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Dr. Arun Bokde

Associate Professor (Psychiatry)
Associate Professor (School Office - Medicine)
Associate Professor (Trinity Inst. of Neurosciences (TCIN))
LLOYD INSTITUTE
      
Profile Photo

Dr. Arun Bokde

Associate Professor (Psychiatry)
LLOYD INSTITUTE

 Arun.Bokde@tcd.ie

 3531896 4104

Associate Professor (School Office - Medicine)

Associate Professor (Trinity Inst. of Neurosciences (TCIN))


Arun Bokde is Associate Professor in Neuroimaging in the Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, at Trinity College Dublin. He leads the Cognitive Systems Group, is a principal investigator in the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN), and a member of the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI). His initial appointment at Trinity College Dublin was as SFI Stokes Lecturer in Biostatistical Imaging. Arun Bokde is the coordinator of the consortium NETHATE (https://nethate-itn.eu) funded by EU-H2020 Marie Sk"odowska-Curie Actions. The project he leads is to investigate the neural underpinnings of hate. He is a member of the multi-centre consortium Imaging in Genetics (IMAGEN), a study of high-risk behaviors and mental disorders in adolescence. In addition, he is a member in the Neonatal and Children"s Brain Consortium Ireland (https://nbci.ie), focused on research in the neonatal brain and neonatal brain injury. Before coming to Trinity College Dublin he was a Research Scientist at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany; and previously he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the National Institute on Aging and at the National Institute of Mental Health, both at the National Institutes of Health (USA). His first post-doctoral position was at Northwestern University (USA). He obtained his PhD degree at the University of Texas at Austin. He has published widely on the risk factors that lead to the development of mental health disorders in young and older populations.
  Age related diseases   Ageing, memory and other cognitive processes   Ageing, stroke, dementia   Alzheimer's disease   Biostatistical methods   Development, prevention and treatment of mental disease or disorder   Human Learning and Memory   Imaging Techniques   Imaging, image processing   Neurodegeneration   Neurogenetics   Neuropharmacology   Neuropsychology   Psychiatry   Vision
Project Title
 NETHATE: Network of Excellence of Training on HATE
From
1 September 2020
To
30 August 2024
Summary
The vision for the NETHATE (Network of Excellence of Training on HATE) ETN is to bring together an interdisciplinary team of world-leading European researchers to tackle a highly ambitious and relevant research project on the nature of hate. It will also examine the dynamics of its spread in both offline and online fora, mitigation and reconciliation strategies, and the impact on victims and bystanders. The research and training programme will deliver doctoral training of 15 ESRs and high-impact research outputs. The complementary research skills and training expertise within this inter-sectoral ETN will ensure that the ESRs trained will become Europe's next generation of researchers, teachers and practitioners in understanding the roots and impacts of hate, as well as mitigation strategies, which will support the development of a sustainable democratic culture across the EU.
Funding Agency
European Union
Programme
Horizon 2020- Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Project Type
Innovative Training Networks
Person Months
12
Project Title
 Development of an innovative method for diagnosis of Neonatal Encephalopathy
From
1 Oct 2022
To
30 Sept 2026
Summary
During development the brain builds a series of large scale critical neural networks in which neurons extend axons to target areas of the brain and through processes of growth and retraction these axons establish stereotypic patterns of connectivity. The development process of the brain is a plastic process where a complex interaction between genes and environment take place leading impacting the developmental pathways of the brain. Increasingly, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is being used to obtain information about the location and size of the lesion and their association with motor and language impairments. The proposed research project will seek to develop improved and more effective measurements tools to detect and quantify neonatal lesions in newborns with neonatal encephalopathy.
Funding Agency
China Scholarship Council & Trinity College Dublin
Project Title
 Effects of Brain Training in Older Healthy Subjects
From
May 2010
To
Dec 2011
Summary
Executive function (EF) is a neurocognitive umbrella term for skills such as planning, working memory, impulse control, inhibition, and mental flexibility. Normal aging is characterised by declines in EF. The proposed integrated executive function adaptive training task specifically trains multiple components of the brain's executive function system simultaneously.
Funding Agency
SFI, HEA
Project Title
 The application of magnetic resonance imaging to the study of memory processes in young and older healthy adults, and older adults with mild cognitive impairment.
From
June 2009
To
September 2011
Summary
In general emotional events are remembered better than non-emotional ones. Many neuroimaging studies have suggested that the encoding of emotionally arousing stimuli into declarative memory relies upon the activation of the amygdala and the hippocampus. Outlined in the seminal work of Osgood, Suci and Tannenbaum a half century ago (1957) were the basic parameters of emotion- hedonic valence and arousal. The authors conducted a factor analysis of the verbal descriptions individuals ascribe to objects, reducing them to three different dimensions, namely valence, arousal and dominance, and it is the latter two of the three that have since been consistently shown to differentiate emotional value. Valence refers to the pleasantness or unpleasantness of a stimulus- the appetitive or defensive motivation; while arousal generally refers to its excitability or the strength of the motivating factor- its potential to illicit a behavioural response. In this study the focus will be on which of the two factors, valence or arousal, contributes more greatly to the enhancement of memory by emotion, and whether they are supported by the same or different brain areas.
Funding Agency
HRB, SFI
Project Title
 Neuronal Coordination
From
Sept 2010
To
Aug 2015
Summary
Funding Agency
Goverment of State of Hesse, Germany
Project Type
Research

