The Opioid System as the Interface between the Brain’s Cognitive and Motivational Systems

Shane O’Mara is Professor of Experimental Brain Research (Personal Chair) at Trinity College, Dublin - the University of Dublin. He is a Principal Investigator in, formerly Director of, the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, one of Europe’s leading research centres for neuroscience. He is also a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator and a Science Foundation Ireland Principal Investigator. His research explores the brain systems supporting learning, memory, and cognition, and also the brain systems affected by stress and depression. He also explores the intersection of psychology and neuroscience with public policy, evidence-based policy-making and related areas. He has published about 130 peer-reviewed papers on these topics. His books include 'Why Torture Doesn’t Work: The Neuroscience of Interrogation' (Harvard University Press; 2015); 'A Brain for Business – A Brain for Life' (Palgrave Macmillan) and 'In Praise of Walking' (Bodley Head, 2019). He is a graduate of the National University of Ireland - Galway (BA, MA), and of the University of Oxford (DPhil). He is an elected Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (USA), and an elected Member of the Royal Irish Academy.

Professor, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland