Principal Supervisor: Dr Virginia Carter Leno, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College

Co-Supervisor: Professor Geoff Bird, Institute of Education, UCL

Project Description

Interoceptive accuracy – the ability to perceive internal bodily signals – has been linked to fundamental aspects of socio-emotional development that emerge early in childhood and are disrupted across a range of clinical conditions, and predict functional outcomes. However, most existing methods of assessing interoception are unsuitable for young children. The project will focus on developing and validating a new experimental task for younger populations. Said task will be combined with eye-tracking, physiological recording and potentially neuroimaging if useful. The PhD candidate will lead on developing experimental work to measure individual differences in interoceptive accuracy early in childhood, and testing how these differences are associated with key aspects of development and mental health.

You will join the project at its earliest stages, with ample opportunity to contribute to the design and direction of planned studies, and will work independently and in collaboration with other members of Dr Carter Leno’s group. You will also join a thriving research community at the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development at Birkbeck, and will be encouraged to take part in research networks within the department and at other institutions nearby. Being based at the Toddlerlab offers extensive opportunities for training in theory and innovative methods at an internationally recognised centre of developmental science. It is essential that candidates have a strong academic background in psychology, cognitive neuroscience or a related field (i.e., a strong Bachelor’s degree and/or a Distinction at postgraduate level) and experience conducting research with human volunteers. Experience with quantitative data analysis or experience with coding/programming is desirable, as is knowledge of the scientific literature around interoception. Experience with any particular experimental technique (e.g., physiological recording) is not an essential requirement, as these skills can be taught during the PhD.

Subject Areas/Keywords:

Developmental psychology, interoception, psychophysiology, eye-tracking, cognitive science

Key References

Bird, G., & Viding, E. (2014). The self to other model of empathy: Providing a new framework for understanding empathy impairments in psychopathy, autism, and alexithymia. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 47, 520-532.

Brewer, R., Murphy, J., & Bird, G. (2021). Atypical interoception as a common risk factor for psychopathology: A review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 130, 470-508.

Addabbo, M., & Milani, L. (2025). Measuring interoception from infancy to childhood: A scoping review.

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 173, 106161. Milosavljevic B., Carter Leno, V., Simonoff, E., Baird, G., Pickles, A., Jones, C., Erskine, C., Charman, T., Happé, F. (2015). Alexithymia in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Its Relationship to Internalising Difficulties, Sensory Modulation and Social Cognition. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(4), 1354–1367.

Further details about the project may be obtained from:

Principal Supervisor: Dr Virginia Carter Leno, v.carterleno@bbk.ac.uk

Co-Supervisor: Professor Geoff Bird, geoff.bird@ucl.ac.uk

Further information about PhDs at Birkbeck is available from:

https://www.bbk.ac.uk/prospective/research

How to Apply

Application forms and details about how to apply are available from:

https://www.bbk.ac.uk/student-services/admissions/phd-applications

Closing date for applications is:

6^th March 2026