Dr Tsen Vei Lim

Position Governing Body Fellow Junior Research Fellow
School Clinical Medicine Department of Psychiatry (inc Brain Mapping Unit and Developmental Psychopathology
Email tvl22@cam.ac.uk
X Profile @TVLim94
Department link Dept of Psychiatry

Tsen Vei is a 'Society for the Study of Addiction' Academic Fellow at the Department of Psychiatry. As a cognitive neuroscientist, he is interested in understanding the neurocognitive dysfunctions associated with substance use disorders.

Tsen Vei earned his BSc in Psychology from the University of Bath in 2017. Motivated by his interest in neuroscience and mental health, he obtained a PhD in Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge under the supervision of Professor Karen Ersche. His doctoral research used computational modelling to investigate the nature of reinforcement learning impairments and aberrant habit formation in cocaine use disorder.

In 2022, he was appointed as a Research Associate in the Department of Psychiatry, where he continued his work on applying computational models of cognition to understand the mechanisms underlying addictive behaviours. In 2024, he was awarded a Griffith Edwards Academic Fellowship by the Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA) to study the computational and biological substrates of risky decisions in cocaine use disorder. He joined Wolfson College as a Junior Research Fellow in January 2025.

The long-term use of addictive drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines, and opioids, is thought to alter brain systems integral for adaptive behaviour, including learning, memory, and impulse control. Changes in these brain systems are presumed to lead to addictive behaviours (e.g., risky drug use, overwhelming drug cravings). However, it is unclear how an ‘addicted’ brain generates these impairments, thereby posing a challenge for developing effective treatments.

Tsen Vei’s research seeks to bridge this knowledge gap by adopting a computational psychiatry approach – using mathematical algorithms to understand how the brain generates psychiatric symptoms and behaviour. By modelling behaviour mathematically, this approach enables researchers to quantify unobservable cognitive subprocesses, offering precise insights into how maladaptive behaviours are generated.

His current research combines behavioural paradigms, neuroimaging, and computational analysis to map the neurocomputational profiles of substance use disorders. By identifying the mechanisms that drive maladaptive behaviour, Tsen Vei hopes that his research could support the development of targeted treatments.

What's on

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Wolfson Bulb Trail

18/04/2026 at 10.00

Our new bulb trail allows you to enjoy our thoughtfully planted displays and explore our beautiful College Gardens at your own pace.

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Art Exhibition: 'Epic Journeys'

18/04/2026 at 10.00

Visit Wolfson's latest exhibition 'Epic Journeys' featuring work by distinguished artist Hassan Aliyu.

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Lessons from WHO Non-Communicable Disease Initiative about Chronic Disease

21/04/2026 at 17.30

What links osteoporosis and heart disease? Dr Gordon Klein reveals surprising connections between two of ageing's biggest health challenges, and what they mean for prevention.