Page 1 of 2
Details Date
Associate Editor of peer-reviewed journal NeuroImage. I have managed the review peer review process of 131 manuscripts over the last 18 months. My 2 year appointment as Associate Editor has been renewed for an additional 2 years. 2024-present
Reviewer for scientific journals - range of journals in neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry, geriatrics, dementia, adolescent psychiatry, mood disorders, neurodevelopment and infant development. There are 348 verified peer reviews as per Web of Science records. since 2000
Dementia and Neurodegeneration Network Ireland (DNNI) Multidisciplinary Consensus Panel since 2017
I was a member of the External Evaluation Committee (EEC) for the evaluation /accreditation process organised by the Cyprus Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education for the MSc Cognitive Systems offered jointly by the University of Cyprus and Open University of Cyprus. October 2023
2015 Discover Science Night. 25-Sep-2015
2014 Discover Science Night. 26-Sep-2014
Co-Lead of Organizing Committee for workshop 'Neuroimaging in Dementia' May 2013
Co-Lead of Organizing Committee for workshop 'Application of neuroimaging in Alzheimer's disease' July 2013
Co-Lead of Organizing Committee for workshop 'Application of neuroimaging in Alzheimer's disease' September 2013
Co-Lead of Organizing Committee for workshop 'Introduction to theory and application of neuroimaging' September 2014
Co-Lead of Organizing Committee for workshop 'Neuroimaging - Theory and Practical Course' June 2015
Language Skill Reading Skill Writing Skill Speaking
English Fluent Fluent Fluent
German Medium Medium Medium
Spanish Fluent Medium Fluent
Details Date From Date To
Society of Neuroscience (USA) 1998
German Society for Neuroscience 2001
Organization of Human Brain Mapping 2002 2014
Neuroscience Ireland 2014
Vaidya Nilakshi, Zhang Zuo, Agunbiade Kofoworola, Keggin Georgina, Hedi Kebir, Winterer Jeanne, Bobou Marina, Broulidakis John, King Sinead, Robinson Lauren, Zhang Yuning, Barker Gareth J, Bokde Arun L, BrÃŒhl RÃŒdiger, Grigis Antoine, Lemaître Hervé, Lett Tristam, Nees Frauke, Papadopoulos Dimitri, Poustka Luise, Schmidt Ulrike, Sinclair Julia, Stringaris Argyris, Whelan Robert, Walter Henrik, DesriviÚres Sylvane, Schumann Gunter, Brain network-based stratification of mental health disorders: design and cohort description of the STRATIFY and ESTRA studies , Molecular psychiatry , 2026, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI  URL
Connaughton Michael, Mitchell Orla, Cullen Emer, O'Connor Michael, Banaschewski Tobias, Barker Gareth J, Bokde Arun L W, BrÃŒhl RÃŒdiger, DesriviÚres Sylvane, Flor Herta, Garavan Hugh, Gowland Penny, Grigis Antoine, Heinz Andreas, Lemaitre Herve, Martinot Jean-Luc, Martinot Marie-Laure PaillÚre, Artiges Eric, Nees Frauke, Orfanos Dimitri Papadopoulos, Poustka Luise, Smolka Michael N, Hohmann Sarah, Holz Nathalie, Vaidya Nilakshi, Walter Henrik, Schumann Gunter, Whelan Robert, Roddy Darren, Bullying victimization and brain development: a longitudinal structural magnetic resonance imaging study from adolescence to early adulthood , Translational psychiatry , 16 , (1 ), 2026, p256 -, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI  URL
