IN THE NEWS

We are happy to advise the Media on research projects and to disseminate our work

2025: Interviewed by Boots Health & Beauty magazine Spring 2025 issue about the role of Dopamine in Beauty and Self-care.

2025: Interviewed by Goodwood magazine, about the Sussex estate ‘Festival of Speed’ and the role of dopamine in fast driving.

2024: Interviewed by ITV Tonight programme about smartphones and adolescent brain development
https://www.itv.com/news/2024-10-17/nearly-every-12-year-old-owns-a-smartphone-how-is-it-affecting-their-brains

2024: Interviewed by ITV news regional about dopamine and attention and addiction to mobile phones

2024: Interviewed for article on WebMD about Hobbies How My New Golf Hobby Made Me Healthier in Unexpected Ways. Republished by My Droll, Today Headline and SwiftTelecast

2024: Condé Naste Traveller quotes Professor Ciara McCabe on physical hobbies improving your fitness and, in some cases, brain function.

2023: Prof McCabe quoted about University Professors backing the plant-based universities catering campaign, Reading Today (in print and online reports. https://rdg.today/university-of-reading-academics-back-plant-based-catering-campaign/

2023: LBC News spoke to Professor McCabe on the relationship between young people’s mental health and climate change.

2023: Reading Today and Wokingham Today report on a campaign requesting the University of Reading to implement plant-based catering. Professor Ciara McCabe is quoted.

2023: The Goa Spotlight quotes Professor McCabe originally from The Conversation, regarding anhedonia – the absence of enjoyment.

2023: Inverse republish an article by Professor Ciara McCabe (Pyschology), for The Conversation, on how depression is often a loss of pleasure.

2023: According to Professor Ciara McCabe anhedonia affects up to 75 per cent of individuals with depression, The Express reports. Also reported by Independent Eagle, Sound Health and Lasting Wealth, Knowledia, Business Telegraph, Times of Bristol and Bangalore Mirror, ForeignAffairs and Big News Network, BBC Wales and Nottinghamshire Live.

2023: Professor Ciara McCabe writes for The Conversation (Republished by SA People News and The Irish News ) on how depression isn’t just sadness, but often a loss of pleasure.

2022: Prof McCabe talks to Fortune Magazine about Hobbies and Mental Health
https://fortune.com/well/2022/10/16/hobby-to-boost-your-brain-health-and-self-esteem/

2022: Prof McCabe talks to BBC Radio Berkshire about her teams collab with the University of Reading Outreach team on Widening Participation and increasing university access for under-represented students. She also discussed adolescent mental health and depression symptoms such as anhedonia.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_berkshire

2022: Prof McCabe acted as a consultant for Vice Media Group LLC an American-Canadian digital media and broadcasting company.

2022: Prof McCabe is interviewed by the Telegraph on brain chemistry and mood https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/mind/happy-hormone-has-become-modern-drug-choice/

2022: Prof McCabe is interviewed for The Guardian about dopamine https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/mar/10/watch-strictly-eat-sauerkraut-win-at-monopoly-expert-tips-for-hacking-your-happy-hormones

2022: Prof McCabe speaks to The Guardian about mental health and finding time for yourself https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/mar/05/how-just-20-minutes-a-day-to-yourself-could-transform-your-life

2021: ITV Tonight programme Dr McCabe discusses Sugar and its effects on the human brains Reward System https://www.itv.com/hub/tonight/1a2803a9311

2021: BBC Radio Berkshire Interview on Hobbies and Mental Health during Lock Down https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p09621wn

2021: Radio Sputnik Scotland Interview on Hobbies and Mental Health during Lock Down https://soundcloud.com/radiosputnik/hobbies-help-improve-our-mental-health-and-may-ease-mild-forms-of-depression-doctor-says

2021: The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/health_and_wellbeing/why-hobbies-help-mental-health-b1801563.html

2021: Best Health Magazine, Canada: https://www.besthealthmag.ca/article/great-hobbies/

2021: The Conversation piece on Hobbies and Mental Health in lockdown https://theconversation.com/the-science-behind-why-hobbies-can-improve-our-mental-health-153828

2021: The Telegraph, interview on Dopamine and Reward https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/kickstart-happiness-hormones-beat-lockdown-blues/

2020: GQ Magazine, UK: Article about my Conversation piece on Dopamine Fasting, June in print.

