Michael Papasavva is an early-career cognitive neuroscientist affiliated with Queen Mary, University of London, and the Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research in Zimbabwe. His research integrates structural low-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Electroencephalography (ERP/EEG), and developmental assessments (e.g., Griffiths III) to examine cognition, neurodevelopment, and overall well-being in children. His work primarily explores how HIV exposure, growth trajectories, inflammatory biomarkers, and socio-economic determinants influence health and developmental outcomes in traditionally underserved populations.
Michael is a co-investigator and co-recipient of a UKRI Medical Research Council grant supporting the SHINE second follow-up study, which investigates long-term developmental outcomes associated with early-life interventions.
In addition to his research activities, Michael serves as a neurodevelopmental consultant listed on the roster of specialists for the United Nations’ World Health Organization. He also holds adjunct lecturer positions at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, actively engaging in the education and mentorship of medical and neuroscience students.
Dr Papasavva is both a chartered psychologist with the British Psychological Society, and a member of the British Neuroscience Association, where in 2025, he was awarded the Green Neuroscience Award for his pioneering work in solarising a Hyperfine MRI laboratory, a world first.
The Prendergast Group 