Paul Fletcher

Professor Paul Fletcher is a Principal Investigator at the Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, and holds the Bernard Wolfe Health Neuroscience Fund. He is affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and collaborates with Professors Steve O’Rahilly, Sadaf Farooqi, Fiona Gribble, and Frank Reimann. His research bridges neuroscience and psychiatry to explore higher-level perceptual and learning processes shaping decision-making and behavior, particularly in relation to obesity and mental disorders.

• Academic Rank: Professor
• University: University of Cambridge
• School: Institute of Metabolic Science
• Department: Psychiatry

Fletcher employs functional neuroimaging, behavioral studies, and pharmacological perturbations (e.g., dopamine agonists/antagonists) to investigate reward-related brain processes and their role in food choice, obesity, and psychiatric conditions like psychosis. His work emphasizes the integration of the brain with metabolic/endocrine signals and external environments.

Key trends in his publications include predictive coding, delusions, neuroimaging, and virtual reality applications in mental health. Recent studies focus on anxiety, foraging behavior, schizophrenia, and health interventions.

Scientific Awards

• Bernard Wolfe Health Neuroscience Fund
• Wellcome Trust Senior Clinical Fellow

Fletcher’s research is funded by Wellcome and the Bernard Wolfe Fund, with collaborations spanning psychiatry, psychology, and clinical neuroscience. His work addresses mental health, obesity, and neurocognitive mechanisms of decision-making, supported by recent publications in top-tier journals.