2020: Vogue Magazine, Vogue Australia: Interviewed about Dopamine Fasting, by Award Winning Science Journalist Fiona McDonald CEO of @ScienceAlert, 85.8K followers. Vogue Australia has ~1.5M readers per issue (print and social media) and ~1.5M facebook followers.

https://www.vogue.com.au/beauty/wellbeing/what-is-dopamine-fasting/news-story/d00e8fb2523f53c90b21f8aac55ea209

2020: Dr McCabe interviewed on reward and dopamine for a new health related book by award winning Journalist Maria Borelius

2020: New UROP research placement available in our lab see here: reading.ac.uk/internal/urop2020/archive/2020/detail.aspx?id=3132

2020: Dr Anna-Lena Frey our recent PhD graduate project manages new trials in Alzheimer's Research UK, discussed here by David Cameron
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/02/11/big-data-can-help-us-find-cure-alzheimers/

2020:    Magazine, Marie Clare: Interviewed on Dopamine Fasting, Jan by Journalist Clare Thorp https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/life/health-fitness/dopamine-fasting-680083 Marie Clare magazine publishes editions in more than 35 countries on five continents and ~157K readers per issue.

2019:    The Conversation: “Dopamine fasting: an expert reviews the latest craze in Silicon Valley” https://theconversation.com/dopamine-fasting-an-expert-reviews-the-latest-craze-in-silicon-valley-127646 published Nov 2019, ~136K readers.

2017:    Radio, BBC Berkshire: Discussed Depression, Reward and Antidepressants. ~95K listeners.

2015:    TV, BBC1: “The Truth about Sugar”, Ran an fMRI experiment with TV presenter Fiona Phillips and discussed the brains response to reward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4LODsLHiNI initially ~4.5M viewers, and has been repeated many times and globally e.g. Australia.

2015:    Radio, BBC Berkshire: Interviewed about Depression and the Neurobiology of Reward by presenter Anne Diamond, ~ 95K listeners.

2015:    Magazine, Kerrang: “The Brain and Music as Reward” Interviewed at Reading Festival. ~446K readers per issue.

2015:    Radio, BBC Berkshire: Interviewed by Phil Kennedy on Food Craving and the Brain. ~95K listeners.

2014:    TV, BBC1: Inside Out, ran an fMRI experiment with presenter Jon Cuthill and discussed the brains reward response. ~3.3M viewers.

2014:    Newspaper, The Reading Post: Article written about our work in Eating Disorders.

2014:    TV, Channel 4, Dispatches: “Are you addicted to sugar?” Discussed our work with presenter Antony Barnett on chocolate reward and the brain https://www.tigeraspect.co.uk/series/factual-features/dispatches-addicted-sugar ~2.5M viewers, also repeated.

2013:    TV, BBC1, “Britons Favourite Supermarket Foods”, Ran a reward experiment with presenter Cherry Healey and discussed brains response to chocolate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlnuceFNaBs ~4.7M viewers, also regularly repeated.

2013:    Radio, BBC Berkshire: Discussed our work and new study on Eating disorders and the Reward system with Tony Blackburn. ~122K listeners.

2010:    Newspaper, The Observer: “Why are Britons so sweet on chocolate?” article written about our work on chocolate reward https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/apr/04/britain-chocolate-jay-rayner ~160K readers an issue.

2007:    Newspaper, The Telegraph: “Chocoholics like drug addicts, say scientists” article written about our work on chocolate reward https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1561486/Chocoholics-like-drug-addicts-say-scientists.html

2007:    Newspaper, The Guardian: “Brain scans pinpoint how chocoholics are hooked” article written about our work on chocolate reward https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/aug/28/lifeandhealth.foodanddrink. ~1.02M readers an issue.

2006:    Newspaper, The Seattle Times, USA: “Chocolate: Love at first bite — or sight” https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/chocolate-love-at-first-bite-8212-or-sight based on McCabe Biological Psychiatry poster on the Brain and Reward.

2006:    Newspaper, The St Louis Post, USA: “Some people have chocolate on the brain” based on our Biological Psychiatry poster on the Brain and Reward.

2006:    TV, NBC News, USA: “A chocolate heaven for anyone who's a fan!” https://www.today.com/food/chocolate-heaven-anyone-whos-fan-wbna15620540