Trevor Robbins

Following admittance in Jesus College, Cambridge, Robbins obtained his Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours in psychology in 1971.{{cite journal|title=Trevor W. Robbins: Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions|journal=The American Psychologist|year=2011|volume=66|issue=8|pages=665–8|doi=10.1037/a0025179|pmid=22082379}} Following this, he received his PhD degree from the University of Cambridge in 1975 for an analysis of the behavioural effects of Dextroamphetamine.{{cite web|title=An analysis of the behavioural effects of d-amphetamine|url=http://ulmss-newton.lib.cam.ac.uk/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=13099|website=University of Cambridge Newton Library Catalogues|access-date=25 March 2015}} His doctoral supervisor was Susan Iversen.{{cite web |last1=Ferry |first1=Georgina |title=Susan Iversen obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/05/susan-iversen-obituary |website=The Guardian |access-date=6 March 2025}}

Robbins is a keen chess player and represented both England Juniors in 1967 and the University of Cambridge as an undergraduate. He was once ranked in the top twenty players in England and had one of his wins from a Varsity match in 1970 featured as a classic game in The Sunday Times.{{cite web|title=Head of Department's classic chess game published in Sunday Times|url=http://www.psychol.cam.ac.uk/news/2015-03-01-prof-robbins|publisher=University of Cambridge|access-date=25 March 2015|date=2 March 2015}}{{cite web|title=Chess Classic Game, Number 1442|url=http://extras.thetimes.co.uk/public/chess/games/1442|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402171237/http://extras.thetimes.co.uk/public/chess/games/1442|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 April 2015|website=The Times|access-date=25 March 2015}}

Robbins was appointed as a Demonstrator in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge in 1973. He was subsequently promoted to Lecturer and Reader, before becoming Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in 1997. Robbins was elected to the Chair, and therefore Head of Department, of Psychology in October 2002, stepping down from the latter role in 2017.

The focus of Robbins' work is on the functions of the frontal lobes of the brain and their regulation by the chemical neurotransmitter systems in humans and other animals. This work is relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, depression, drug addiction, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.{{cite journal|last1=Sahakian|first1=BJ|last2=Morris|first2=RG|last3=Evenden|first3=JL|last4=Heald|first4=A|last5=Levy|first5=R|last6=Philpot|first6=M|last7=Robbins|first7=TW|title=A comparative study of visuospatial memory and learning in Alzheimer-type dementia and Parkinson's disease.|journal=Brain|year=1988|volume=111|issue=3|pages=695–718|doi=10.1093/brain/111.3.695|pmid=3382917}} Robbins also employs psychological paradigms for investigating cognitive functions, including planning, decision making, learning, attention and self-control, often with brain imaging.{{cite journal|last1=Mehta|first1=MA|last2=Owen|first2=AM|last3=Sahakian|first3=BJ|last4=Mavaddat|first4=N|last5=Pickard|first5=JD|last6=Robbins|first6=TW|title=Methylphenidate enhances working memory by modulating discrete frontal and parietal lobe regions in the human brain|journal=The Journal of Neuroscience|year=2000|volume=20|issue=6|pages=RC65|pmid=10704519|pmc=6772505|doi=10.1523/JNEUROSCI.20-06-j0004.2000}} His research covers the mechanisms underlying possible cognitive enhancing effects of drugs{{cite journal|last1=Turner|first1=DC|last2=Robbins|first2=TW|last3=Clark|first3=L|last4=Aron|first4=AR|last5=Dowson|first5=J|last6=Sahakian|first6=BJ|title=Cognitive enhancing effects of modafinil in healthy volunteers|journal=Psychopharmacology|year=2003|volume=165|issue=3|pages=260–9|doi=10.1007/s00213-002-1250-8|pmid=12417966|s2cid=2364190}} and understanding the causation and neural basis of drug addiction and impulsive-compulsive behaviour.{{cite journal|last1=Everitt|first1=BJ|last2=Robbins|first2=TW|title=Neural systems of reinforcement for drug addiction: from actions to habits to compulsion|journal=Nature Neuroscience|year=2005|volume=8|issue=11|pages=1481–9|doi=10.1038/nn1579|pmid=16251991|s2cid=16941967}}

