Dr Cassandra Sampaio Baptista

  • Senior Lecturer (Cognitive Neuroimaging)

email: Cassandra.SampaioBaptista@glasgow.ac.uk
pronouns: She/her/hers

Office 611, 62 Hillhead Street, United Kingdom, G12 8QB

Import to contacts

ORCID iDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289

Research interests

I am a neuroscientist investigating functional and structural brain plasticity—from the cellular level to systems-level processes—in both healthy and clinical populations, across humans and rodent models.

I lead the Plasticity Lab (PLUG) and I am funded by a Wellcome Career Development Award (CDA) (starting October 2025). My research has made key contributions to understanding white matter and myelin plasticity, particularly highlighting the overlooked role of myelin in motor learning.

Our group studies how the brain adapts to experiences such as skill learning, as well as to biological processes like ageing. We are particularly interested in how brain activity regulates myelination and oligodendroglia to support learning, and whether targeting myelin can enhance cognitive-motor function in later life. Our long-term goal is to harness brain plasticity to support learning, rehabilitation, and healthy ageing.

We take a cross-species, multidisciplinary approach—combining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), behavioural interventions, transgenic mouse models of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, and brain stimulation techniques—to investigate how these factors influence brain structure and function. For example, we use preclinical MRI alongside cellular and molecular tools to study the mechanisms of oligodendroglia plasticity.

We strongly support EDI values and provide a supportive environment for skills development and career progression for all members of the lab.

 

Opportunities in our Lab

Postdoctoral researchers are welcome to inquire about positions or support for fellowship applications (e.g. Wellcome, UKRI, and Marie Curie Fellowships).

Our PhD students are funded by the James McCune Smith (JMS) Scholarship, the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS), the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Social AI, and the BBSRC-DTP North West BIO.

If you are interest in joining our lab as a PhD student please explore PhD funding sources and check your eligibility. Please include that info in your email. Please note that I do not accept self-funded PhD students, in line with equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles.

If you are an undergraduate student, consider applying for summer vacation scholarships like the Wellcome Biomedical, Physiological Society, or University of Glasgow Psychology/Neuroscience Vacation Scholarships opportunities. Our lab hosts Msci Neuroscience placements. Contact me early with your CV and deadlines for your application.

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011
Number of items: 24.

2024

Kaller, M. S. et al. (2024) Ablation of oligodendrogenesis in adult mice alters brain microstructure and activity independently of behavioral deficits. Glia, 72(10), pp. 1728-1745. (doi: 10.1002/glia.24576) (PMID:38982743)

2023

Shimizu, T. et al. (2023) Oligodendrocyte dynamics dictate cognitive performance outcomes of working memory training in mice. Nature Communications, 14(1), 6499. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-42293-4) (PMID:37838794) (PMCID:PMC10576739)

Grandjean, J. et al. (2023) A consensus protocol for functional connectivity analysis in the rat brain. Nature Neuroscience, 26(4), pp. 673-681. (doi: 10.1038/s41593-023-01286-8) (PMID:36973511) (PMCID:PMC10493189)

2022

Sanders, Zeena Britt, Fleming, Melanie K., Smejka, Tom, Marzolla, Marilien C., Zich, Catharina, Rieger, Sebastian W., Lührs, Michael, Goebel, Rainer, Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289 and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2022) Self-modulation of motor cortex activity after stroke: a randomized controlled trial. Brain, 145(10), pp. 3391-3404. (doi: 10.1093/brain/awac239) (PMID:35960166) (PMCID:PMC9586541)

2021

Lazari, A. et al. (2021) Reassessing associations between white matter and behaviour with multimodal microstructural imaging. Cortex, 145, pp. 187-200. (doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.08.017) (PMID:34742100)

Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Neyedli, Heather F., Sanders, Zeena-Britt, Biosi, Kata, Havard, David, Huang, YunYing, Andersson, Jesper L.R., Lühr, Michael, Goebel, Rainer and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2021) fMRI neurofeedback in the motor system elicits bidirectional changes in activity and in white matter structure in the adult human brain. Cell Reports, 37(4), 109890. (doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109890)

Barron, Helen C., Mars, Rogier B., Dupret, David, Lerch, Jason and Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289 (2021) Cross-species neuroscience: closing the explanatory gap. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 376, 20190633. (doi: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0633) (PMID:33190601) (PMCID:PMC7116399)