Chen PJ, Lawrence AJ, Ma X, Pollard R, Matter M, Kretzer S, Harding S, Pariante CM, Mehta MA, Montana G, Banaschewski T, Bokde ALW, Desrivières S, Dazzan P, Life event trajectories and suicidal ideation throughout adolescence: a prospective cohort study from Germany, France, Ireland, and the UK., The lancet. Psychiatry, 2026, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Chang X, Jia T, Fu Z, Xiang S, Xia Y, Xie C, Zou J, Cao M, Zhang J, Banaschewski T, Bokde ALW, Desrivières S, Flor H, Grigis A, Garavan H, Gowland P, EnvironMENTAL Consortium, Neurocognitive characterization of behaviour and mental illness through time-varying brain network analysis., Nature communications, 2026, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Rosenthal A, Rothkirch M, Krasniqi S, Bode EL, Daedelow LS, Banaschewski T, Barker GJ, Bokde ALW, Brühl R, Desrivières S, Flor H, Garavan H, IMAGEN Consortium, The Sex-Dependent Relationship between Amygdala Activation and Depressive Symptoms with Problematic Drinking., Biological psychiatry, 2026, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Julia Ruiz-Fernandez, Aveline Aouidad, Marie-Laure Paillère-Martinot, Alice V. Chavanne, Tobias Banaschewski, Gareth J Barker, Andreas Becker, Arun L.W. Bokde, Rüdiger Brühl, Sylvane Desrivières, Herta Flor, Antoine Grigis, Yvonne Grimmer, Hugh Garavan, Penny Gowland, Andreas Heinz, Corinna Insensee, Frauke Nees, Dimitri Papadopoulos Orfanos, Tomáš Paus, Jani Penttilä, Luise Poutska, Nathalie Holz, Christian Beauchl, Michael N Smolka, Argyris Stringaris, Nilakshi Vaidya, Betteke van Noort, Henrik Walter, Robert Whelan, Gunter Schumann, David Cohen, Jean-Luc Martinot, Eric Artiges, Persistent structural alteration of the extended limbic system in adolescents with childhood maltreatment, European Psychiatry, 2026, p1-30 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Quinones JF, Banaschewski T, Bokde ALW, Desrivières S, Flor H, Garavan H, Gowland P, Grigis A, Heinz A, Lemaitre H, Martinot JL, Kühn S, Developing brains and changing worlds: Macroenvironmental changes and their association with brain development., Environmental research, 2026, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Sperandio G, Moliadze V, Attal N, Bouhassira D, Banaschewski T, Barker GJ, Bokde ALW, Desrivières S, Grigis A, Garavan H, Gowland P, Heinz A, Nees F, Impact of adverse life experiences on pain, depression, anxiety, and comorbidities: a youth longitudinal sample., Pain reports, 2026, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Xuefei Wang, Shitong Xiang, Jujiao Kang, Rongquan Zhai, Chen Zheng, Tobias Banaschewski, Arun L.W. Bokde, Rüdiger Brühl, Sylvane Desrivières, Herta Flor, Hugh Garavan, Penny Gowland, Antoine Grigis, Andreas Heinz, Jean-Luc Martinot, Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot, Eric Artiges, Frauke Nees, Dimitri Papadopoulos Orfanos, Tomáš Paus, Luise Poustka, Michael N. Smolka, Sarah Hohmann, Nathalie Holz, Nilakshi Vaidya, Henrik Walter, Robert Whelan, Gunter Schumann, Tianye Jia, Jianfeng Feng, The causal interplay between depression and alcohol use from adolescence to young adulthood: a Mendelian randomization study, Psychological Medicine, 56, 2026, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Simon McCarthy-Jones; Arun Bokde; Jan de Vries, Hate as Poison and Cure? Reassessing our Hatred of Hatred, Emotion Review, 2026, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
  

