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Alexander Sumich

Professor

School of Social Sciences

Staff Group(s)
Psychology

Role

Prof Sumich is Professor of Mental Health and Biopsychology. He teaches on modules related to biological models of mental health, particularly depression, schizophrenia and  maladaptive aggressive behaviour. Prof Sumich co-directs the Centre for Public and Psychosocial Health and co-leads the Affect, Personality and Embodied Brain (APE) Research Group. He also has several duties related to research conduct (Research Ethics, Research Staffing, Research Mentoring, Internal REF assessments).

Career overview

Dr. Sumich has over 20 years of research experience in cognition and the neurobiology of psychiatric illness, including mood disorders. He obtained an MA (I) in psychology from Auckland University and a PhD in psychology as applied to medicine at the Institute of Psychiatry, London. He is Adjunct Professor in Psychology at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), NZ, Treasurer of the British  Society for the Psychology  of Individual Differences  (BSPID) and associate Editor for Personality and Individual Differences (PAID).

Research areas

Prof Sumich's research interests include the use of neuroimaging and electrophysiological methods to understand the neurobiology of affect and affect-driven behaviours (depression, empathy, aggression) and perception (e.g., Hallucinations, anomalous experiences) in clinical and nonclinical populations. He is particularly interested in the role that the immune system plays in mental health, and ways to support healthy brain function.

Examples of Research Grants:

  • 2023-present BIAL Foundation An Integrative Biopsychological Model To Explain Associations Between Trauma History, Paranormal Experience And Belief. My Role = PI, €58.765
    2021-present DCT Faculty Contestable Research Fund 2021 (AUT Internal scheme)     AI decision tool for prediction of patient’s response to tinnitus therapy using integrated neurological, clinical, and psychological datasets. My Role = Co-I, PI=Maryam Doborjeh (AUT, NZ), NZ$70,300
    2021-present UKRI Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Allsee (commercial partner)     Project 1395997: Therapeutic Digital Display for Healthy Building My Role = Co-I, Academic PI Yangang Xing (Architecture, NTU UK), £204,000
    2021-presentNTU strategic research funds     Enhancing the realism and multi-sensory biofeedback of Virtual-Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) for social anxiety. My Role = Co-I, PI=David Brown (Computing NTU UK), £70,605
    2020-Present  MBIE-Catalyst: Strategic –New Zealand - Singapore Data Science Research Programme. Computational neuro-genetic modelling for diagnosis and prognosis in mental health 70270. My Role=Named Research Consultant/Collaborator, Co-PI=Nikola Kasabov (KEDRI AUT NZ); Co-PI=Wilson Goh, Biomedical Informatics, NTU Singapore, NZ$2,134, 847.24.
  • 2018-2023 Royal Society of New Zealand/MBIE Marsden project grant Untangling Inflammation and Depression in a Pacific Youth Cohort.  (PI=Richard Siegert), NZ$827,000
  • 2018-2021 Road Safety Trust Development of a VR facilitated 3D Driving Hazard perception test CoI (PI=David Crundall), £135.000.
  • 2016-2017 Health and Wellbeing Development of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) intervention for social anxiety, £20k
  • 2016-2017 Royal Society of New Zealand catalyst seeding grant. Wellbeing-A mind, brain and body approach lead Partner (PI= Prof Siegert), NZ$80k
  • 2015-2016 Health and wellbeing Microbiota health index (MHI): Associations with depression and inflammation  with Nadja Heym, Glenn Gibson, £20k
  • 2015-2016 AUT Strategic Research Investment Fund (SRIF) Mindfulness: how and whom?  NZ$200k
  • 2013-2017 BIAL foundation. Body and soul: A computational neurophysiological and qualitative investigation of Ganzfeld-induced imagery, €46842
  • 2013-2020 Crystal Mind Effect of EPA on neural correlates of trait aggression in healthy individuals, £15000
  • 2006-2009 Mother and Child foundation ( MAAFA Trial: Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplementation for Adolescent Boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A Double-blind, Randomized Controlled Trial with Eric Taylor, Toshiko Imai, Michael Crawford, £98,214.
  • 2005-2007 BIAL foundation Event-related potentials and temperament traits in ADHD and conduct disorder with Katya Rubia and Eric Taylor, £27,772.25.
  • 2003-2005 BIAL foundation Brain function, creativity, paranormal ideation and risk for psychosis with Michael Brammer and Dominic Ffytche, €48,000 euros.

External activity

Associate editorship with Personality and Individual Differences;

Committee member (Treasurer) at British Society for the Psychology of Individual Differences;

Adjunct Professor in Psychology at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.

Co-leader on the International APE Research Network. Co-Host of APE2020 Conference.