The work of Robbins and his collaborators led to the formation of the BCNI in 2005, which is jointly funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Wellcome Trust.{{cite web|title=Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute|url=http://www.bcni.psychol.cam.ac.uk/Home|publisher=University of Cambridge|access-date=25 March 2015}} Robbins is director of the institute, which focuses on translational work leading to the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Robbins Chaired the MRC Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Board between 1995 and 1999, and was co-leader of the UK Government 2005 Foresight Project entitled 'Drug Futures 2025?'.{{cite web|title=Foresight: Drug Futures 2025|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/299221/05-1182-drugs-futures-overview.pdf|website=UK Government|access-date=25 March 2015|date=13 July 2005}}{{cite web|title=Brain-boost drugs 'to be common'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4678895.stm|work=BBC News|access-date=25 March 2015|date=13 July 2005}} He has also consulted for the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on the state of UK research.{{cite web|title=Professors brief Blair on scientific advances|url=http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Professors-brief-Blair-scientific-advances/story-22453758-detail/story.html|website=Cambridge News|access-date=25 March 2015|date=7 November 2002}} Since 2005, Robbins has been a Fellow of the Royal Society.{{cite web|title=Royal Society: 2005 Fellowships|url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/royal-society/196429.article|website=Times Higher Education|access-date=25 March 2015|date=3 June 2005}} In addition, he is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society (since 1990) and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (since 2000).{{cite web|title=Fellow: Professor Trevor Robbins|url=http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk/fellows/fellows-directory/ordinary-fellows/professor-trevor-robbins/|website=The Academy of Medical Sciences|access-date=25 March 2015}}

Robbins has published over 850 full papers{{cite web|title=Author Profile: Trevor W. Robbins|url=http://academic.research.microsoft.com/Author/1176892/trevor-w-robbins|website=Microsoft Academic Search|access-date=25 March 2015}} in scientific journals, including Nature,{{cite journal|last1=Dias|first1=R|last2=Robbins|first2=TW|last3=Roberts|first3=AC|title=Dissociation in prefrontal cortex of affective and attentional shifts|journal=Nature|year=1996|volume=380|issue=6569|pages=69–72|doi=10.1038/380069a0|pmid=8598908|bibcode=1996Natur.380...69D|s2cid=4301013}} Brain,{{cite journal|last1=Owen|first1=AM|last2=James|first2=M|last3=Leigh|first3=PN|last4=Summers|first4=BA|last5=Marsden|first5=CD|last6=Quinn|first6=NP|last7=Lange|first7=KW|last8=Robbins|first8=TW|title=Fronto-striatal cognitive deficits at different stages of Parkinson's disease|journal=Brain|year=1992|volume=115|issue=6|pages=1727–51|doi=10.1093/brain/115.6.1727|pmid=1486458|s2cid=15969057|url=https://epub.uni-regensburg.de/25426/1/langekw8.pdf}} Science{{cite journal|last1=Dalley|first1=JW|last2=Fryer|first2=TD|last3=Brichard|first3=L|last4=Robinson|first4=ES|last5=Theobald|first5=DE|last6=Lääne|first6=K|last7=Peña|first7=Y|last8=Murphy|first8=ER|last9=Shah|first9=Y|last10=Probst|first10=K|last11=Abakumova|first11=I|last12=Aigbirhio|first12=FI|last13=Richards|first13=HK|last14=Hong|first14=Y|author15-link=Jean-Claude Baron|last15=Baron|first15=JC|last16=Everitt|first16=BJ|last17=Robbins|first17=TW|title=Nucleus accumbens D2/3 receptors predict trait impulsivity and cocaine reinforcement|journal=Science|year=2007|volume=315|issue=5816|pages=1267–70|doi=10.1126/science.1137073|pmid=17332411|pmc=1892797|bibcode=2007Sci...315.1267D}} and Nature Neuroscience.{{cite journal|last1=Aron|first1=AR|last2=Fletcher|first2=PC|last3=Bullmore|first3=ET|last4=Sahakian|first4=BJ|last5=Robbins|first5=TW|title=Stop-signal inhibition disrupted by damage to right inferior frontal gyrus in humans|journal=Nature Neuroscience|year=2003|volume=6|issue=2|pages=115–6|doi=10.1038/nn1003|pmid=12536210|s2cid=10096947}}

The ISI Web of Science and Google Scholar credit Robbins with a Hirsch (h) index of 257{{cite web|title=

Prof. T.W. Robbins|url=https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=7vl9HdwAAAAJ&hl=en}} listing 1347 scientific contributions and 134,127 citations.{{cite web|title=Robbins, Trevor W - Web of Science Core Collection|url=https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/1335372}} He is credited as one of the top cited authors in Neuroscience. He has been an editor of the journal Psychopharmacology since 1980,{{cite web|title=Psychopharmacology: Editorial Board|url=https://www.springer.com/biomed/neuroscience/journal/213?detailsPage=editorialBoard|website=Springer|access-date=25 March 2015}} is a Member of the Editorial Board of the journal Science,{{cite web|title=Science Editorial Board|url=http://www.sciencemag.org/site/about/editorial_board.xhtml|website=Science/AAAS|access-date=25 March 2015}} and is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences.{{cite web|title=Elsevier Announces the Launch of a New Journal: Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences|url=http://www.elsevier.com/about/press-releases/research-and-journals/elsevier-announces-the-launch-of-a-new-journal-current-opinion-in-behavioral-sciences|website=Elsevier|access-date=25 March 2015|date=30 June 2014}} In 2017–2018 he was a guest co-editor of a theme issue of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.{{cite journal | last1 = Trofimova | first1 = I.N. | last2 = Robbins | first2 = T.W. | first3 = Sulis | last3= W.| first4 = Uher | last4=J. | year = 2018 | title = Taxonomies of psychological individual differences: biological perspectives on millennia-long challenges | journal = Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences | volume = 373 | issue = 1744 | pages = 20170152 |doi=10.1098/rstb.2017.0152| pmid = 29483338 | pmc = 5832678 }}

