Academic CV
Education
University College London
BSc Psychology 1993-1996
King's College London
MSc Neuroscience 1996-1997
King's College London
PhD Psychology 1997-2001
University College London
D. Clin. Psych 2007-2010
Tamara completed her BSc in Psychology at University College London in 1996. Her thesis topic was an exploration of theory of mind in psychosis.
Following this, she obtained a Masters in Neuroscience from Kings College London (1997). Her thesis topic explored theory of mind in psychosis using funcational magnetic resonance imaging.
This was followed by a PhD in the Psychology Department at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London (completed in 2001). Her work looked at the precursors of the theory of mind deficits seen in psychosis including the perception of intention, reflexive orienting, visual attention difficulties and shared attention mechanisms.
After a number of postdoctoral academic positions, including a Goldsmith Fellowship, Royal Society Travel Scholarship and a Schizophrenia Research Institute grant, Tamara began her Clinical Psychology Training at University College London (completing the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2009). Her post doctoral and clinical thesis work explored the remediation of visual scan path (attentional) deficits to social cognitive stimuli in psychosis.
Academic and Teaching
Tamara continues with her academic and teaching work via honorary contracts with a number of organizations.
King's College London - Visiting Lecturer, Neuroimaging Department, The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience - Tamara provides teaching on the topic of mindfulness to graduate students and trainee psychiatrists on the Maudsley MRCPsych rotation.
Alef Trust - Tutor and Lecturer -Tamara is a Tutor on the Learning through Integral Practice and Lectures on Meditation and Mindfulness for the Masters in Transpersonal Psychology and Consciousness Studies.
ORCID
Books
Russell, T.A (2015) Mindfulness in Motion. Watkins, London, UK
Russell TA (2017) #whatismindfulness. Watkins. London
Russell TA & Lhullier, R. (2020) What Colour is Your Dragon (Portuguese and English).
Edited Books
Senior, C., Russell, T.A., & Gazzaniga, M. (2006) Methods in Mind, MIT Press.
Fu, C., Senior, C., Russell, T.A., Weinberger, D. & Murray, R. (2003) Neuroimaging in Psychiatry. Dunitz Publishers.
Fleetham, M (with contributions by TA Russell) (2003) How to Create and Develop a Thinking Classroom McGraw-Hill.
Book Chapters
Russell, TA. & Tatton-Ramos, T. (2015) The Compassionate Brain and Mind in Towards the Compassionate School. Institute of Education Press.
Russell, TA. & Green, MJ (2009) Social cognition in psychiatric disorders. In The Handbook of Neuropsychology of Mental Illness Eds S Wood, N Allen & C Pantelis. Cambridge University Press.
Russell, T.A. Sharma, T.S. (2003) Social cognition at the neural level: investigations in autism, schizophrenia and psychopathy. In The Social Brain: Evolution and Pathology, Eds M. Brüne, H. Ribbert, & Schiefenhövel, W. John Wiley & Sons, London.
Russell, T.A., Zelaya F., Bressan, RA & Bandebni, PA (2003) Functional Neuroimaging: An introduction to the technology, methodology, interpretation, and applications. In Neuroimaging in Psychiatry. Fu, C., Senior, C., Russell, TA., Weinberger, D. & Murray, R (Eds).
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
, , , & (2022). A preliminary neuroimaging investigation of the effects of mindfulness training on attention reorienting and amygdala reactivity to emotional faces in adolescent and adult females. Journal of Adolescence, 1– 9.
, , , , , , & (2022). Mechanisms of improvement in generalized anxiety disorder: A mediation and moderated mediation analysis from a randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 00, 1– 10.
Chiodelli R, Jesus SN, Mello LTN, Andretta I, Oliveira DF, Costa MES, Russell T. (2022) Effects of the Interculturality and Mindfulness Program (PIM) on University Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study. Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ. 12(10):1500-1515.
Ken Tanaka G, Russell TA, Bittencourt J, Marinho V, Teixeira S, Hugo Bastos V, Gongora M, Ramim M, Budde H, Aprigio D, Fernando Basile L, Cagy M, Ribeiro P, Gupta DS, Velasques B. (2022) Open monitoring meditation alters the EEG gamma coherence in experts meditators: The expert practice exhibit greater right intra-hemispheric functional coupling. Conscious Cogn; 102:103354.