Sponsors and collaborators

External Collaborators

Prof Veena Kumari (Brunel University London)

Dr Colette Hirsch (Kings College London, London)

Dr Jennifer Lau (Kings College London, London)

Prof Patricia Olivia_Silva (Universidad Catolica Portuguesa, Portugal)

Prof Ignacio Cifre (Blancera University Barcelona, Spain)

Prof Rakesh Pandey (Banaras Hindi University, India)

Prof Daniel Mograbi (PUC-Rio, Brasil)

Prof Nikola Kasabov (Auckland University of Technology, NZ)

Prof Richard Siegert (Auckland University of Technology, NZ)

Dr Grace Wang (Auckland University of Technology, NZ)

Dr Miryam Doborjeh (Auckland University of Technology, NZ)

Dr Oleg Medvedev (University of Waikato, NZ)

Dr Zohreh Doborjeh (University of Auckland, NZ)

Prof Mark Billinghurst (University of Auckland, NZ)

Publications

  1. Zandbagleh A, Mirzakuchaki S, Daliri MR, Sumich A, Anderson JD, Sanei S. (2023) Graph-based analysis of EEG for schizotypy classification applying flicker Ganzfeld stimulation.Schizophrenia (Heidelb). 9(1):64.(IF=4.96, SNIP=1.4, CiteScore=5.3, RANK=61/292,Highest%=79)
  2. Rahman MA, Brown DJ, Mahmud M, Harris M, Shopland N, Heym N, Sumich A, Turabee ZB, Standen B, Downes D, Xing Y, Thomas C, Haddick S, Premkumar P, Nastase S, Burton A, Lewis J. (2023) Enhancing biofeedback-driven self-guided virtual reality exposure therapy through arousal detection from multimodal data using machine learning. BrainInform. 10(1):14.(IF=6.5, SNIP=1.6, CiteScore=7.3, RANK=155/792, Highest%=80)
  3. Doborjeh Z, Doborjeh M, Sumich A, Singh B, Merkin A, Budhraja S, Goh W, Lai EM, Williams M, Tan S, Lee J, Kasabov N. (2023) Investigation of social and cognitive predictors in non-transition ultra-high-risk' individuals for psychosis using spiking neural networks. Schizophrenia (Heidelb). 9(1):10(IF=4.96, SNIP=1.4, CiteScore=5.3, RANK=61/292,Highest%=79)
  4. Singh B, Doborjeh M, Doborjeh Z, Budhraja S, Tan S, Sumich A, Goh W, Lee J, Lai E, KasabovN. (2023) Constrained neuro fuzzy inference methodology for explainable personalised modelling with applications on gene expression data. Sci Rep. 13(1):456.(IF=4.996,SNIP=1.389, CiteScore=6.9, RANK=11/120, Highest%=91)
  5. Tan SMX, Yee JY, Budhraja S, Singh B, Doborjeh Z, Doborjeh M, Kasabov N, Lai E, Sumich A, Lee J, Goh WWB. (2023) RNA-sequencing of peripheral whole blood of individuals at ultra-high-risk for psychosis-A longitudinal perspective. Asian J Psychiatr. 89:103796.(IF=9.5, SNIP=1.6, CiteScore=10.9, RANK=12/209, Highest%=94)
  6. Gossage LE, Narayanan A, Dipnall JF, Berk M, Sumich A, Haslbeck JMB, Iusitini L, Wrapson W, Tautolo ES, Siegert R. (2023) Understanding suicidality in Pacific adolescents in New Zealand using network analysis. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 53(5):826-842.(IF=9.5,SNIP=1.3, CiteScore=6.1, RANK=92/577, Highest%=84)
  7. Penalba-Sánchez L, Oliveira-Silva P, Sumich A.L, Cifre I. (2023) Increased functional connectivity patterns in mild Alzheimer's disease: A rsfMRI study. Front Aging Neurosci.14:1037347. (IF=5.7,SNIP=1.34, CiteScore=6.4, RANK=25/107, Highest%=77)
  8. Crook-Rumsey, M., Howard, C.J., Doborjeh, Z., Doborjeh, M., Espinosa-Ramos, J., Kasabov,N., Sumich, A., (2023) Spatiotemporal EEG Dynamics of Prospective Memory in Ageing and Mild Cognitive Impairment. Cog Computation. (IF=5.24, SNIP=1.5, Citescore=8.6,Rank=78/747, Highest%=89)
  9. Sumich, A., Heym, N., Lenzoni, S., Hunter, K.(2022). Gut microbiome-brain axis and inflammation in temperament, personality and psychopathology; Current Opinion in Behavioural Science 45, 101101(IF=3.3, SNIP=1.591, CiteScore=7.7, RANK=5/79, Highest%=94).
  10. Crook-Rumsey., M., Howard., C.J. Hadjiefthyvoulou., F. Sumich, A (2022). Neurophysiological markers of prospective memory and working memory in typical ageing and mild cognitive impairment. Clinical Neurophysiology133:111-125 (IF=3.71, SNIP=1.568, CiteScore=6.2, RANK=5/40, Highest%=88)
  11. Siegert RJ, Narayanan A, Dipnall J, Gossage L, Wrapson W, Sumich A, Merien F, Berk M,Paterson J, Tautolo ES. (2022). Depression, anxiety and worry in young Pacific adults in New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 48674221115641. (IF=3.8, SNIP=1.72, Citescore=6.4, Rank=62/502, Highest%=87)
  12. Gossage L, Narayanan A, Dipnall J.F, Iusitini L, Sumich A, Berk M, Wrapson W, Tautolo ES, Siegert R. (2022). Risk factors for depression in Pacific adolescents in New Zealand: Anetwork analysis J Affect Disord. 311:373-382. (IF=4.839, SNIP=1.765, Citescore=6.3, Rank=27/283, Highest %=90).
