Inaugural Lecture of Professor Stephane De Brito

The Good, the Bad and the Antisocial Brain: A Developmental Journey

In this lecture Professor Stephane De Brito explores how developmental neuroscience is reshaping our understanding of conduct disorder and psychopathy. Challenging simplistic notions of “good” and “bad”, Stephane examines how childhood adversity, resilience, and brain development interact across childhood and adolescence to produce diverse behavioural outcomes. Drawing on neuroimaging research and international collaborations, the talk highlights the complexity of the antisocial brain and its implications for clinical practice and policy.

All are welcome to this event, and invited to celebrate with post-lecture refreshments in the Lapworth Museum.

Biography

Stephane De Brito completed his BSc in Psychology at the University of Geneva before moving to the UK to undertake an MPhil in Criminology at the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology. He then completed an MRC-funded PhD in Forensic Mental Health Sciences at the Institute of Psychiatry (King's College London), supervised by Professors Sheilagh Hodgins and Essi Viding. During this time, he conducted research on antisocial and violent behaviour in children and adults using neurocognitive and neuroimaging methods. He subsequently undertook postdoctoral research in the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences at University College London with Professor Eamon McCrory, examining the impact of childhood maltreatment on the brain. In 2012, he moved to the University of Birmingham as a Birmingham Fellow, where he established an independent research programme combining his interests in the development of severe antisocial behaviour and the impact of childhood maltreatment on the brain.

Stephane is co-director of the Centre for Human Brain Health and of the Birmingham Centre for Neurogenetics.