Page 1 of 34
Zou Mi, Bokde Arun, Neonatal sensory networks at birth predict cognitive, language, and motor outcomes at 18 months, 2026, -, Miscellaneous, PUBLISHED
Zou Mi, Bokde Arun, Neonatal Resting-State Functional Connectivity Predicts Socioemotional and Behavioral Outcomes at 18 Months, 2026, -, Miscellaneous, PUBLISHED

  


Award Date
Sigma Gamma Tau, Member 1987
The key direction of my research programme centres on understanding brain changes at two critical developmental phases: early life (neonates) and adolescence/puberty, and how alterations during these periods may contribute to mental health disorders. Neonatal Brain Development and Prediction With neonates, my work focuses on developing methods and models to predict cognition and behaviour at ages 2"3, applied to both healthy infants and clinical populations such as neonatal encephalopathy (NE). Current prediction of brain function in neonates remains limited, posing significant challenges for prognostic decisions and patient care. Improved prediction models would directly inform rehabilitation strategies and clinical management. In parallel, I investigate normal brain development"a critically understudied area, as the technological advances enabling neonatal brain imaging are only recent. This research is conducted in collaboration with clinical colleagues through the Neonatal and Children's Brain Consortium Ireland (https://nbci.ie/). Adolescent Brain Development and Stress The other key phase of interest is adolescence, where I examine both normal developmental trajectories and the effects of stress on the brain. I have studied cognitive development from adolescence through early adulthood, identifying brain systems associated with different cognitive domains. I am a member of the IMAGEN Consortium (https://www.imagen-project.org/), a longitudinal multi-centre European study on adolescent mental health, and serve as local co-PI for the Dublin site. Over approximately 15 years, I have managed and supervised three follow-up assessments of the original Dublin cohort. This study was the first of its kind globally, and over the past decade, similar initiatives have emerged in the USA, India, and China"underscoring its pioneering impact. Complex Negative Emotions: Hatred A recent development in my research programme is a focus on complex negative emotions, particularly hatred. I coordinated an H2020 Innovative Training Network (https://nethate-itn.eu), which funded 15 doctoral students, and I supervised 2 PhD students whose theses are now submitted. Together with a student, I developed and validated a dataset for use with neuroimaging, serving as a foundation for testing competing theories on the nature of hatred and informing broader theories of emotion. The next steps involve conducting neuroimaging experimental studies using this dataset and developing improved prevention methods in regards the development of hatred in adolescence and young adulthood. Open Science and Reproducibility Throughout my research, I prioritise the use of open access, large-scale datasets, particularly for the neonatal and adolescent studies. This approach facilitates investigation of complex questions, supports reproducible and replicable research, and shapes the training my students receive, embedding open science practices into the next generation of researchers. Research Evolution and Adaptability For context, my earlier research focused on ageing and Alzheimer's disease. Over the past ten years - since my appointment as Associate Professor - I have transitioned to the areas described above, demonstrating adaptability and a sustained commitment to acquiring new expertise in pursuit of key research questions. This evolution reflects strategic alignment with emerging priorities in neuroscience and mental health, while building an internationally collaborative, methodologically innovative, and student-focused research programme.