Meet The 2022/2023 TC3 Fellows

Our group is conducting a clinical pilot trial investigating nabilone as a potential treatment for obesity. Determining the neural mechanisms of nabilone treatment will advance our understanding of the role of the endocannabinoid system in appetite and weight regulation.

Cannabis is a potential therapy for osteoarthritis and may provide analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and disease-modifying effects. The research results will inform drug administration protocols for planned clinical studies of cannabis for OA pain and provide unique information on how cannabinoids relieve pain.

While this research is first and foremost fundamental in nature, a better understanding of how (endo)cannabinoid signaling contributes to memory formation can guide us in understanding the basis of how memories are formed and stored in the brain under different circumstances.

This research is important because it has the potential to provide evidence for altered endocannabinoid system functioning in people with social anxiety disorder. As such, these findings may be used to inform the development of new treatments targeting the endocannabinoid system in the future.

Individuals that use cannabis to manage their PTSD symptoms often report mixed outcomes; whether cannabis is exacerbating or ameliorating their PTSD symptoms is inconclusive due to a lack of controlled studies. Results from our study will help fill this knowledge gap and may inform patients, healthcare providers, policy makers, and other key stakeholders on the effects of cannabis in PTSD.

This is the first controlled study examining the effects of cannabis on behavioural outcomes in major depression, which may inform treatment planning for this concurrent disorder. Moreover, the findings may inform sex- and gender-specific treatment planning for cannabis use disorder.

Our research will identify novel mechanisms in how cannabis exposure during a critical neurodevelopmental window may predispose individuals to adverse psychiatric consequences. In identifying how this occurs, potential therapeutic targets can be found to ameliorate the long-term psychiatric symptoms following chronic, adolescent cannabis use.

Investigating biomarkers of agitation severity and response to nabilone will help identify subgroups of agitated patients who are more likely to benefit from nabilone treatment. Having an effective drug treatment for agitation in AD could greatly improve the quality of life for patients and decrease the physical and psychological burden on their caregivers.

A pharmaceutical-grade formulation of cannabidiol that provides extended stability and improved absorption can be used to address a range of clinical applications, including sleep disorders. Achieving such a formulation can increase the bioavailability of the cannabinoid, allowing for the development of new therapies.

By determining motivations and expectancies of the effects of cannabis use in individuals with Social Anxiety Disorder in comparison to the psychiatrically healthy population that uses cannabis, we are hoping to plan better cannabis use prevention and treatment efforts.

Since cannabis legalization in Canada, its use and abuse have increased and have devastating results on road safety. Characterization of the differences in driving under the influence of cannabis between populations can inform policies designed to lower the risk of unsafe driving.

Our study assesses the benefits and/or disadvantages of cannabis in OA patients, which is necessary to establish new guidelines for the prescription of cannabis and to develop novel cannabinoid-based therapies tailored for the treatment of pain and inflammation. A better understanding of CBD and its enantiomers will allow us to explore their stereoselectivity to receptors within the endocannabinoid system and expand on their therapeutic potentials.

The prevalence of cannabis use in the population is growing, and there is an increased demand to comprehend both its acute and chronic effects on brain; not only to minimize harm and treat cannabis related disorders, but also to make use of its potential therapeutic properties. My project aims to better understand the effects of cannabis on the human brain, and will generate new knowledge that may help move forward therapeutics for cannabis related conditions.

The study could help us understand why certain individuals receiving the same treatments for chronic pain develop opioid addiction while others do not. As opioids will continue to be essential medications in the healthcare system, we hope this research can better inform the current opioid prescribing guidelines and help mitigate the ongoing opioid crisis.

This research is important and needed to advance knowledge regarding cannabis use among men and women with bipolar disorder across the lifespan, in order to enable more personalized prevention and intervention strategies. Most importantly, this research would benefit individuals with bipolar disorder, alongside clinicians who treat these individuals, and other key stakeholders

Using the CRISPR-Cas9 approach we explored the contribution of central cannabinoid receptors to the complex Metabolic Syndrome phenotype including weight gain, insulin resistance, glucose deregulation, and lipids alterations. This study aims to develop a new therapeutic approach targeting cannabinoid receptors in a cell-type and region-specific manner using the RNA targeting CRISPR-Cas7-11S.

Currently, there is no FDA-approved medication for CUD, and the most prominent treatment is psychotherapies. Unfortunately, not all patients are responsive to therapy; hence, understanding which individuals are more likely to benefit from the available treatment is essential.

Identifying factors that influence the effects of cannabis on cognition is important, particularly in the context of driving, a task that relies on a wide range of cognitive domains. Our research has the potential to inform policy related to driving and cannabis use.