Current research uses these methods to evaluate integrated neurocognitive models of anxiety with particular reference to i) developing translational experimental models of anxiety for the evaluation of novel pharmacological and psychological treatments (e.g. CO2 challenge), ii) characterizing cognitive bias/dysfunction in anxiety; iii) fear-potentiated startle (eye-blink) and autonomic arousal; iv) application of signal detection theory to clarify biases in emotional face processing above and below conscious awareness; v) pharmacological (e.g. serotonergic/noradrenergic/alcohol) modulation of cognition and emotion processing; vi) effects of third-wave CBT interventions (e.g. mindfulness) on cognition and emotion processing; vii) computerised cognitive bias modification interventions for mood and anxiety disorders; viii) clarifying neuropsychological mechanisms that promote comorbid sleep disturbance, alcohol use, depression and pain in anxiety. This research is conducted in clinical, sub-clinical/at-risk and healthy populations.

Current research

Neuropsychological mechanisms in mood and anxiety disorders.

Experimental medicine models of anxiety e.g. social stress, pharmacological challenge (CO₂ inhalation).

Interoception and emotion processing/regulation.

Worry and intolerance of uncertainty. 

Neurostimulation (transcranial direct current stimulation).

Placebo/nocebo in mental health research. 

Research projects