Our lab

My research interests focus on the cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms involved in reward processing, decision-making, substance use and their commonly comorbid conditions. After my Master’s degrees in Health Sciences and Biological Psychology at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, I obtained my Ph.D. in Cognitive Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge (UK). The latter work investigated how human reinforcement systems guide behaviour and how these pathways are organized in the brain both in health and disease (Parkinson’s). During my post-doctoral work with Marco Leyton, I applied this background to the study of drug-seeking behaviour measuring dopamine responses to cocaine ingestion and cocaine related cues. More recently, I have identified, within a longitudinal birth cohort, a high-risk trajectory for substance use during adolescence characterized by impulsive traits and altered responses to reward and punishment. These individuals are being followed prospectively using multimodel neuroimaging (PET, fMRI, rsMRI and dMRI) to identify factors that affect the development of early onset, commonly comorbid conditions. Finally, I enjoy teaching at Dawson College in their department of Psychology and feel passionate about integrating students in my research. In support of this I have co-developed and coordinate the Dawson Research in Neuroscience Program that offers students hands-on experience with research in the field of neuroscience through internships and extra-curricular activities.

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I completed my Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario under the supervision of Dr. J Bruce Morton. During my graduate studies, I examined how adversity affects the mesolimbic dopamine pathway and externalizing traits. This work showed that children who had experienced more adversities were more impulsive and learned faster from rewards. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we then showed that the link between adversity and reward processing was partially mediated by ventral striatal responses to rewards. Working with Dr. Leyton and his team in the TAB lab will provide me the opportunity to investigate further links between adversity, dopaminergic function, and externalizing traits. The primary objective of my postdoctoral work is to examine how the combination of adversity, externalizing traits, and low midbrain D2 auto-receptor availability increases risk for psychopathology. Thus, this project overlaps substantially with my research interests while increasing the tools and approaches at my disposal as I prepare for a faculty position.  Outside the lab, I love reading and writing fiction.

I am interested in looking at whether a combination of behavioural traits, childhood trauma, and dopamine receptor levels in the brain can predict psychiatric outcomes in youth followed from birth. To address this question, we are conducting in-depth interviews and PET neuroimaging in young adults who have been followed since birth. This work is important for contributing to a better understanding of 

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1) the causes of mental illness
2) the way psychiatric diagnoses are classified either as discrete categories or continuous dimensions, and 
3) early intervention targets which aim to prevent the development of psychiatric disorders.

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In my free time, I love going on hikes and spending time outdoors immersed in nature :)
Feel free to email me if you have any questions at maisha.iqbal@mail.mcgill.ca

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Maja has a B.Sc. in Neuroscience from McMaster University, where her undergraduate thesis project was a meta-analysis exploring the neural correlates of reactive aggression in antisocial individuals. Now,as a graduate student, she is interested in understanding the neurobiological basis of psychiatric disorders. Her current project is a multimodal neuroimaging study (PET / fMRI) in longitudinally followed youth. She is testing a recently developed three- factor model of low midbrain dopamine autoreceptor availability, childhood maltreatment and high externalizing traits to predict early onset mental health problems. She is also analyzing fMRI data to examine the neural responses to alcohol cues in individuals at risk for developing substance use disorders.

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My field of work rises at the intersection between psychology and genetics. In particular, I am interested in understanding the neuro-epigenetics of cocaine addiction. In my project, I use PET neuroimaging and post-mortem studies to focus on enzymes called histone deacetylases. We are analyzing whether cocaine use and early life adversity could impact the levels of these enzymes. On the long term, we hope that this will contribute to deciphering complex gene-environment interactions related to brain and behavior in addiction. Outside the lab, I love reading and creative writing.

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Hussein is a highly enthusiastic Ph.D. candidate whose main interest is to develop a PET probe to noninvasively measure extracellular glutamate levels in the brain. His innovative research entails simultaneous in-vivo microdialysis and PET imaging in non-anesthetized, awake rodents.

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Hussein’s interest in radiopharmaceuticals, particularly their diagnostic and therapeutic applications, led him to complete his M.Sc. degree in Radiopharmaceutics and PET Radiochemistry at King’s College London (2016). Prior to this, he earned his Pharmacy degree from University of Kerbala (2013). 

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As a registered pharmacist in Canada, Hussein aims to combine his clinical and research background to help support patients.

I have a B.Sc. in Neuroscience from Dalhousie University, where I studied the effects of e-cigarette flavours on users’ dependence, craving, and use. As a graduate student in the TAB lab, I am interested in understanding risk factors associated with the development of psychiatric disorders, particularly substance use disorders. We are currently studying this topic by conducting PET scans and clinical interviews in a group of young adults who have been followed since birth. I am also analyzing a large set of fMRI data to test a recent three-factor model to predict early psychiatric problems that was originally developed using PET neuroimaging data.

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Outside the lab, I enjoy hiking, camping, and knitting.

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