Chiodelli, R., Mello, L.T., Jesus, S.N., Beneton, E.R., Russell, T., & Andretta, I. (2020). Mindfulness-based interventions in undergraduate students: a systematic review. Journal of American College Health, 70, 791 - 800.
Adamoli, Angelica & Razzera, Bruno & Ranheiri, Maitê & Nonnenmacher Colferai, Raphaele & Russell, T & Noto, Ana & Oliveira, Margareth. (2020). Mindfulness-Based Intervention Performed During Hemodialysis: an Experience Report. Trends in Psychology. 29. 320–340.
Russell, TA & Arcuri, S (2015) A Neurophysiological and Neuropsychological Consideration of Mindful Movement: Clinical and Research Implications. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 9, 282.
Russell, TA, King, E., Wong, M. & Renieres, M (in preparation) A Mindfulness Toolkit for those living and working with bipolar illness: a pilot feasibility and acceptability study.
Russell, TA & Tatton-Ramos, T (2014) Body In Mind Training: Mindful movement for the Clinical Setting. Journal of Neuro‐disability and psychotherapy. 2(1/2), 108-136.
Kumari, V., Peters, E., Guinn, A., Fannon, D. Russell, TA., Sumich, A., Kuipers, E., Williams, S. & ffytch, D. (2016) Mapping Depression in Schizophrenia: A funcation magnetic resonance imaging study. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 42(3), 802–813.
Russell, T.A., Surguladze, S., Radua, J., Soriano-‐Mas, C., Fuste, M., Otta, C & Harol, J. (2013) Functional similarity of facial emotion processing between people with a first episode of psychosis and healthy subjects. Schizophrenia Research. 149 (1-3), 35-41.
Villalta-Gil V, Meléndez-Pérez I, Russell T, Surguladze S, Radua J, Fusté M, Stephan-Otto C, Haro JM. (2013) Functional similarity of facial emotion processing between people with a first episode of psychosis and healthy subjects. Schizophr Res. 149(1-3):35-41.
Sato, J., Kozasa, E., Radvany, R., Mello, L. Russell, T.A., & Amaro, E. (2012) Brain imaging analysis can identify participants under regular mental training. Public Library of Science One.
Marsh, PJ, Luckett, G. Russell, T. Coltheart, M. & Green, MJ. (2012) Effects of facial emotion recognition remediation on visual scanning of novel face stimuli. Schizophrenia Research, 141 (2-3) 234-40.
Kozasa, E., Sato, J., Lacerada, S., Barreiros, M., Radvany, J., Russell, TA., Sanches, L., Mello, L., & Amaro, Jr., E (2012) Meditation Training increased brain efficiency in an attention task. Neuroimage, 59, 745‐749.
Russell, T.A. (2011) Body in mind training: mindful movement for severe and enduring mental illness. British Journal of Wellbeing, 2 (3), 13-16.
Radua, J., Phillips, ML, Russell, TA., Lawrence, N., Marshall, N., Kalindindi, S., El-‐Hage, W., McDonald, C., Giampietro, V., Brammer, M., David, AS., Surguladze, S. (2010) Neural response to specific components of fearful faces in healthy and schizophrenic adults. NeuroImage; 49(1):939-46.
Marsh, P., Green, MJ., Russell, TA, McGuire, J., Harris, A. & Coltheart, M. (2010) Remediation of facial emotion recognition in schizophrenia: Functional predictors, generalisability, and durability. American Journal of Psychiatric
Rehabilitation, 13(2), 143-170.
Russell, TA., Schmidt U, Doherty L, Young V, Tchanturia, K. (2009) Aspects of Social Cognition in Anorexia Nervosa: Affective and cognitive theory of mind. Psychiatry Research, 168, 181-185.
Filbey, F., Russell, T.A., Morris, R., Murray, R. & McDonald, C (2008) Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of attention processes in presumed obligate carriers of schizophrenia. Annals of General Psychiatry, 7, 18.
