Ayla Pollmann, PhD

I am a Research Scientist working at thymia.ai.

Previously, I worked as a Postdoc in Digital Health and as a Data Scientist after completing my PhD in Psychology.

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Current Research

I am interested in digital health, wearables, and human-computer interaction, and how these can drive more objective approaches to understanding mental health.

Previous Positions

Postdoc

King's College London, Department of AI in Preventive Medicine

Investigated AI and wearable technologies to support maternal and family health, specifically topics such as engagement with and adherence to digital health tools.

Data Scientist & Fellow

Faculty AI / Public Sector Project

Led project using large-scale user data to support community infrastructure. Built dashboards and pipelines; delivered insights on user behaviour.

PhD in Psychology

King’s College London, Department of Psychology

Researched the impact of adversity on brain development and mental health. Analyzed data from large-scale cohort studies (e.g., 15k+ participants) using R and advanced statistical methods (e.g., SEM, ML & network analysis).

Selected Publications

For a full list of publications, see my Google Scholar profile.

2025

A framework for understanding Adverse Adolescent Experiences (AAEs)

NATURE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

Pollmann, A., Bates, K. E., & Fuhrmann, D.

DOI

2023

Making connections: Neurodevelopmental Changes in Brain Connectivity after Adverse Experiences in Early Adolescence

JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE

Pollmann, A., Sasso, R., Bates, K., & Fuhrmann, D.

DOI | Link to code

2022

Networks of Adversity in Childhood and Adolescence and Their Relationship to Adult Mental Health

RESEARCH ON CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

Pollmann, A., Fritz, J., Barker, T., & Fuhrmann, D.

DOI | Link to code