Maheen Faisal Siddiqui
Wellcome Trust Early Career Research Fellow
Research interests
My main research interest is in understanding how neurovascular and neurometabolic coupling mechanisms develop in infancy. During my PhD, I developed a novel methodology to integrate broadband near-infrared spectroscopy (bNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG), allowing simultaneous measurement of neural oscillatory activity, haemodynamic and metabolic changes in the infant brain. Following my PhD, I secured the Wellcome Trust ISSF fellowship followed by the ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship and developed a novel analysis technique to integrate the bNIRS and EEG signals.
In 2022, I was awarded the Wellcome Trust Early Career Award to further use this methodology of combining bNIRS and EEG with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to investigate atypical brain development.
Education
PhD Psychology
Birkbeck, University of London (Jointly with UCL Medical Physics and Bioengineering)
2014 - 2018
MSc Applied Mathematics
Imperial College London (Merit)
2012 – 2013
BSc Mathematics
Kings College London (1st class honours)
2009 – 2012
Research posts
July 2022 – Present Wellcome Trust Early Career Research Fellow
Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck
Nov 2020 – July 2022 ESRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck
Supervisor: Prof. Emily Jones
Jun 2020 – Nov 2020 Postdoctoral Research Assistant
Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck
Supervisor: Prof. Emily Jones
Nov 2018 – Jun 2020 Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund Postdoctoral Researcher
Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck
Supervisor: Prof. Mark Johnson, Prof. Clare Elwell
Publications
Siddiqui, M.F., Pinti, P., Brigadoi, S., Lloyd-Fox, S., Elwell, C.E., Johnson, M.H., Tachtsidis, I., Jones, E.J.H (2023) Using multi-modal neuroimaging to characterise social brain specialisation in infants eLife 12:e84122 https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.84122
Siddiqui, M.F. et al. (2022). Imaging Cerebral Energy Metabolism in Healthy Infants. In: Scholkmann, F., LaManna, J., Wolf, U. (eds) Oxygen Transport to Tissue XLIII. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1395. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14190-4_2
Siddiqui, M.F., Pinti, P., Lloyd-Fox, S. et al. Regional haemodynamic and metabolic coupling in infants Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (2022). https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2021.780076
Pinti, P., Siddiqui, M.F., Levy, A.D. et al. An analysis framework for the integration of broadband NIRS and EEG to assess neurovascular and neurometabolic coupling. Sci Rep 11, 3977 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83420-9
Siddiqui M.F., Lloyd-Fox S., Kaynezhad P., Tachtsidis I., Johnson M.H., Elwell C.E. (2018) Changes in Cytochrome-C-Oxidase Account for Changes in Attenuation of Near-Infrared Light in the Healthy Infant Brain. In: Thews O., LaManna J., Harrison D. (eds) Oxygen Transport to Tissue XL. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1072. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91287-5_2
Siddiqui, M.F., Wedemann, R., Jensen, H.J. Avalanches and generalized memory associativity in a network model for conscious and unconscious mental functioning. Physica A, 490 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2017.08.011
Siddiqui, M.F., Lloyd-Fox, S., Kaynezhad, P. et al. Non-invasive measurement of a metabolic marker of infant brain function. Sci Rep 7, 1330 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-01394-z
Siddiqui, M. F., Elwell, C., & Johnson, M. H. (2016). Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Autism-open access, 6(5), 1000190. https://doi.org/10.4172/2165-7890.1000190
Outreach and public engagement
Diversity in Developmental Science Network
Co-Founder
Co-founded the Diversity in Developmental Science Network to connect and support ethnic minority group researchers in the field of developmental science.
Happy Little Minds – Ask the scientist
Founder
A science communication initiative aimed at parents. I decode complex science about baby brain development in bite-size, easy to understand chunks to empower parents with a better understanding of their children’s brains. The information is disseminated through a podcast and in-person events for parents.
Happy Little Minds
Founder
A science communication initiative aimed at parents. I decode complex science about baby brain development in bite-size, easy to understand chunks to empower parents with a better understanding of their children’s brains.
(Following of approximately 1100 on Instagram)
The Early Childhood and Parenting Education of Pakistan
Team Member
A science communication initiative aiming to provide parents in Pakistan with a better understanding of their children.
(Following of approximately 12000 on Facebook)
Public engagement at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition
Involved in running an exhibition titled “Lighting the Brain after Birth”, practically demonstrating the use of broadband NIRS to the public.
(Attended by approximately 13000 people)
Featured in the BBC Documentary “The Wonderful World of Babies”
Featured in BBC Science Article “The Secret World of Babies”
Links
Email: m.siddiqui@bbk.ac.uk
Twitter: @maheensidd91
Instagram: @happy_littleminds, @happylittlemindspodcast