Surguladze, S., Elkina, A., Ecker, C. Kalindinis, S.Corsica, A., Giampietro, V., Lawrence, N., Deeley, Q., Murphy, DG., Kucharska-Piertura, K., Russell, T.A., McGuffin, P., Murray, R., & Phillips, ML. (2008) Genetic variation in the serotonin transporter modulates neural system-‐wide response to fearful faces. Genes, Brain and Behaviour. 7(5):
543-51.
Russell, T.A., Green, M, & Coltheart, M (2008) Remediation of facial emotion perception: concomitant changes in visual attention. Schizophrenia Research, 103(1-3):248‐256.
Hambrook, D., Tchanturia, K., Schmidt, U., Russell, TA. & Treasure, J. (2008) Empathy, systemizing, and autistic traits in anorexia nervosa: A pilot study. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 47(3), 335‐9.
Herba, C., Benson, P., Landau, S., Russell, TA, Goodwin, C., Lemche, E., Santosh, P. & Phillips, M (2008) Impact of familiarity upon children’s developing facial expression recognition. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 49, (2) 201‐210.
Russell, T.A., Tchanturia, K., Rahman, Q. & Schmidt, U. (2007) Sex differences in theory of mind: a male advantage on Happé’s “Cartoon” task. Cognition and Emotion, 21(7), 1554-1565.
Herba, C., Landau, S., Russell, T.A. Ecker, C., Phillips, ML (2006) The development of emotion-‐processing in children: Effects of age, emotion, and intensity. Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychology, 47, 1098-1106.
Russell, T.A., Chu, E., & Phillips, ML (2006) An investigation of the effectiveness of emotion recognition remediation in schizophrenia using the Micro-‐Expression Training Tool. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45 (4), 579‐583.
Russell, T.A., Kucharska-Pietrua, K., Reynaud, E., C. Ecker, Benson, P., Giampietro, V., Zelaya, F., Brammer, M., David, A. & Phillips, M. (2006) Neural responses to dynamic expressions of fear in schizophrenia. Neuropsychologia, 45(1):107-123.
Surguladze, S., Russell, TA, Kucharska-‐Pietura, K, Travis, M., Giampietro, V., David, AS, Phillips, ML. (2006) A reversal of the normal pattern of parahippocampal response to neutral and fearful faces is associated with reality distortion in schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry, 60, 423‐431.
Russell, TA., Herba, C., Reynaud, E., Morris, R. & Corcoran, R. (2006) Do you see what I see? Inference from movement in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 81 (1) 101-111.
Lemche, E, Giampietro, V., Surguladze, S., Amaro, E., Andrew, C, Williams, S., Brammer., MJ., Lawrence, N., Maier, M., Russell, T.A. Simmons, A., Ecker, C., Joraschky, P., Phillips, ML. (2006) Human attachment security is mediated by the amygdala: Evidence from combined fMRI and psychophysiological measures. Human Brain Mapping, 27, 623‐635.
Farrant, A., Morris, RG., Russell, T.A., Elwes, R., Akanuma, N., Alarcon, G. & Koutroumanidis, M. (2005) Social Cognition in Frontal Lobe Epilepsy. Epilepsy and Behaviour, 7 (3) 506‐516.
Phillips, M., Williams, L., Heining, M., Herba, C., Russell, TA., Andrew, C., Bullmore, ET., Brammer, MJ, Williams, S., Morgan, M., Young., AW, & Gray, J. (2004) Differential neural responses to overt and covert presentations of facial expressions of fear and disgust. Neuroimage, 21, 1484-1496.
Rushe, T., Temple, C., Ritin, L., Woodruff, P., Bullmore, E., Simmons, A., Russell, T.A. & Murray, R. (2004) Lateralisation of language function in young adults born very pre-‐term. Archives of Disease in Childhood Fetal Neonatal Ed, 89, F112 – F118.
Kucharska-‐Pietura K, Russell T.A, & Masiak M. (2003) Perception of negative affect in schizophrenia--functional and structural changes in the amygdala. Review. Ann Univ Mariae Curie Sklodowska 58(2):453-8.
