Hugo Critchley

Hugo Critchley is a Professor and Chair in Psychiatry (Honorary Consultant) at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), University of Sussex. He is co-director of the Sackler/Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science and was inaugural head of the BSMS Department of Neuroscience from 2016 to 2022. His work bridges clinical psychiatry, cognitive neuroscience, autonomic physiology, and neuroimaging.

• BSc (Hons) in Physiology, University of Liverpool (1987)
• MBChB, University of Liverpool (1990)
• DPhil in Psychological Studies, University of Oxford (1996)
• MRCPsych, Royal College of Psychiatrists (1997)
• CCST, General Medical Council (2003)
• FRCPsych, Royal College of Psychiatrists (2012)

Hugo’s research focuses on brain-body interactions, particularly interoception, autonomic control, and emotional regulation in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions. His work integrates neuroimaging, physiological monitoring, and patient studies to understand disorders such as autism, anxiety, schizophrenia, and fibromyalgia. He has pioneered research on the neural basis of self-awareness and bodily signals in mental health.

The most recent articles reflect a strong trend in interoceptive neuroscience, exploring how bodily signals influence emotion, agency, empathy, and self-perception. Topics include cardiac awareness in exercise, vagus nerve stimulation and body ownership, breathing interventions for anxiety, and neural links between joint hypermobility and anxiety. These studies employ advanced neuroimaging, psychophysiology, and experimental psychology to uncover mechanisms in both clinical and healthy populations.

• Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow in Clinical Science (2004)
• Advanced Grant, European Research Council (2013)

Hugo has led numerous research grants from major funders including the Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council (MRC), European Research Council, Leverhulme Trust, and MQ: Transforming Mental Health. His projects include EM-BODY, HeartRater, ADIE, and studies on fibromyalgia and PoTS. He supervises research students and collaborates widely across neuroscience and psychiatry. His clinical work includes being an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, where he co-founded the Neurodevelopmental Service for adults with autism, ADHD, and Tourette Syndrome.

He is affiliated with the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, a leading interdisciplinary hub applying neural models of consciousness to clinical disorders. His lab integrates cognitive neuroscience, psychophysiology, and clinical psychiatry to translate findings into therapeutic innovations.