2020

Sampaio-Baptista, C. et al. (2020) White matter structure and myelin-related gene expression alterations with experience in adult rats. Progress in Neurobiology, 187, 101770. (doi: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101770) (PMID:32001310) (PMCID:PMC7086231)

2019

Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Diosi, Kata and Johnansen-Berg, Heidi (2019) Magnetic resonance techniques for imaging white matter. In: Lyons, David A. and Kegel, Linde (eds.) Oligodendrocytes: Methods and Protocols. Series: Methods in molecular biology (1936). Humana Press: New York, NY, pp. 397-407. ISBN 9781493990702 (doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9072-6_22)

2018

Lazari, Alberto, Koudelka, Sigrid and Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289 (2018) Experience-related reductions of myelin and axon diameter in adulthood. Journal of Neurophysiology, 120(4), pp. 1772-1775. (doi: 10.1152/jn.00070.2018) (PMID:30207857) (PMCID:PMC6230794)

Neyedli, Heather F., Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Kirkman, Matthew A., Havard, David, Lührs, Michael, Ramsden, Katie, Flitney, David D., Clare, Stuart, Goebel, Rainer and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2018) Increasing lateralized motor activity in younger and older adults using Real-time fMRI during executed movements. Neuroscience, 378, pp. 165-174. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.02.010) (PMID:28214578) (PMCID:PMC5953409)

Huang, H. et al. (2018) Development of white matter microstructure in relation to verbal and visuospatial working memory—a longitudinal study. PLoS ONE, 13(4), e0195540. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195540) (PMID:29689058) (PMCID:PMC5916522)

Heath, Florence, Hurley, Samuel A., Johansen-Berg, Heidi and Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289 (2018) Advances in noninvasive myelin imaging. Developmental Neurobiology, 78(2), pp. 136-151. (doi: 10.1002/dneu.22552) (PMID:29082667) (PMCID:PMC5813152)

Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Sanders, Zeena-Britt and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2018) Structural plasticity in adulthood with motor learning and stroke rehabilitation. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 41, pp. 25-40. (doi: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-080317-062015) (PMID:29490196)

2017

Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289 and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2017) White matter plasticity in the adult brain. Neuron, 96(6), pp. 1239-1251. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.11.026) (PMID:29268094) (PMCID:PMC5766826)

Kaller, Malte Sebastian, Lazari, Alberto, Blanco-Duque, Cristina, Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289 and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2017) Myelin plasticity and behaviour — connecting the dots. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 47, pp. 86-92. (doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.09.014) (PMID:29054040) (PMCID:PMC5844949)

2016

Krogsrud, S. K. et al. (2016) Changes in white matter microstructure in the developing brain—a longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging study of children from 4 to 11 years of age. NeuroImage, 124(Part A), pp. 473-486. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.09.017) (PMID:26375208) (PMCID:PMC4655940)

2015

Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Filippini, Nicola, Stagg, Charlotte J., Near, Jamie, Scholz, Jan and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2015) Changes in functional connectivity and GABA levels with long-term motor learning. NeuroImage, 106, pp. 15-20. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.11.032) (PMID:25463472) (PMCID:PMC4405007)

2014

Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Scholz, Jan, Jenkinson, Mark, Thomas, Adam G., Filippini, Nicola, Smit, Gabrielle, Douaud, Gwenaëlle and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2014) Gray matter volume is associated with rate of subsequent skill learning after a long term training intervention. NeuroImage, 96, pp. 158-166. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.03.056) (PMID:24680712) (PMCID:PMC4075341)

Stagg, Charlotte J., Bachtiar, Velicia, Amadi, Ugwechi, Gudberg, Christel A., Ilie, Andrei S., Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, O'Shea, Jacinta, Woolrich, Mark and Smith, Stephen M. (2014) Local GABA concentration is related to network-level resting functional connectivity. eLife, 3, e01465. (doi: 10.7554/eLife.01465) (PMID:24668166) (PMCID:PMC3964822)

Banerjee, Abhishek, González-Rueda, Ana, Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Paulsen, Ole and Rodríguez-Moreno, Antonio (2014) Distinct mechanisms of spike timing-dependent LTD at vertical and horizontal inputs onto L2/3 pyramidal neurons in mouse barrel cortex. Physiological Reports, 2(3), e00271. (doi: 10.1002/phy2.271) (PMID:24760524) (PMCID:PMC4002250)

2013

Sampaio-Baptista, C. et al. (2013) Motor skill learning induces changes in white matter microstructure and myelination. Journal of Neuroscience, 33(50), pp. 19499-19503. (doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3048-13.2013) (PMID:24336716) (PMCID:PMC3858622)