Rubia, K, Russell, T.A., Taylor, E., Bullmore, E, Brammer, M., Williams, S., Andrew, C., & Sharma, T. (2001) Reduced frontal activation in schizophrenia during normal inhibitory function. Schizophrenia Research, 52 (1-2) 47-55.
Russell, T.A., Rubia, K., Bullmore, E., Soni, W., Suckling, J., Brammer, M., Simmons, A., Williams, S., & Sharma, T. (2000) Exploring the social brain in schizophrenia: lev prefrontal underactivation during mental state attribution. American Journal of Psychiatry 157, 2040-2042.
Rubia, K., Russell, T.A., Overmeyer, S., Brammer, M.J., Bullmore, E.T., Sharma, T., Simmons, A., Williams, S.C.R., Giampietro, V., Andrew, C. & Taylor, E. (2000) Mapping motor inhibition: Generic brain activations across different versions of go-‐no-‐go and stop tasks. NeuroImage 13, 250-261.
About
Dr. Tamara Russell
MSc., PhD., D.Clin. Psych.
Doing Mindfulness Differently
Harnessing the insights of neuroscience and psychology, drawing on interdisciplinary practice, and endlessly creating and innovating in the service of human flourishing for all.
Tamara Russell PhD, D.Clin Psych is a clinician, neuroscientist and martial artist specialising in mindfulness, embodiment and emotional intelligence. She is an internationally recognised educator and thought leader on mindfulness as relates to health, disease, and human flourishing. Tamara founded the Dragon Academy and the nonprofit Mindfulness Centre to develop accessible, creative and fun mindfulness trainings that meet people where they are at. Her passion for education reaches across many disciplines, including psychology, mindfulness, spiritual practice, kung fu, tai chi and creative practice. Her experiences offering mindfulness trainings worldwide has highlighted the need for a radical departure from standardized protocols and the potential for wide healling and transformation that results from doing mindfulness differently.
Tamara’s clinical and academic research explores the link between movement, mind, and the brain. At the heart of this work is the kung fu principle that our training (and our mindfulness) can and is in everything we do. By working with the body and movement, we are tapping into the most fundamental of brain processes that underpin all our mental activity and subsequent actions in the world. Working with contemporary dancers and those in the creative arts, Tamara’s work explores how we can learn and share experiences of embodiment across disciplines to improve the pedagogy of mindfulness.
Academic Work
Tamara's academic career focus on exploring the social brain, using eye movements and neuroimaging methods.
More recently she has contributed to studies looking at the efficacy of mindfulness based interventions and the impact of mindfulness training on the brain.
Clinical Psychology
Tamara has a small private practice working with clients with a range of presentations but specialising in ADHD, bipolar and those who help or lead others. She also offers clinical and mindfluness based supervision.
Martial Arts
Tamara is a martial artist with a blackbelt in Shaolin Kung Fu. She has been teaching kung fu and tai chi for more than 15 years. These deeply embodied practices not only keep her healthy and well but also inform her mindfulness and clinical work.
Not For Profit
Tamara is the Founder and Co-Director of the Mindfulness Centre of Excellence, London.
This virtual not for profit organization is dedicated to innovation and thought leadership in the field of mindfulness. It has a particular focus on creativity, embodied mindfulness teaching methods and leading edge discussions on how we bring mindfulness to secular settings.
Teaching Appointments
Visiting Lecturer - King’s College London - Emotion and Mindfulness lectures for the MRC Psychiatry Trainee Rootation.
University of Sao Paulo, Hospital Das Clinicas (Instutitue of Psychaitry) - Mindflness Course on the topic of the neuroanatomy of mindful movement.
Imperial College Exectuve Edcuation - Integrating Mindfulness (Future of Heath program), Introduction to Mental Health (Leading in the Digital Age and Levy Apprentiship Programs) and Leading Across Generations and Leading in the Age of AI.
Speaking & Events
Tamara loves to create bespoke transformative and immersive events. You can find her in the boardroom of large corporations, or in a tent at Wilderness Festival.
She is known for her creative and lively presentations that leave an indeliable mark on her audience.
Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information or to book Tamara as a speaker for your event.