Dr. MUSA Aminu is a neuroscientist and science communication expert with a doctorate in addiction neuroscience.

Dr. Musa is one of the co-founders of Khirana Healthcare, an organization that seeks to bridge some of the barriers to treatment that have been identified by the UNODC, especially in Nigeria and in South Africa.    In South Africa, he supports the Missionvale care centre, Port Elizabeth, with his expertise towards better responding to drug-related issues in underserved communities

 Dr. Musa’s research focuses on understanding the negative effects of THC and CBD on the developing adolescent brain, especially as it pertains to addiction, which impairs memory and learning.

His work addresses current concerns about cannabis legalization and the adolescent brain, especially as African countries move toward legalizing cannabis.

His personal experience with addiction fuels his passion. Dr Musa struggled with substance use disorder (SUD)for nearly a decade. Today, he celebrates 15 years of sobriety, dedicating his career pursuits to better understanding the addicted brain and how to help it.

For over a decade, Dr Musa has worked with multiple non-governmental organizations (NGOs) providing treatment for SUDs in Nigeria. He has also been involved in two United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) projects involving sensitization on drug use, prevention, treatment, and care; as well as the implementation of drug educational modules for school children. Dr Musa is experienced in developing evidence-based programmes that support community-based organisations in underserved communities, in responding to issues related to substance use disorder; including developing drug education and prevention modules for school children.

As a science communication expert, he supported the DS-I Africa initiative on public health data and pandemic preparedness through the INFORM Africa project, which pivots from the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria.