Sarah specialises in clinical neuroimaging, investigating the neurobiological mechanisms of depression through large-scale datasets, with a focus on neuroinflammation and the ventral tegmental area.
Sarah Khalife's interest in brain research began in high school after reading Temple Grandin’s work on the neurobiology of autism through diffusion and functional MRI. She went on to train as a radiographer, gaining a strong foundation in medical imaging, anatomy, and pathology. Over time, her focus shifted toward research, particularly questions around brain structure and its role in mental health. She is currently a PhD candidate at The University of Queensland. Her research focuses on the neurobiology of depression, using diffusion MRI and quantitative susceptibility mapping to examine neuroinflammation and microstructural changes in the Ventral Tegmental Area. Beyond her primary research, she has contributed to projects on radiographer workforce conditions in Lebanon, imaging dose monitoring, and fMRI studies of finger somatotopy and perception. She is currently co-organizing BrainHack 2025, involved in open science initiatives through OHBM, and serves on her school’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee. She recognises how important these initiatives are as the contributions of researchers who came before her created the opportunities that helped her get here.
Key Publications
Khalife, S., Bollmann, S., Zalesky, A., & Oestreich, L. (2025). MRI-Derived Markers of Acute and Chronic Inflammatory Processes in the VTA Associated with Depression. bioRxiv, 2025.04.30.651588. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.30.651588
Khalife, S., Francis, S. T., Schluppeck, D., Sánchez-Panchuelo, R.-M., & Besle, J. (2022). Fast Event-Related Mapping of Population Fingertip Tuning Properties in Human Sensorimotor Cortex at 7T. Eneuro, 9(5), ENEURO.0069-22.2022. https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0069-22.2022