Robbins has co-edited 7 books, including Psychology for Medicine,{{cite book|editor1-last=Cooper|editor1-first=PJ|editor2-last=Robbins|editor2-first=TW|title=Psychology for Medicine|date=1988|publisher=Arnold|location=London|isbn=978-0-7131-4543-4}} The Neurobiology of Addiction{{cite book|editor1-last=Robbins|editor1-first=TW|editor2-last=Everitt|editor2-first=B|editor3-last=Nutt|editor3-first=D|title=The Neurobiology of Addiction|date=2010|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-956215-2}} and Decision Making, Effect and Learning.{{cite book|editor1-last=Delgrado|editor1-first=MR|editor2-last=Phelps|editor2-first=EA|editor3-last=Robbins|editor3-first=TW|title=Decision Making, Affect, and Learning: Attention and Performance XXIII|date=2011|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0199600434}}

Robbins' research uses neuropsychological tests, such as the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), which he co-invented with Professor Barbara Sahakian in the 1980s. CANTAB is now used at over 700 research institutes worldwide and is backed by over 1,200 peer-review articles.{{cite web|title=Company Information|url=http://www.cambridgecognition.com/company|website=Cambridge Cognition|access-date=25 March 2015}} Robbins serves as a Senior Consultant to Cambridge Cognition, a spin-out of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge Cognition now provides CANTAB.{{cite web|title=Science Team|url=http://www.cambridgecognition.com/company/scienceteam|website=Cambridge Cognition|access-date=25 March 2015}}

The CANTAB PAL touchscreen test, which assesses visual memory and new learning, was included in a REF submission at the University of Cambridge. This submission (which included research from across the University unrelated to CANTAB PAL) received a 4* grade from the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014. {{Citation needed|date=September 2022|reason=REF 2014 did not release gradings for individual submissions, whilst it is true that CANTAB PAL was submitted as an impact statement to REF2014 it is unverifiable that CANTAB REF received 4*, neither of the previous references make this assertion }} CANTAB and CANTAB PAL were highlighted in the Medical Schools Council ‘Health of the Nation’ 2015 publication.{{cite web|title=Health of the Nation|url=http://www.medschools.ac.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/MSC-Health-of-the-Nation.pdf|website=Medical Schools Council|accessdate=11 February 2015|date=2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211152417/http://www.medschools.ac.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/MSC-Health-of-the-Nation.pdf|archivedate=11 February 2015}}

Robbins is also a co-author of the neurochemical Functional Ensemble of Temperament model that mapped the functional roles of brain neurotransmitters to main aspects of behavioural regulation.{{cite journal|year=2016| last1=Trofimova|first1=IN|last2=Robbins|first2=TW|title=Temperament and arousal systems: a new synthesis of differential psychology and functional neurochemistry|journal=Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews|volume=64|pages=382–402| doi=10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.03.008| pmid=26969100| hdl=11375/26202| s2cid=13937324| url=https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/274784|hdl-access=free}}{{cite journal |doi=10.1098/rstb.2017.0153|pmid=29483339|pmc=5832679|title=Opinion on monoaminergic contributions to traits and temperament|journal=Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences|volume=373|issue=1744|pages=20170153|year=2018|last1=Robbins|first1=T. W.}}

Robbins has frequently appeared in press interviews to discuss his research such as The Guardian,{{cite web|last1=Jha|first1=Alok|title=Scientists predict brave new world of brain pills|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jul/14/drugsandalcohol.health|website=The Guardian|access-date=25 March 2015|date=14 July 2005}} BBC News,{{cite web|last1=Gill|first1=Victoria|title=Rats play odds in gambling task|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8105963.stm|work=BBC News|access-date=25 March 2015|date=17 June 2009}} The Daily Express{{cite web|last1=Kolirin|first1=Lianne|title=Why women's brains work best|url=http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/381635/Why-women-s-brains-work-best|website=Daily Express|access-date=25 March 2015|date=4 March 2013}} and the Naked Scientists podcast.{{cite web|title=The Brain Prize!|url=http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/interviews/interview/1000648/|website=The Naked Scientists|access-date=25 March 2015|date=20 March 2014}} He frequently engages the public in science, such as speaking at the Hay Festival{{cite web|title=Trevor Robbins, Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, Paul Howard-Jones and Barbara Sahakian|url=http://www.hayfestival.com/p-5826-trevor-robbins-sarah-jayne-blakemore-paul-howard-jones-and-barbara-sahakian.aspx|website=Hay Festival|access-date=25 March 2015}} and participating in a feature on smart drugs for BBC Online.{{cite web|last1=Kohn|first1=Marek|title=The truth about smart drugs|url=http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140729-the-truth-about-smart-drugs|publisher=BBC Future|access-date=25 March 2015|date=29 July 2014}}

