Faissal Sharif
About
Faissal Sharif is a neuroscientist and journalist who centres his work on the convergence of brain, technology, and society.
With a robust academic foundation in neuroscience and neurotechnology spanning various institutions across the UK, Netherlands, US, and Hong Kong, he is at the forefront of cutting-edge research. At the University of Oxford, Faissal investigates biological markers of psychiatric symptoms and their treatment using neurotechnology.
As the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Memnun, he focuses on creating a mental health platform tailored to the needs of BIPOC communities, emphasizing culturally sensitive care and digital health interventions. Simultaneously, he spearheads the Neuroethics division at the Institute for Internet & the Just Society, a forward-thinking think tank dedicated to addressing contemporary structural and societal challenges in our digital world.
Beyond academia, Faissal offers strategic advice to startups, organisations, and individuals, harnessing his expertise in psychology and neuroscience to enhance wellbeing and boost productivity.
Expertise
- Neuroscience
- Mental Health
- Neurotechnology
- Neuroethics
- Social Media Addiction
- Non-invasive Brain Stimulation
- Digital Health
- Intercultural Mental Health
Selected publications
- Enduring human brain changes after psilocybin (Nature Neuroscience, 2023, under review)
- Per Tagtraum aus der Depression (Neues Deutschland, 2021)
- Blutende Leber, offenes Herz (Qamar Magazin 2021)
- Your Brain on Social Media (Institute for Internet & the Just Society, 2020)
Media experience
Faissal Sharif has experience engaging with the media, having been interviewed for topics such as the impact of social media on mental health and the potential of neurostimulation for treating psychiatric disorders. He has also participated in podcasts, radio interviews and TV documentaries exploring mental health, neuroscience, and neuroethics.
Watch online
Transgenerationale Traumata in der afghanischen Diaspora - Panel #1 (youtube.com)
Recent media work
- How psychoactive mushrooms work in the brain (Deutschlandfunk Kultur, podcast, 2023)
- Apps that ask if you've invested your time well (Berliner Zeitung, 2021)
- How social networks make users addicted (Berliner Zeitung, 2020)
- In the customer's brain: Companies know what you're going to buy before you know it (Berliner Zeitung, 2020)