Department of Psychology

AMU alumna’s research at Oxford University brings her international recognition

 The Aligarh Muslim University alumna Saba Ishrat led a research at the University of Oxford to study the effects of cannabis use on the brain structure and function in older adults. Saba’s ground breaking research has gained significant attention and has been covered by various media outlets worldwide, including BMJ Mental Health journal, internationally recognising its findings and highlighting the importance of this work for public policy.

Prior to starting her DPhil in Oxford, Saba Ishrat completed a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Psychology at Aligarh Muslim University (India) and a second Master’s degree in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Trento (Italy).

Her teacher, Prof Shah Alam, Chairman, Department of Psychology, and Prof Shafey Kidwai, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University congratulated Ms Saba Ishrat for her commendable research that has brought new dimensions to the fore.

It needs to be mentioned that cannabis use has risen globally following its legalization for medical and recreational purposes, yet its effects on the brain in older adults remain understudied.

The team led by Saba Ishrat, conducted the largest observational analysis to date on the relationship between cannabis use and brain structure and function. This research is also the first to employ genetic data to assess causality in this context.

The study’s findings indicate that lifetime cannabis use is associated with several measures of brain structure and function in later life, including lower white matter integrity and weaker resting-state functional connectivity in specific brain regions. However, the study’s genetic analyses did not support a causal link between these observed associations.

The research findings can be read at https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2024-301065.

Alongside her DPhil studies, Saba is the Junior Dean at St Cross College, a committee member at St Edmund Hall's Centre for the Creative Brain, and a student associate of the Society for the Study of Addiction.

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