Dr Stephane De Brito BSc, MPhil, PhD

Contact details

Telephone: +44 (0)121 414 2641
Email: s.a.debrito@bham.ac.uk

Address: University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr De Brito is a psychologist and director of the Social, Cognitive, Affective, and Neuroscience (SCAN) lab. Research in the SCAN lab focuses on understanding the mechanistic interplay between the social, cognitive, affective, and neurocognitive factors implicated in the development and persistence of antisocial and aggressive behaviour. A second strand of research examines those aspects among youths who have experienced early adversity.

SCAN Lab: www.bhamscanlab.wordpress.com

Staff details
Media information

Qualifications

BSc. (Hons) Psychology, University of Geneva (1999-2003)

M.Phil. Criminology, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge (2003-2004)

Ph.D. Forensic Mental Health Science, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London (2005-2009)

Postgraduate supervision

Dr De Brito’s research uses behavioural, neurocognitive and structural/functional magnetic resonance brain imaging techniques to better understand the characteristics of different subgroups of children and adults displaying severe antisocial behaviour and psychopathic traits. A second strand of his research interests is to better understand patterns of resilience and vulnerability in children and adults who have experienced early adversity. The goals are to clarify why some individuals who have experienced early adversity show resilience while others do not, whether individuals who have experienced early adversity process emotions differently, and whether structural and functional neural markers of resilience can be identified.

Dr De Brito considers PhD applications on a rolling basis. Students interested in working on topics related to his research and with a strong academic track record should email him in the first instance.

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Raschle, NM, Fehlbaum, LV, Menks, WM, Martinelli, A, Prätzlich, M, Bernhard, A, Ackermann, K, Freitag, CM, De Brito, S, Fairchild, G & Stadler, C 2019, 'Atypical dorsolateral prefrontal activity in females with conduct disorder during effortful emotion regulation', Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.

Rogers, JC, Gonzalez-Madruga, K, Kohls, G, Baker, RH, Clanton, RL, Pauli, R, Birch, P, Chowdhury, AI, Kirchner, M, Andersson, JLR, Smaragdi, A, Puzzo, I, Baumann, S, Raschle, NM, Fehlbaum, LV, Menks, WM, Steppan, M, Stadler, C, Konrad, K, Freitag, CM, Fairchild, G & De Brito, SA 2019, 'White matter microstructure in youths with conduct disorder: effects of sex and variation in callous traits', Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2019.02.019

Kohls, G, Baumann, S, Gundlach, M, Scharke, W, Bernhard, A, Martinelli, A, Ackermann, K, Kersten, L, Prätzlich, M, Oldenhof, H, Jansen, L, van den Boogaard, L, Smaragdi, A, Gonzalez-Madruga, K, Cornwell, H, Rogers, J, Pauli, R, Clanton, R, Baker, R, Bigorra, A, Kerexeta-Lizeaga, I, Sesma-Pardo, E, Aguirregomoscorta-Menéndez, F, Siklósi, R, Dochnal, R, Kalogerakis, Z, Pirlympou, M, Papadakos, L, Dikeos, D, Hervas, A, Herpertz-Dahlmann, B, Fernández-Rivas, A, Popma, A, Stadler, C, De Brito, S, Blair, JR, Freitag, CM, Fairchild, G & Konrad, K 2019, 'Investigating sex differences in emotion recognition, learning, and regulation among youths with conduct disorder', Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2019.04.003

Ackermann, K, Kirchner, M, Bernhard, A, Martinelli, A, Anomitri, C, Baker, R, Baumann, S, Dochnal, R, Fernandez-Rivas, A, Gonzalez-Madruga, K, Herpertz-Dahlmann, B, Hervas, A, Jansen, L, Kapornai, K, Kersten, L, Kohls, G, Limprecht, R, Lazaratou, H, McLaughlin, A, Oldenhof, H, Rogers, JC, Siklósi, R, Smaragdi, A, Vivanco-Gonzalez, E, Stadler, C, Fairchild, G, Popma, A, De Brito, SA, Konrad, K & Freitag, CM 2019, 'Relational aggression in adolescents with conduct disorder: sex differences and behavioral correlates', Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-019-00541-6

Gonzalez-Madruga, K, Rogers, J, Toschi, N, Smaragdi, A, Puzzo, I, Clanton, R, Anderson, J, Baumann, S, Kohls, G, Raschle, NM, Fehlbaum, LV, Menks, WM, Stadler, C, Konrad, K, Freitag, CM, De Brito, S, Sonuga-Barke, E & Fairchild, G 2019, 'White matter microstructure of the extended limbic system in male and female youth with conduct disorder', Psychological Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291718003951