  13. Doborjeh M, Doborjeh Z, Merkin A, Bahrami H, Sumich A, Krishnamurthi R, Medvedev ON, Crook-Rumsey M, Morgan C, Kirk I, Sachdev PS, Brodaty H, Kang K, Wen W, Feigin V, Kasabov N. (2021) Personalised predictive modelling with brain-inspired spiking neural networks of longitudinal MRI neuroimaging data and the case study of dementia. NeuralNetwork144:522-539(IF=9.66, SNIP=2.808, CiteScore=13.1, RANK= 2/107, Highest%=98)
  14. Stacey, JE., Crook-Rumsey, M., Sumich, A., Howard, CJ., Crawford, T., Livne, K., Lenzoni, S., Badham S(2021).Age differences in resting state EEG and their relation to eye movements and cognitive performance. Neuropsychologia157:107887 (IF=3.139, SNIP=1.105, Citescore=5.1, Rank=28/148, Highest%=81)
  15. Finaulahi, K.P., Sumich, A., Heym, N. et al. (2021) Investigating Psychometric Properties of the Self-Compassion Scale Using Rasch Methodology. Mindfulness . https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01539-8
  16. Doborjeh Z, Doborjeh M, Crook-Rumsey M, Taylor T, Wang GY, Moreau D, Krägeloh C, Wrapson W, Siegert RJ, Kasabov N, Searchfield G, Sumich A. (2020) Interpretability of Spatiotemporal Dynamics of the Brain Processes Followed by Mindfulness Intervention in a Brain-Inspired Spiking Neural Network Architecture. Sensors; 20(24):7354.
  17. Burleigh, T.L., Griffiths, M.D., Sumich, A., Wang, G.Y., Kuss,D.J Gaming disorder and internet addiction: A systematic review of resting-state EEG studies.Addictive Behaviors, 107, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106429
  18. Heym N., Kibowski F., Bloxsom C.A.J. Blanchard A., Harper A., Wallace L., Firth J., Sumich A (2020) The Dark Empath: Characterising dark traits in the presence of empathy Personality and Individual Differences  IF=2.31, SNIP=1.13
  19. Fido, D. Heym, N., Bloxsom, C.A.J., Hunter, K., Gregson, M.  and Sumich, A., (2020). Don't slap the fish: the relationship between dietary Omega-3 intake and physical aggression is mediated by motor inhibition in response to distressed faces. Personality and Individual Differences IF=2.31, SNIP=1.13
  20. Blanchard A, Dunn T, Sumich A. (2020) Testing the Hot-Crazy Matrix: Borderline personality traits in attractive women and wealthy unattractive men are relatively favoured by the opposite sex. Personality and Individual Differences IF=2.31, SNIP=1.13
  21. Burleigh TL, Griffiths MD, Sumich A, Stavropoulos V, Kuss DJ (2020) A systematic review of the co-occurrence of Gaming Disorder and other potentially addictive behaviors. Current Addiction Reports 6 (4), 383-401
  22. Feng YC, Krahé C, Meeten F, Sumich A, Mok CLM, Hirsch CR. (2020) Impact of imagery-enhanced interpretation training on offline and online interpretations in worry. Behav Res Ther. 124:103497. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2019.103497. IF=4.31, SNIP=1.79
  23. Burleigh TL, Griffiths MD, Sumich A, Stavropoulos V, Kuss DJ (2020) A systematic review of the co-occurrence of Gaming Disorder and other potentially addictive behaviors. Current Addiction Reports 6 (4), 383-401
  24. Feng YC, Krahé C, Sumich A, Meeten F, Lau JYF, Hirsch CR. (2019) Using event-related potential and behavioural evidence to understand interpretation bias in relation to worry. Biol Psychol. 148:107746. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107746. IF=2.63, SNIP=1.12
  25. Doborjeh Z, Doborjeh M, Taylor T, Kasabov N, Wang GY, Siegert R, Sumich A. (2019). Spiking Neural Network Modelling Approach Reveals How Mindfulness Training Rewires the Brain. Sci Rep. 9(1):6367. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-42863-x. IF=4.1, SNIP=1.24
  26. Heym, N., Heasman, BC., Hunter, K., Blanco, SR., Wang, G., Siegert, R., Cleare, A., Gibson, GR., Kumari, V., Sumich, AL (2019), The role of microbiota and inflammation in self-judgement and empathy: implications for understanding the brain-gut-microbiome axis in depression. Psychopharmacology Psychopharmacology (Berl) 236 (5) 1459-1470. IF=3.2, SNIP=.87
  27. Sumich, A., Anderson, JD., Howard, CJ, Heym, N., Castro, A, Belmonte, MK (2018) Reduction in lower-alpha power during Ganzfeld flicker stimulation is associated with the production of images and trait positive schizotypy. Neuropsychologia 121:7987 IF=2.88, SNIP=1.04

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