Robbins's work was acknowledged by the following honours and awards:

• 2005 – (co-recipient) The Neuronal Plasticity Prize, which was awarded by the Ipsen Foundation for his work on motivation and the striatum.{{cite web|title=Ipsen Foundation Seminar (18 March 2005)|url=http://www.fondation-ipsen.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/2005-Neuronal-Plasticity-Prize-.pdf|website=Foundation Ipsen|access-date=25 March 2015}}
• 2011 – (joint) American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions for his research in experimental psychology and neuroscience.{{cite web|title=Two professors win award|url=http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/professors-win-award/story-22514148-detail/story.html|website=Cambridge News|access-date=25 March 2015|date=6 July 2011}}
• 2012 – Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2012 UK New Year Honours for services to medical research.{{cite web|title=Supplement 60009|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/60009/supplement/8|website=The London Gazette|access-date=25 March 2015|page=8|date=31 December 2011}}{{cite web|title=Honours: Order of the British Empire, Civil – GBE, DBE, CBE|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/honours-order-of-the-british-empire-civil--gbe-dbe-cbe-6283137.html|website=The Independent|access-date=25 March 2015|date=31 December 2011}}
• 2012 – The Award of the Angharad Dodds John Fellowship in Mental Health and Neuropsychiatry at Downing College, Cambridge.{{cite web|title=The Angharad Dodds John Fellowship in Mental Health and Neuropsychiatry|url=http://www.dow.cam.ac.uk/index.php/about/benefactors/346-angharad-|website=Downing College Cambridge|access-date=25 March 2015}}
• 2014 – (along with Professor Stanislas Dehaene and Professor Giacomo Rizzolatti) – The Award of the Grete Lundbeck European Brain Research Prize 2014, also known as The Brain Prize, for Robbins' pioneering research on higher brain mechanisms and his efforts to understand cognitive and behavioural disorders.{{cite web|title=The Brain Prize Winners 2014|url=http://www.thebrainprize.org/flx/prize_winners/|website=Grete Lundbeck European Brain Research Foundation|access-date=2 January 2015}}{{cite web|title=Professor Trevor Robbins wins the Brain Prize, 2014|url=http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/news/article.php?permalink=7851628908|website=Cambridge Neuroscience|access-date=2 January 2015|date=10 March 2014}} The award was presented at a Ceremony in Denmark in May 2014.{{cite web|title=Professor Trevor W. Robbins awarded Brain Prize|url=http://www.psychol.cam.ac.uk/about-us/brain-prize-2014|publisher=University of Cambridge|access-date=2 January 2015|date=16 May 2014}}
• 2015 – Robert Sommer Award for Research into Schizophrenia
• 2015 – British Association for Psychopharmacology - Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2016 – Gold Medal of the Society of Biological Psychiatry (USA)
• 2017 – Patricia Goldman-Rakic Award in Cognitive Neuroscience
• 2017 – Fellow, British Pharmacological Society (FBPhS)
• 2018 – Honorary Professor, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
• 2019 – British Psychological Society - Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2022 – Association of Psychological Science - William James Fellow Award
• 2024 – "Trevor Robbins Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory" opened at the Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge{{Cite web |date=2024-03-01 |title=Opening of the 'Trevor Robbins Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory' |url=https://neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/opening-of-the-trevor-robbins-cognitive-neuroscience-laboratory/ |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=Cambridge Neuroscience |language=en}}

• [http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/directory/profile.php?Trevor Professor Trevor Robbins: Cambridge Neuroscience]
• [https://www.psychol.cam.ac.uk/people/twr2%40cam.ac.uk Prof. Trevor Robbins:University of Cambridge]

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Category:1949 births

Category:Living people

Category:British neuroscientists

Category:British psychologists

Category:Academics of the University of Cambridge

Category:Fellows of Downing College, Cambridge

Category:Fellows of the Royal Society

Category:Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences (United Kingdom)

Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge

Category:People educated at Battersea Grammar School

Category:APA Distinguished Scientific Award for an Early Career Contribution to Psychology recipients