Dr Maheen Siddiqui — Birkbeck, University of London

Overview

Biography

Dr Maheen Siddiqui is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences at Birkbeck. Her research focuses on developing new brain imaging techniques to understand early typical and atypical brain development. Maheen is particularly interested in understanding how brain energy metabolism shapes brain development and subsequent functional specialisation.

Maheen completed her PhD in Psychology at Birkbeck in 2018, on the BBSRC-funded LIDo Doctoral Training Programme. She was subsequently awarded the ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship, followed by the Wellcome Early Career Award.

Highlights

Highlight: Wellcome Early Career Award
I am currently funded by a Wellcome Early Career Award, supporting my research on how brain energy use shapes early social and sensory development. This interdisciplinary project uses advanced neuroimaging methods—including broadband NIRS, EEG, and MRS—to explore how differences in brain metabolism contribute to developmental outcomes. The award also supports training, collaboration, and engagement activities that aim to make developmental neuroscience more inclusive and impactful.
Highlight: IFRC Funding for the Diversity in Developmental Science Network
We’re proud to have received funding from the Wellcome Trust-Birkbeck Institutional Funding for Research Culture (IFRC) to support the work of the Diversity in Developmental Science Network. This funding will enable us to expand our activities, including hosting community-led events, developing inclusive research resources, and building stronger support networks for underrepresented researchers. It's an exciting step forward in our mission to make developmental science more equitable and representative.
Highlight: Margaret Donaldson Award by the BPS
I was honoured to receive the Margaret Donaldson Award from the British Psychological Society, which recognises outstanding early-career contributions to developmental psychology. This award highlights my commitment to advancing our understanding of early brain development

Qualifications

PhD Psychology, Birkbeck, 2018
MSc Applied Mathematics, Imperial College London, 2013
BSc Mathematics , King's College London, 2012

Web profiles

CBCD website

Honours and awards

Early Career Award, Wellcome Trust , May 2022
Margaret Donaldson Award, British Psychological Society, May 2024
Postdoctoral Fellowship , Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), May 2021
Britton Chance Award , International Society for Oxygen Transport to Tissue, May 2021
Research Excellence Award, Society for Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (SfNIRS), May 2021
Duane Bruley Award , International Society for Oxygen Transport to Tissue, May 2017

ORCID

0000-0003-2037-6964

Research

Research interests

Neuroimaging methods
Multimodal neuroimaging
Cognitive development
Brain metabolism

Research overview

My research focuses on understanding how the developing brain supports early social and sensory experiences, with a particular interest in how brain energy use shapes developmental pathways. I use a multi-modal neuroimaging approach—combining broadband near-infrared spectroscopy (bNIRS), EEG, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)—to study infant brain function. I’m especially interested in identifying early neurobiological differences that may contribute to autism. I am also committed to making developmental psychology more inclusive by ensuring diverse participation and community engagement.

Research Centres and Institutes

Research Fellow, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development
Visting researcher, Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, UCL

Research projects

Imaging the metabolic basis of atypical brain development.

Funded by

Institutional Funding for Research Culture (IFRC) Main

Funded by

Using broadband near-infrared spectroscopy to measure the functioning of the social brain in infancy

Funded by

Institutional Strategic Support Fund, ISSF (1)

Funded by

Institutional Strategic Support Fund, ISSF (2)

Funded by

Supervision and teaching

Supervision

I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students who are interested in undertaking research in any of my areas of research interes

Publications

Article

Siddiqui, Maheen F. and Pinti, Paola and Brigadoi, S. and Lloyd-Fox, Sarah and Elwell, Clare and Johnson, Mark H. and Tachtsidis, I. and Jones, Emily J.H. (2023) Using multi-modal neuroimaging to characterise social brain specialisation in infants. eLife 12 (e84122), ISSN 2050-084X.
Pinti, Paola and Siddiqui, Maheen and Jones, Emily J.H. and Tachtsidis, I. and Levy, A.D. (2021) An analysis framework for the integration of broadband NIRS and EEG to assess neurovascular and neurometabolic coupling. Scientific Reports 11 (3977), ISSN 2045-2322.

Business and community

Outreach

I am the founder of the Diversity in Developmental Science Network, an initiative aimed at increasing equity, inclusion, and representation in developmental science. Our goals are to amplify underrepresented voices, foster inclusive research practices, and build a supportive community for researchers from diverse backgrounds. We host events and share resources, funded by the Wellcome Trust-Birkbeck Institutional Funding for Research Culture. Learn more at: https://sites.google.com/view/diversityindevsci

Happy Little Minds is an Instagram-based initiative I created to share research on early brain and child development in a simple, accessible way for parents. It aims to bridge the gap between science and everyday parenting by translating evidence-based findings into clear, relatable posts. Happy Little Minds: Ask the Scientist was a Wellcome Trust–Birkbeck ISSF-funded project that expanded this mission through a podcast series for parents and roundtable events designed to connect families directly with researchers, fostering open dialogue and mutual learning.