2012

Johansen-Berg, Heidi, Sampaio Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289 and Thomas, Adam G. (2012) Human structural plasticity at record speed. Neuron, 73(6), pp. 1058-1060. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.03.001) (PMID:22445333) (PMCID:PMC3353540)

2011

Capitão, Liliana, Sampaio, Adriana, Sampaio, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Vasconcelos, Cristiana, Férnandez, Montse, Garayzábal, Elena, Shenton, Martha E. and Gonçalves, Óscar F. (2011) MRI amygdala volume in Williams Syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32(6), pp. 2767-2772. (doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.05.033) (PMID:21752593)

This list was generated on Fri Aug 29 10:09:21 2025 BST.
Jump to: Articles | Book Sections
Number of items: 24.

Articles

Kaller, M. S. et al. (2024) Ablation of oligodendrogenesis in adult mice alters brain microstructure and activity independently of behavioral deficits. Glia, 72(10), pp. 1728-1745. (doi: 10.1002/glia.24576) (PMID:38982743)

Shimizu, T. et al. (2023) Oligodendrocyte dynamics dictate cognitive performance outcomes of working memory training in mice. Nature Communications, 14(1), 6499. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-42293-4) (PMID:37838794) (PMCID:PMC10576739)

Grandjean, J. et al. (2023) A consensus protocol for functional connectivity analysis in the rat brain. Nature Neuroscience, 26(4), pp. 673-681. (doi: 10.1038/s41593-023-01286-8) (PMID:36973511) (PMCID:PMC10493189)

Sanders, Zeena Britt, Fleming, Melanie K., Smejka, Tom, Marzolla, Marilien C., Zich, Catharina, Rieger, Sebastian W., Lührs, Michael, Goebel, Rainer, Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289 and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2022) Self-modulation of motor cortex activity after stroke: a randomized controlled trial. Brain, 145(10), pp. 3391-3404. (doi: 10.1093/brain/awac239) (PMID:35960166) (PMCID:PMC9586541)

Lazari, A. et al. (2021) Reassessing associations between white matter and behaviour with multimodal microstructural imaging. Cortex, 145, pp. 187-200. (doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.08.017) (PMID:34742100)

Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Neyedli, Heather F., Sanders, Zeena-Britt, Biosi, Kata, Havard, David, Huang, YunYing, Andersson, Jesper L.R., Lühr, Michael, Goebel, Rainer and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2021) fMRI neurofeedback in the motor system elicits bidirectional changes in activity and in white matter structure in the adult human brain. Cell Reports, 37(4), 109890. (doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109890)

Barron, Helen C., Mars, Rogier B., Dupret, David, Lerch, Jason and Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289 (2021) Cross-species neuroscience: closing the explanatory gap. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 376, 20190633. (doi: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0633) (PMID:33190601) (PMCID:PMC7116399)

Sampaio-Baptista, C. et al. (2020) White matter structure and myelin-related gene expression alterations with experience in adult rats. Progress in Neurobiology, 187, 101770. (doi: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101770) (PMID:32001310) (PMCID:PMC7086231)

Lazari, Alberto, Koudelka, Sigrid and Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289 (2018) Experience-related reductions of myelin and axon diameter in adulthood. Journal of Neurophysiology, 120(4), pp. 1772-1775. (doi: 10.1152/jn.00070.2018) (PMID:30207857) (PMCID:PMC6230794)

Neyedli, Heather F., Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Kirkman, Matthew A., Havard, David, Lührs, Michael, Ramsden, Katie, Flitney, David D., Clare, Stuart, Goebel, Rainer and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2018) Increasing lateralized motor activity in younger and older adults using Real-time fMRI during executed movements. Neuroscience, 378, pp. 165-174. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.02.010) (PMID:28214578) (PMCID:PMC5953409)

Huang, H. et al. (2018) Development of white matter microstructure in relation to verbal and visuospatial working memory—a longitudinal study. PLoS ONE, 13(4), e0195540. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195540) (PMID:29689058) (PMCID:PMC5916522)

Heath, Florence, Hurley, Samuel A., Johansen-Berg, Heidi and Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289 (2018) Advances in noninvasive myelin imaging. Developmental Neurobiology, 78(2), pp. 136-151. (doi: 10.1002/dneu.22552) (PMID:29082667) (PMCID:PMC5813152)

Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Sanders, Zeena-Britt and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2018) Structural plasticity in adulthood with motor learning and stroke rehabilitation. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 41, pp. 25-40. (doi: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-080317-062015) (PMID:29490196)

Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289 and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2017) White matter plasticity in the adult brain. Neuron, 96(6), pp. 1239-1251. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.11.026) (PMID:29268094) (PMCID:PMC5766826)

Kaller, Malte Sebastian, Lazari, Alberto, Blanco-Duque, Cristina, Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289 and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2017) Myelin plasticity and behaviour — connecting the dots. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 47, pp. 86-92. (doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.09.014) (PMID:29054040) (PMCID:PMC5844949)

Krogsrud, S. K. et al. (2016) Changes in white matter microstructure in the developing brain—a longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging study of children from 4 to 11 years of age. NeuroImage, 124(Part A), pp. 473-486. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.09.017) (PMID:26375208) (PMCID:PMC4655940)

Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Filippini, Nicola, Stagg, Charlotte J., Near, Jamie, Scholz, Jan and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2015) Changes in functional connectivity and GABA levels with long-term motor learning. NeuroImage, 106, pp. 15-20. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.11.032) (PMID:25463472) (PMCID:PMC4405007)

Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Scholz, Jan, Jenkinson, Mark, Thomas, Adam G., Filippini, Nicola, Smit, Gabrielle, Douaud, Gwenaëlle and Johansen-Berg, Heidi (2014) Gray matter volume is associated with rate of subsequent skill learning after a long term training intervention. NeuroImage, 96, pp. 158-166. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.03.056) (PMID:24680712) (PMCID:PMC4075341)

Stagg, Charlotte J., Bachtiar, Velicia, Amadi, Ugwechi, Gudberg, Christel A., Ilie, Andrei S., Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, O'Shea, Jacinta, Woolrich, Mark and Smith, Stephen M. (2014) Local GABA concentration is related to network-level resting functional connectivity. eLife, 3, e01465. (doi: 10.7554/eLife.01465) (PMID:24668166) (PMCID:PMC3964822)

Banerjee, Abhishek, González-Rueda, Ana, Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Paulsen, Ole and Rodríguez-Moreno, Antonio (2014) Distinct mechanisms of spike timing-dependent LTD at vertical and horizontal inputs onto L2/3 pyramidal neurons in mouse barrel cortex. Physiological Reports, 2(3), e00271. (doi: 10.1002/phy2.271) (PMID:24760524) (PMCID:PMC4002250)

Sampaio-Baptista, C. et al. (2013) Motor skill learning induces changes in white matter microstructure and myelination. Journal of Neuroscience, 33(50), pp. 19499-19503. (doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3048-13.2013) (PMID:24336716) (PMCID:PMC3858622)

Johansen-Berg, Heidi, Sampaio Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289 and Thomas, Adam G. (2012) Human structural plasticity at record speed. Neuron, 73(6), pp. 1058-1060. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.03.001) (PMID:22445333) (PMCID:PMC3353540)

Capitão, Liliana, Sampaio, Adriana, Sampaio, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Vasconcelos, Cristiana, Férnandez, Montse, Garayzábal, Elena, Shenton, Martha E. and Gonçalves, Óscar F. (2011) MRI amygdala volume in Williams Syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32(6), pp. 2767-2772. (doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.05.033) (PMID:21752593)

Book Sections

Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-0289, Diosi, Kata and Johnansen-Berg, Heidi (2019) Magnetic resonance techniques for imaging white matter. In: Lyons, David A. and Kegel, Linde (eds.) Oligodendrocytes: Methods and Protocols. Series: Methods in molecular biology (1936). Humana Press: New York, NY, pp. 397-407. ISBN 9781493990702 (doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9072-6_22)

This list was generated on Fri Aug 29 10:09:21 2025 BST.

Grants

Grants and Awards listed are those received whilst working with the University of Glasgow.

  • Sensory stimulation as a scalable non-invasive intervention for memory impairment
    BIAL Foundation
    2025 - 2026
     

Supervision

Supervised Postgraduate Students

  • Ana Carolina Torres Cresto (Postgraduate)
  • Raphael Cunningham (Postgraduate)
  • Kiana Dastafshan (Postgraduate)
  • Marine Keime (Postgraduate)
  • Alissa Plant (Postgraduate)
  • Luis Eduardo Zambrano Hernandez (Postgraduate)

Research Assistant

  • Emma Duckworth (Intern)


Dr Cassandra Sampaio Baptista