Rate My Professor Renate Thienel

Dr. Renate Thienel serves as a Research Associate and Casual Clinical Trials Psychologist in the Systems Neuroscience Group within the School of Science at the University of Newcastle, Australia, part of the College of Engineering, Science and Environment. She earned her PhD in Science from the University of Bochum, Germany, and a Diploma in Psychology from the University of Dusseldorf, Germany. Additionally, she holds a Master in Clinical and Professional Psychology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology. Her academic career at the University of Newcastle includes a prestigious four-year postdoctoral fellowship in the Faculty of Health and Medicine from 2009 to 2013, followed by a fellowship in the Faculty of Science and IT from 2013 to 2015. Earlier roles encompass Research Officer at the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health, Australia, from 2007 to 2009. Presently, she is also the Research Manager for Michael Breakspear's Systems Neuroscience Group at the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) Imaging Centre since November 2019 and a Clinical Psychologist Registrar in Community Mental Health since 2025.

Renate Thienel's research focuses on cognitive neuroscience, with particular emphasis on neuroimaging, neuropsychology, mental health, and schizophrenia. Her investigations involve clinical and non-clinical participants, utilizing advanced techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalography (EEG), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), pharmacological interventions, self-report surveys, and cognitive assessments. Notable publications include "The Relationship Between Napping and Memory Varies as a Function of Genetic Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease" in Sleep Medicine (2026), "Quantifying facial affect changes in psychotic disorders with machine learning" in Psychiatry Research (2025), "Illness Severity in Psychotic Disorders Amplifies Anterior Insula’s Sensitivity to Unreciprocated Smiles" in Computational Psychiatry (2025), "The interplay of age, gender and amyloid on brain and cognition in mid-life and older adults" in Scientific Reports (2024), "Pre-attentive and Attentive Auditory Event-related Potentials in Children With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism" in Clinical EEG and Neuroscience (2024), and "Theta frontoparietal connectivity associated with proactive and reactive cognitive control processes" in NeuroImage (2015). Her contributions have garnered over 1,300 citations, influencing advancements in understanding brain health, cognitive processes, and psychiatric disorders.