Samson Nivins

Samson Nivins is a postdoctoral fellow at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, specializing in perinatal and pediatric neurology. He completed his doctoral degree at the University of Auckland under world-renowned Distinguished Professor Dame Jane E. Harding, focusing on MRI and DTI in children with history of neonatal hypoglycemia. Previously, he completed his master's at Karolinska Institutet on 18-FDG-PET in differentiating MCI and AD patients, supervised by dementia pioneered Professor Agneta Nordberg. He was trained in radiology and nuclear medicine in India, developed a pediatric brain PET database, and has a strong interest in early biomarkers for neurological disorders.

Current research:

Currently, he is working on the effects of preterm birth on brain development, cognitive development, and risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, along with Professors Ulrika Arden and Torkel Klingberg, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. 

Honours:

• The Student Leadership Award, The University of Auckland (2022)
• Winner of the School of Graduate Studies Research Showcase Talent - Poster presentation (Public choice award) (2021)
• Winner of the Three Mins Elevation Pitch 2020, Trans-Tasman Fetal and Neonatal Conference (2020)
• Runner-up of the Three Mins Elevation Pitch 2019, The Liggins Student Day (2019)
• Sir Graham (Mont) Liggins Scholarship Award for PhD, 2018
• VIT-Travel Scholarship (2015, INR 75, 000 (10, 000SEK))

Education:

• Ph.D Medicine (Perinatal) - Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland (Defended in 2022),  Principal Supervisor: Distingused Professor Dame               Jane Harding  (https://profiles.auckland.ac.nz/j-harding)
• M.S (Major- Neuroradiology) - Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge (Defended in 2015), Princpal Supervisor: Professor Agneta Nordberg 
  (https://ki.se/nvs/portratt-av-professor-agneta-nordberg)

Leadership:

• Vice-Chair for Career Development , KI Postdoctoral position, Karolinska Institutet (Jan 2025 – Present)

• Treasurer, KI Postdoctoral position, Karolinska Institutet (Jan 2024 – Dec 2024)
• Liggins Student Representative, The University of Auckland (2020 – 2022)
• Member of the Liggins Post-Graduate Committee and Health Safety and Wellness Committee (2020 – 2022)

Skills and Techniques:

• Experienced in Brain (Neonatal, Early-and Mid childhood, and adults), Spine, Musculoskeletal, and Gastro MR imaging

Achievements:

• interviewed by Jessica Romeo, Senior Editor @ Scholastic (Science World magazine, U.S., Texas), to discuss screen use among children (BrainRot), a hot and widely discussed topic
• Plenary speaker for the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD), San Diego, California. January 15- January 19, 2025. Title: The Cost of Constant Connection: How Social Media Shapes Young Minds
• Interviewed by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Katherine Ellison about the negative effects of digital media use in children with ADHD, San Diego, January 19, 2025
• Participated in a roundtable discussion on the impact of online platforms on minors organized by the European Commission in Brussels on September 24, 2024, for Digital Service Act (DSA) policymaking (https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC141090); news (https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC141090)
• My article on the long-term impact of digital media on brain development in children has been in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric (15000 people accessed the article within six months) 

Professional Memberships and Activities

• Member, Newborn brain society
• Guest reviewer for Imaging Neuroscience, Acta psychologica, Journal of Integrative Neuroscience, Brain and Behaviour, Journal of Neuroscience Research, BMC Neurology, Frontiers in Neurology/Pediatrics/Psychiatry, and MDPI (Peer-reviewed: 25+ articles)

Prenatal exposure and offspring health outcomes
ADHD

Preterm birth

Early-life events
Cardiometabolic problems
Neurodevelopmental delay
Brain Imaging