Meet The 2021/2022 TC3 Fellows

I am using human brain organoids to assess the effect of cannabinoids on controlling epilepsy and seizures.

My goal is to be able to assess which epilepsy patients are most likely to be positive responders to cannabinoid treatment. By assessing the electrical activity of organoids - 3D brain tissue made from a patient's blood sample - I can measure how effective different cannabinoids would be to suppressing a patient’s epilepsy.

To understand perceptions, motivations, and effects of cannabis use in individuals with mood and anxiety disorders including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

With the medical marijuana program and recent legalization Canada is in a unique situation with various challenges including a large controversy and uncertainty about potential risks and beneficial effects of cannabis or specific cannabis products in the area of Mood and Anxiety disorders. Results from the systematic review will inform healthcare decision makers, patients and clinical care providers to identify risk patterns and improve preventative approaches as well as the design of future research projects in this field.

My research is focused on the feasibility of implementing a novel program, CannabisCareRx, in the community pharmacy setting to help pharmacists assess and manage patients using cannabis.

As the number of people using cannabis continues to grow, so does the potential for harms and risks associated with cannabis. The CannabisCareRx program will help pharmacists, who are uniquely positioned as trusted and accessible health care providers, to assess, screen, and manage these risks.

I am a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, studying the role that a prominent endocannabinoid, 2-AG, plays in states of increased dopamine signalling that are prevalent in psychiatric illness.

Using mouse models of dysregulated dopamine signaling, we will characterize 2-AG’s role (along with its downstream signaling pathways) in these disease states, allowing us to better understand how the endocannabinoid system can be targeted to treat dysregulated dopamine. This study focuses on a body of work imperative to better understanding treatment for psychiatric disorders, particularly highlighting the vigilance needed around endocannabinoid modulation in psychiatric disorders.

My project involves modelling epileptiform activity in human cerebral organoids as well as looking at the effects of cannabis compounds on in vitro seizure models.

This work is important to find novel anti-seizure treatments, and eventually develop a personalized drug testing platform for people with epilepsy.

My research project employs a 28-day contingency management abstinence intervention to examine whether reductions in cannabis use will lead to improvements in clinical symptomology and cognitive functioning in patients with major depression.

The findings may demonstrate that reductions in cannabis use may be a viable treatment goal with associated clinical and cognitive benefits. These results can inform clinicians, policymakers, and other key stakeholders on the effects of cannabis in psychiatric populations.

Our Nabilone for Agitation Blinded Intervention Trial (NAB-IT) will investigate the efficacy of a synthetic cannabinoid called nabilone in treating agitation in patients with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s disease.

Current drug treatments for agitation in Alzheimer’s disease, namely antipsychotics, have limited benefits and are associated with a slew of negative health issues. By finding a safer and more effective alternative, we could greatly improve the quality of life for patients and decrease the physical and psychological burden on their caregivers.

My project revolves around the medical chemistry of cannabis and cannabinoids, investigating cannabis as a complex mixture of physiologically active molecules.

Despite its widespread medical use, basic research on the combined effects of chemicals in cannabis at cannabinoid receptors is lacking. Investigations into this chemical complexity along with its associated responses will serve to guide healthcare professionals and maximize the health benefits of medical cannabis prescriptions.

Using anonymous surveys and in-depth interviews, our project aims to better understand cannabis use patterns among individuals with pre-existing substance use disorders and concurrent mood/anxiety disorders.

Cannabis use is common among patients with substance use disorders, however, our understanding regarding patterns and motives for use remains limited. Results from our study will help fill this knowledge gap, and have the potential to educate and inform patients, their families, healthcare providers, policy makers and other stakeholders in this field on the impact of cannabis use in patients with pre-existing substance use disorders.

I am researching the therapeutic potentials of different cannabinoids against epilepsy and its co-morbidities.

Epilepsy is a prevalent disorder among populations that could lead to life threatening conditions. Cannabinoids have been suggested to protect and alleviate symptoms of epilepsy.

