Junior Dean Wins 2025 St Cross Research Presentation Prize

Junior Dean and Dphil Candidate Saba Ishrat

Nine students took part in this year's St Cross Research Presentation Prize Competition, presenting their academic research in five-minute talks via Zoom on Tuesday 4th March. Each student used a maximum of three PowerPoint slides to communicate their research to an audience of fellow students and academics. 

The winner, chosen by audience vote, was Saba Ishrat (Junior Dean and DPhil in Psychiatry), who received the £300 prize for her presentation, Association between Cannabis Use and Brain Structure and Function. Her research explores the impact of cannabis use on brain structure and function, contributing to a growing body of work on mental health and substance use. 

When asked about the competition and her work Saba commented: 

My DPhil research investigates the impact of cannabis use on brain health. My presentation focused on its associations with brain structure and function in older adults, using observational and genetic association methods to assess potential causal relationships. I am now expanding this work to examine its effects on cognition and dementia risk, and I look forward to sharing my findings once they are complete. 

Presenting to such an engaged and diverse academic audience was an invaluable experience. The insightful feedback from college members across various fields deepened my understanding of my project and its broader implications. Winning the prize was a great honour, but the real highlight was discovering the impressive range of research at St Cross—a testament to the college’s vibrant scholarly community.

More details about Saba’s research can be found in this Open Access publication.