Rebekah Smikle-Bernard

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

  • Centre for Reproductive Health, Institute for Regeneration and Repair
  • Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research

Contact details

Address

Street

Centre for Reproductive Health
Institute for Regeneration and Repair
Edinburgh BioQuarter
4-5 Little France Drive

City
Edinburgh
Post code
EH16 4UU

Biography

Background

I am a postdoctoral researcher in translational neuroscience and neurodevelopment, applying techniques in epigenetic epidemiology, neuroimaging and neuropsychology to study brain health and cognition across development. I hold a PhD in Translational Neuroscience, funded by Wellcome, from the University of Edinburgh (supervisors: Prof James Boardman, Dr Hilary Richardson, Prof Simon Cox). I am predominantly interested in exploring molecular (primarily epigenetic) biomarkers of brain development and cognitive development in children at risk of adverse brain health-related outcomes. 

Qualifications

PhD Translational Neuroscience, funded by Wellcome, University of Edinburgh (2026)

MSc Neuroscience in Neurodegeneration, King's College London (2020)

BSc Neuroscience, University College London (2019)

Research summary

My PhD thesis investigated the impact of preterm birth and perinatal inflammation in cognitive and brain development by integrating neonatal DNA methylation (DNAm)-based biomarkers, cognitive assessments and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from children.

My postdoctoral research primarily integrates MRI and DNAm to investigate targets in immune pathways that lead to atypical brain development of preterm infants. 

Current research interests

neurodevelopment | epigenetic epidemiology | neuroimaging | neuropsychology

Past research interests

neurodegeneration

Affiliated research centres

Past project grants

Wellcome Trust Translational Neuroscience PhD Studentship and Transition Award (218493/Z/19/Z; 2021-2026)

Conference details

World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics, Glasgow, UK, 2026. Poster: Protein epigenetic scores derived in neonatal saliva as biomarkers of childhood cognition.

Pediatric Academic Societies meeting, Boston, USA, 2026. Oral presentation: Neonatal methylation-based predictors of childhood cognition.

Joint congress of European Neonatal Societies, Belgrade, Serbia, 2025. Short Oral presentation: Neonatal methylation-based predictors of cognition at 2 and 5 years of age.

Neonatal society Summer Meeting, Birmingham, UK, 2025: Oral presentation: Neonatal methylation-based predictors of childhood cognition.

Neonatal Society and Fetal & Neonatal Physiological Society Joint Summer Conference, Nottingham, UK, 2024: Oral presentation: Parental report of pre-school language, attention and executive function: correlational structure of measures and applications to prematurity.

British Psychological Society Developmental Psychology Section, Glasgow, UK, 2024: Poster: Parental report of pre-school language, attention and executive function: correlational structure of measures and applications to prematurity.

Invited speaker

Parental report of language, attention and executive functions at two years: correlational structure and applications to prematurity. Developmental Assessment and Intervention Research group, City St Georges University of London (28 January 2025; virtual presentation).

Organiser

Scottish Neuroscience Group Meeting (28 August 2026; Edinburgh, UK)

Smikle, R., Mckinnon, K., Vaher, K., Turner, H., Cruickshank, H., Amir, R., Chua, Y. W., Conole, E. L. S., Reynolds, R. M., Batty, G. D., Tsanas, A., Murphy, L., Whalley, H. C., Marioni, R. C., Cox, S. R., & Boardman, J. P. (2026). Protein epigenetic scores derived in neonatal saliva as biomarkers of childhood cognition. Molecular Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-026-03702-4

Smikle, R., Vaher, K., Jiménez-Sánchez, L., Corrigan, A., Turner, H., Fletcher-Watson, S., Cox, S.R., Richardson, H., & Boardman, J.P. (2026). Parental report of language, attention and executive functions at two years: correlational structure of measures and applications to prematurity. [version 2; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]. Wellcome Open Research, 10, 317. https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.24065.2  

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