My project will involve critical steps to develop new positron emission tomography tools to image the endocannabinoid enzyme, monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), in the human brain.

By developing a novel tool to image components of the endocannabinoid system thought to be involved in pain, anxiety, inflammation, depression and other symptoms of neuropsychiatric conditions, this research will pave the way for future studies in clinical populations. The aim is to use brain imaging in humans to help future scientists better understand the underlying endocannabinoid mechanisms contributing to the experiences of those with mental illness and addictions.

My project aims to assess the effects of cannabinoids in pain, anxiety, memory and disease stages of osteoarthritis in mice.

Cannabis is a potential therapy for osteoarthritis and may provide analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant and disease-modifying effects. The results of this work will inform drug administration protocols for planned clinical studies of cannabis for osteoarthritis pain, as well as provide unique information on the mechanisms by which cannabinoids relieve pain.

My main postdoc project is a pilot trial of the synthetic cannabinoid drug nabilone as a potential treatment for obesity.

Obesity is a serious health concern lacking effective drug treatments. As previous research has suggested a role of the endocannabinoid system in obesity, we aim to test for the first time the hypothesis that a CB1 receptor partial agonist may reduce body weight in adults with obesity, which could represent a significant advance in obesity treatment.

I am studying the role of cannabinoids in altering mitochondrial function.

Cannabinoids have been known to impact mitochondrial function for decades, but recent research demonstrates the presence of CB1 receptors on mitochondria. We hope to be able to help patients suffering from mitochondrial disease by applying CB1 mediated therapies to inducible pluripotent stem cells from patients.

My research project utilizes neuroimaging to investigate how opioid exposure impacts the endogenous cannabinoid system and its involvement in opioid use disorder.

This project will open up many opportunities for future research looking to identify ECS biomarkers for the assessment, identification and prevention of problematic opioid use and provide foundation for potential ECS targeted pharmacotherapies for opioid addiction. This will greatly benefit the millions of people who are at risk of opioid abuse, dependence, addiction and overdose every year and help mitigate the current opioid crisis in North America.

My thesis is focused on the effects of recreational cannabis legalization on emergency department visits and hospitalizations for injury and trauma.

My research will provide insight into how cannabis legalization has affected rates of injury and trauma, such as vehicle collisions and self-harm, and which groups are most affected. This will help guide targeted public health efforts including educational strategies and awareness campaigns to promote cannabis safety and prevent unnecessary injury.

Our research aims to examine the effects of cannabidiol on craving and alcohol consumption in individuals with alcohol use disorder, as well as its neurocognitive effects.

Currently, there are only three approved anti-craving drugs for alcohol use disorders in Canada. If cannabidiol is found to be effective in reducing craving and alcohol consumption, it may provide more treatment options for patients who were unresponsive to the previous medications.

My research is examining the ways in which we we can modulate the hedonic quality of gentle touch.

A better understanding of the neural circuits that underlie gentle touch detection and its perception will aid in the development of therapies for disorders with dysregulated sensory processing such as Autism or chronic pain.

My project focuses on cage-lid hanging behavior, as a translationally relevant outcome measure of pain-associated anhedonia in mice, and evaluates how it could be modulated by cannabinoid compounds.

We want to use this behavioral measurement to standardize the behavioral testing process to evaluate both safety and efficacy profiles of potential cannabinoid compounds to alleviate pain in mice. This project will analyze potential cannabis drug candidates and bridge the translational gap in cannabis research.

I will be using a dopamine deficient mouse model to demonstrate potential beneficial cannabinoid treatments in Parkinson's disease.

Treatments that enhance L-DOPA and reduce the dose required for therapeutic effect are highly desired as they potentially delay the development of L-DOPA induced dyskinesia. Potential cannabinoid drug treatments that would increase L-DOPA efficacy or duration in our model would provide beneficial therapeutic intervention in Parkinson’s disease and could potentially reduce or delay the development of L-Dopa induced dyskinesias.