Oldenhof, H, Prätzlich, M, Ackermann, K, Baker, R, Batchelor, M, Baumann, S, Bernhard, A, Clanton, R, Dikeos, D, Dochnal, R, Fehlbaum, LV, Fernández-Rivas, A, de Geus, E, Gonzalez, K, de Artaza-Lavesa, MG, Guijarro, S, Gundlach, M, Herpertz-Dahlmann, B, Hervas, A, Jansen, L, Kersten, L, Kohls, G, Konsta, A, Lazaratou, H, Kerexeta-Lizeaga, I, Martinelli, A, van Nimwegen, T, Puzzo, I, Raschle, NM, Rogers, J, Siklósi, R, Smaragdi, A, Steppan, M, De Brito, S, Fairchild, G, Kieser, M, Konrad, K, Freitag, C, Stadler, C & Popma, A 2018, 'Baseline autonomic nervous system activity in female children and adolescents with conduct disorder: Psychophysiological findings from the FemNAT-CD study', Journal of Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2018.05.011

Prätzlich, M, Oldenhof, H, Steppan, M, Ackermann, K, Baker, R, Batchelor, M, Baumann, S, Bernhard, A, Clanton, R, Dikeos, D, Dochnal, R, Fehlbaum, LV, Fernández-Rivas, A, González de Artaza-Lavesa, M, Gonzalez-Madruga, K, Guijarro, S, Gundlach, M, Herpertz-Dahlmann, B, Hervas, A, Jansen, L, Kerexeta-Lizeaga, I, Kersten, L, Kirchner, M, Kohls, G, Konsta, A, Lazaratou, H, Martinelli, A, Menks, WM, Puzzo, I, Raschle, NM, Rogers, J, Siklósi, R, Smaragdi, A, Vriends, N, Konrad, K, De Brito, S, Fairchild, G, Kieser, M, Freitag, CM, Popma, A & Stadler, C 2018, 'Resting autonomic nervous system activity is unrelated to antisocial behaviour dimensions in adolescents: Cross-sectional findings from a European multi-centre study', Journal of Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2018.01.004

Raschle, NM, Menks, WM, Fehlbaum, LV, Steppan, M, Smaragdi, A, Gonzalez-Madruga, K, Rogers, J, Clanton, R, Kohls, G, Martinelli, A, Bernhard, A, Konrad, K, Herpertz-Dahlmann, B, Freitag, CM, Fairchild, G, De Brito, SA & Stadler, C 2018, 'Callous-unemotional traits and brain structure: Sex-specific effects in anterior insula of typically-developing youths', NeuroImage: Clinical, vol. 17, pp. 856-864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2017.12.015

Kersten, L, Vriends, N, Steppan, M, Raschle, NM, Praetzlich, M, Oldenhof, H, Vermeiren, R, Jansen, L, Ackermann, K, Bernhard, A, Martinelli, A, Gonzalez-Madruga, K, Puzzo, I, Wells, A, Rogers, JC, Clanton, R, Baker, RH, Grisley, L, Baumann, S, Gundlach, M, Kohls, G, Gonzalez-Torres, MA, Sesma-Pardo, E, Dochnal, R, Lazaratou, H, Kalogerakis, Z, Bigorra Gualba, A, Smaragdi, A, Siklósi, R, Dikeos, D, Hervás, A, Fernández-Rivas, A, De Brito, SA, Konrad, K, Herpertz-Dahlmann, B, Fairchild, G, Freitag, CM, Popma, A, Kieser, M & Stadler, C 2017, 'Community Violence Exposure and Conduct Problems in Children and Adolescents with Conduct Disorder and Healthy Controls', Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, vol. 11, 219. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00219

Smaragdi, A, Clanton, R, Baker, R, Rogers, J & De Brito, S 2017, 'Sex Differences in the Relationship Between Conduct Disorder and Cortical Structure in Adolescents', Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 56, no. 8, pp. 703-712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2017.05.015

Sebastian, CL, McCrory, EJ, De Brito, SA & Viding, E 2017, 'Modulation of amygdala response to task-irrelevant emotion', Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 643-650. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw174

Chapter

Hodgins, S, Checknita, D, Lindner, P, Schiffer, B & De Brito, SA 2018, Antisocial personality disorder. in AR Beech, AJ Carter, RE Mann & P Rotshtein (eds), The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of Forensic Neuroscience. vol. 1-2, Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 229-271. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118650868.ch10

De Brito, SA & Mitchell, IJ 2018, The neurobiological underpinnings of psychopathy. in The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of Forensic Neuroscience. vol. 1-2, Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 189-228. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118650868.ch9

Review article

Fairchild, G, Hawes, D, Frick, P, Copeland, W, Odgers, C, Franke, B, Freitag, C & De Brito, S 2019, 'Conduct disorder', Nature Reviews Disease Primers, vol. 5, 43 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-019-0095-y

Freitag, CM, Konrad, K, Stadler, C, De Brito, SA, Popma, A, Herpertz, SC, Herpertz-Dahlmann, B, Neumann, I, Kieser, M, Chiocchetti, AG, Schwenck, C & Fairchild, G 2018, 'Conduct disorder in adolescent females: current state of research and study design of the FemNAT-CD consortium', European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 27, no. 9, pp. 1077-1093. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-018-1172-6

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

Violence and severe antisocial behaviour in children (e.g., conduct disorder, callous-unemotional traits/psychopathic tendencies) and adults (e.g., antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy) using cognitive neuroscience methods (e.g., brain imaging and neurocognitive assessments).

Impact of childhood maltreatment on brain structure and functioning; individual and environmental factors contributing to resilience.