Ali Muqtadir

Graduate student at the University of Stirling - Keywords: Cognition; Football; Dementia

Ali Muqtadir

sam24@stir.ac.uk

Profile Summary

Final-year doctoral researcher investigating the brain health consequences of football heading using neuroimaging (MRI, 7T MR spectroscopy, EEG), brain stimulation, and blood-based biomarkers. Coordinating a live research programme across three Scottish universities, NHS sites, and international partners. Track record of securing independent funding, building cross-disciplinary partnerships and delivering research outputs.

Technical Skills and Methods

Neuroimaging: Structural MRI, 7T MR spectroscopy, EEG acquisition and processing

Brain Stimulation: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), Electromyography (EMG)

Biological Methods: Blood-based biomarkers of brain injury (ultra-sensitive SIMOA immunoassays), venepuncture and peripheral IV cannulation (certified)

Assessment: Structured clinical interviews, cognitive and neuropsychological assessments

Software and Analytical Tools

Neuroimaging: SPM (MATLAB), FSL, FreeSurfer, TARQUIN, Osprey

EEG & Physiological Recording: EEGLAB (MATLAB), BrainVision Analyzer, Biopac Acqknowledge

Programming & Statistics: MATLAB, R, SPSS

Relevant Work Experience

Doctoral Researcher | 2022–Present

University of Stirling (Department of Psychology) — Stirling, UK

  • Designed and delivered a controlled heading paradigm with multi-modal pre/post assessment, recruiting and scanning participants across a multi-visit protocol spanning behavioural testing, EEG, structural MRI, and 7T MR spectroscopy
  • Implemented imaging protocols including structural MRI and 7T MR spectroscopy at the Imaging Centre for Excellence (ICE), Glasgow
  • Collected and analysed blood-based biomarkers of brain injury using ultra-sensitive immunoassays at UK DRI labs, University of Edinburgh
  • Helped create computational simulations of brain biomechanics following heading impacts in collaboration with the Department of Engineering, University of Edinburgh
  • Coordinated a multi-centre research programme across three Scottish university partners and international collaborators (Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany)
  • Led and contributed to funding applications; managed budgets, scheduling, and research output delivery across sites

Research Associate | 2019–2022

Lahore University of Management Sciences — Lahore, PK

  • Contributed to three concurrent research projects on online misinformation, social media communication and digital content virality
  • Co-authored empirical case studies applying a logistic diffusion model to real-world YouTube virality data for Bhimani et al. (2024)
  • Contributed to study design and manuscript drafting for Ali et al. (2022)
  • Trained undergraduate researchers in eye-tracking data collection on a Gazepoint system

Graduate Researcher | 2018

King’s College London (Department of Psychosis Studies) — London, UK

  • Investigated the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on probabilistic learning in schizophrenia, contributing to publications in Psychiatry Research and Scientific Reports
  • Administered tDCS protocols, structured clinical interviews (PANSS), and cognitive assessments within a clinical research setting

Funding & Awards

Award Year
RS MacDonald Facility Access Funding — Supported access to UK DRI labs at the University of Edinburgh for advanced blood biomarker analysis 2025
SINAPSE Early Career Exchange Fund — Funding to support cross-institutional collaboration with Medical Imaging Physics at Forschungszentrum Jülich 2022
Medical Research Scotland PhD Studentship 2022–2026
Academic Merit Scholarship, University of Central Punjab 2013–2016

Education

Ph.D. Psychology | 2022–Present University of Stirling — Stirling, UK

  • Thesis: The heading brain: Multi-modal investigation of acute brain health consequences of football heading
  • Funded by Medical Research Scotland (4-year studentship)

M.Sc. Neuroscience | 2018 King’s College London — London, UK

  • Thesis: Effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on probabilistic learning in patients with schizophrenia
  • Specialisation in Neuroimaging and Cognitive Neuroscience

B.Sc. (Hons) Psychology | 2016 University of Central Punjab — Lahore, PK

Publication History

* Shared First Authorship

In Preparation

  • Muqtadir, S. A., Aston, T., Reid, K.R., Moran, C., Hunt, D., Ietswaart, M. Acute temporal dynamics of plasma biomarkers following a controlled football heading paradigm.
  • Muqtadir, S. A., Aston, T., Moran, C., Henning, A., Ietswaart, M. Football heading and the forces at play.

Published / Preregistered

  • Muqtadir, S. A., Aston, T., Moran, C., Ietswaart, M. (2025). The effect of football heading on blood biomarkers of brain injury. ISRCTN. https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN44241334 [Preregistration]
  • Bhimani, A., Zainulabdin, K., Ali, K., Ali Muqtadir, S., & Hausken, K. (2024). Social media virality: Reaching the tipping point. Journal of International Business Research and Marketing, 8(3), 27–41. https://doi.org/10.18775/jibrm.1849-8558.2015.83.3003
  • Ali, K., Li, C., Zain-ul-abdin, K., & Muqtadir, S. A. (2022). The effects of emotions, individual attitudes towards vaccination, and social endorsements on perceived fake news credibility and sharing motivations. Computers in Human Behavior, 134, 107307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107307
  • Orlov, N. D.*, Muqtadir, S. A.*, Oroojeni, H., Averbeck, B., Rothwell, J., & Shergill, S. S. (2022). Stimulating learning: A functional MRI and behavioral investigation of the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on stochastic learning in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Research, 317, 114908. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114908
  • Orlov, N. D.*, Sanderson, J.*, Muqtadir, S. A.*, Kalpakidou, A. K., Michalopoulou, P. G., Lu, J., & Shergill, S. S. (2021). The effect of training intensity on implicit learning rates in schizophrenia. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 6511. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85686-5

Teaching and Supervision

University of Stirling | 2022–Present

  • Supervised undergraduate research projects and ran tutorials in psychology
  • Conducted lab demonstrations for master’s students, including practical TMS sessions
  • Facilitated interdisciplinary Crucible workshops as Faculty Officer, bringing together researchers across disciplines

Lahore University of Management Sciences | 2019–2022

  • Delivered lectures on research methods for undergraduate students