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Marta Di Forti

Professor Marta Di Forti MD, MRCPsych, PhD

Professor of Drug use, Genetics and Psychosis

  • MRC Senior Research Fellow

Research interests

  • Psychiatry

Biography

Marta Di Forti is Professor of Drug use, Genetics and Psychosis at the Department of Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), and Honorary Consultant Adult Psychiatrist, Lambeth EI Community team, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

She leads the first Cannabis Clinic for patients with Psychotic disorders in UK. She was recently awarded the Royal College of Psychiatrist Researcher of the year prize. In 2020, she was granted a MRC Senior Research Fellowship to expand her research in the role of cannabis use in psychosis and its underlying biology. With her team she showed for the first time that use of high potency types of cannabis e.g. "skunk" carries a higher risk of psychosis than use of traditional types and that it affects rates of Psychotic disorders across Europe. Though it still remains unclear who are those cannabis use most at risk. Her future work aims to investigate the interaction between cannabis use and genes predisposing to schizophrenia, and how cannabis changes the epigenome. 

Cannabis & Me Study. Link to online survey: Cannabis & Me

    Research

    vrlab_banner-image_children_placeholder
    IoPPN Virtual Reality Lab

    The IoPPN Virtual Reality Research Lab (VR Lab) is a world-leading multidisciplinary group dedicated to VR based research, assessment and treatments to improve mental health, enhance well-being and promote resilience.

    News

    First specialist NHS clinic provides effective help for young adults with psychosis to decrease or stop their cannabis use

    The NHS Cannabis Clinic for Psychosis (CCP) offers a feasible and effective treatment strategy to help young adult cannabis users to significantly cut down...

    smoking cannabis

    Cannabis use increases risk of psychosis independently from genetic predisposition

    New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust...

    Three cannabis joints pictured on a bed of weed buds

    High-potency cannabis use leaves a distinct mark on DNA – new research

    Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Yet there’s still much we don’t know about it and what effects it has on the brain – including...

    smoking cannabis

    First study to show high potency cannabis use leaves unique signature on DNA

    High potency cannabis use leaves a distinct mark on DNA, according to new research by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s...

    DNA & cannabis

    King's College London spearheads the largest ever independent study into cannabis use

    The Medical Research Council has allocated over £2.5 million of funding to Cannabis & Me, a scientific study into the effects of cannabis on the human brain.

    Cannabis_driving

    Three researchers win awards at the RcPsych Awards 2021

    Dr Marta Di Forti, Prof. Neil Greenberg, and Prof. Carmine Pariante all come out on top in their categories

    Awards

    IoPPN researchers shortlisted for upcoming RCPsych Awards and HSJ Awards 2021

    Several IoPPN researchers and projects have recently been shortlisted for upcoming awards.

    clapping use this one

    Dr Marta Di Forti awarded MRC Senior Clinical Fellowship

    Medical Research Council's Senior Clinical Fellowships support independent Clinical Academics who are emerging as global leaders in their field and want to...

    Dr Marta Di Forti awarded MRC Senior Clinical Fellowship

    Events

    27May

    9th Mediterranean Maudsley Forum

    The 9th Mediterranean Maudsley Forum will provide an update on social, psychological and biological aspects of psychiatric disorders, reviewing both advances...

    Please note: this event has passed.

    20Apr

    Demystifying Impact

    This event is an opportunity to hear from others on their journey toward research impact, with sessions on how to maximise your own impact.

    Please note: this event has passed.

      Research

      vrlab_banner-image_children_placeholder
      IoPPN Virtual Reality Lab

      The IoPPN Virtual Reality Research Lab (VR Lab) is a world-leading multidisciplinary group dedicated to VR based research, assessment and treatments to improve mental health, enhance well-being and promote resilience.

      News

      First specialist NHS clinic provides effective help for young adults with psychosis to decrease or stop their cannabis use

      The NHS Cannabis Clinic for Psychosis (CCP) offers a feasible and effective treatment strategy to help young adult cannabis users to significantly cut down...

      smoking cannabis

      Cannabis use increases risk of psychosis independently from genetic predisposition

      New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust...

      Three cannabis joints pictured on a bed of weed buds

      High-potency cannabis use leaves a distinct mark on DNA – new research

      Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Yet there’s still much we don’t know about it and what effects it has on the brain – including...

      smoking cannabis

      First study to show high potency cannabis use leaves unique signature on DNA

      High potency cannabis use leaves a distinct mark on DNA, according to new research by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s...

      DNA & cannabis

      King's College London spearheads the largest ever independent study into cannabis use

      The Medical Research Council has allocated over £2.5 million of funding to Cannabis & Me, a scientific study into the effects of cannabis on the human brain.

      Cannabis_driving

      Three researchers win awards at the RcPsych Awards 2021

      Dr Marta Di Forti, Prof. Neil Greenberg, and Prof. Carmine Pariante all come out on top in their categories

      Awards

      IoPPN researchers shortlisted for upcoming RCPsych Awards and HSJ Awards 2021

      Several IoPPN researchers and projects have recently been shortlisted for upcoming awards.

      clapping use this one

      Dr Marta Di Forti awarded MRC Senior Clinical Fellowship

      Medical Research Council's Senior Clinical Fellowships support independent Clinical Academics who are emerging as global leaders in their field and want to...

      Dr Marta Di Forti awarded MRC Senior Clinical Fellowship

      Events

      27May

      9th Mediterranean Maudsley Forum

      The 9th Mediterranean Maudsley Forum will provide an update on social, psychological and biological aspects of psychiatric disorders, reviewing both advances...

      Please note: this event has passed.

      20Apr

      Demystifying Impact

      This event is an opportunity to hear from others on their journey toward research impact, with sessions on how to maximise your own impact.

      Please note: this event has passed.