Barbara Sahakian

Barbara J. Sahakian FMedSci is Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the Department of Psychiatry and MRC/Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge. She has an international reputation in the fields of cognitive psychopharmacology, neuroethics, neuropsychology, neuropsychiatry and neuroimaging.

In recognition of her achievements in the field of cognitive neuroscience she was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2004. Professor Sahakian is a Fellow of Clare Hall and Bye-Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge. She is currently President Elect of the British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP).

Research
Sahakian’s research is aimed at understanding the neural basis of cognitive, emotional and behavioural dysfunction in order to develop more effective pharmacological and psychological treatments. The focus of her lab is on early detection, differential diagnosis and proof of concept studies using cognitive enhancing drugs. This research utilises neuropsychological tests, such as the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) tests, which she co-invented, and a focus remains on the development of novel tests. Techniques used include psychopharmacological, neuropsychological and neuroimaging (fMRI and PET). Key research areas for her group are Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder, substance abuse, depression and mania. Professor Sahakian has published over 300 papers covering these topics in scientific journals, including many publications in the prestigious scientific and medical journals Science, Nature, Nature Neuroscience, The Lancet and British Medical Journal. The ISI Web of Science database credits her with a Hirsch (h) Index of 84.

Professor Sahakian was one of the first researchers to suggest that attentional dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease could be ameliorated using pharmacotherapy, such as cholinesterase inhibitors. In addition, she was early to highlight the cognitive changes in unipolar and bipolar depression, as well as their significance for functional outcome.

Personal life
After completing a PhD in Experimental Psychology at The University of Cambridge, Sahakian studied for a Diploma in Clinical Psychology and became a Chartered Psychologist. Her husband Professor Trevor Robbins is also a leading neuroscientist, and co-inventor of CANTAB tests.