Catherine J. Harmer (born 23 April 1973 in Wombourne, UK) is a prominent academic figure in cognitive neuroscience and psychiatry, currently serving as academic research leader and professor of cognitive neuroscience at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford.[1] Her research focuses on psychopharmacology and emotion, exploring novel treatments for depression and elucidating brain mechanisms underlying mood disorders.
Catherine Harmer attended Samuel Ward Academy in Haverhill, England, pursuing her higher education at the University of York, where she completed her undergraduate degree in psychology. She continued her studies at the University of York, obtaining a Ph.D. in psychology.
Harmer's career in academia began at the Department of Psychiatry, Oxford, where she currently serves as the associate head. She is also a fellow of Corpus Christi College.[2] Harmer leads the Psychopharmacology and Emotion Research Lab (PERL), a multidisciplinary team comprising psychiatrists, psychologists, neuroscientists, and pharmacologists. PERL focuses on understanding the mechanisms of treatment in depression to enhance the development, personalization, and integration of pharmacological and psychological treatment approaches.
From 2016 to 2022, Harmer was the lead for Experimental Medicine at the Oxford Health NIHR Biomedical Research Centre. Since 2022, she has been leading the Depression Therapeutics theme at the same center.
Harmer has an H-index of 81, with 67 papers cited over 100 times, highlighting her significant impact on the field of cognitive neuroscience and psychopharmacology.[3]
Harmer served as the treasurer on the Executive Committee of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) from 2019 to 2022,[4] and as president of British Association for Psychopharmacology (2024-2026). Associate editor of Psychological Medicine (2018-), she also sits on the editorial boards of Biological Psychiatry, , and the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Harmer is married and the mother of three children.