A study into the association between cannabis use and psychosis has landed a Maltese clinical psychiatrist a place among the top 30 scientists in Europe.
Anton Grech and his work have been featured in a prestigious publication called Portraits of Science, Scientists of Tomorrow, issued by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations.
This publication, which marks the federation's 30th anniversary, celebrates the works of 30 chosen researchers from 30 countries, and collects their testimonies and expectations of their careers in Europe.
The federation hopes the success stories of these researchers will inspire entire future generations of scientists and provide a showcase for the innovation potential of Europe.
Dr Grech was flattered by the news: "Research tends to be a lonely and thankless area of work, and one does not expect recognition for his work. So in those rare circumstances when a scientist's research is recognised, the feeling is very good," he said when contacted.
When he received the news that he was one of the 30 scientists chosen for Portraits of Science, Scientists of Tomorrow, Dr Grech's initial reaction was one of disbelief.
"But when reality sank in, I was very happy. The best satisfaction a medical researcher like me can get is when he realises that his research has contributed to decrease the suffering of a sick person, even if it's by a little," he said.
In his profile, the publication features Dr Grech's work to further develop a large project at the Institute of Psychiatry, London.
In the study, neuropsychological assessments were carried out on patients with schizophrenia, and their immediate relatives.
The aim was to discover markers for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder that could be used to detect the predisposing genes and environmental factors that influence the development of these disorders.
One of the possible causes of schizophrenia was exposure to influenza before birth, so Dr Grech carried out an epidemiological study on this, where 17,247 patients with this illness in England and Wales were studied. Studies suggested that paranoid schizophrenia, a subtype of this illness, was the one mostly associated with exposure to influenza before birth.
"The findings of my study did not support this. This finding was important because it has shown that to better understand the association between schizophrenia and exposure to influenza before birth, we need to study other subtypes," he said.
Later, Dr Grech went on to become the first author of a paper named Cannabis Use and the Outcome of Recent Onset Psychosis, which was published in the journal European Psychiatry.
His co-authors were all high-profile psychiatrists, and the paper focused on a study they had conducted at the Institute of Psychiatry as part of a larger investigation to establish the predictors of social and clinical outcome in psychosis.
Dr Grech said that 119 patients with recent onset psychosis were followed for four years from being admitted to hospital and divided into groups according to the duration of their cannabis use.
"Those patients who persisted in using cannabis had a worse outcome of their illness - they suffered from more symptoms and more continuous illness," he said.
This paper is now frequently quoted in literature about the influence that substance abuse can have on the outcome of mental illness.
After these studies, Dr Grech returned to Malta and, together with other researchers, has just finished a project on the epidemiology of psychosis in Malta and Gozo, and the use of illicit drugs by these patients. He will soon embark on a qualitative study on why patients with psychosis find it difficult to stop smoking cannabis.
"I encourage young European scientists to do what my colleagues and I did, and have experience in research in another European country. This will help them grow both as scientists and individuals."