TORONTO, June 6, 2019 /CNW/ – FSD Pharma Inc. (CSE: HUGE) (OTCQB: FSDDF) (FRA: 0K9) (“FSD” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce the addition of two distinguished cannabis researchers to the company’s Scientific Advisory Board (“SAB”).
“It is with great pride that we welcome Dr. Ziva Cooper and Dr. Mallory Loflin to our Scientific Advisory Board. The board, which also includes Dr. Daniel Piomelli and Dr. Ryan Vandrey, is shaping into a very robust body of scientists and researchers under the leadership of my good friend Dr. Pollack and I commend him for his leadership. We are counting on the invaluable input of our SAB members as we continue to explore the value add of potential applications of medicinal grade cannabis and synthetic cannabinoid pharmaceuticals,” said Dr. Raza Bokhari, FSD Executive Co-Chairman & Chief Executive Officer.
Ziva Cooper, Ph.D., is the Research Director of UCLA’s Cannabis Research Initiative in the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences. Dr. Cooper has been overseeing and publishing studies investigating cannabis neurobiology and dependence for over 10 years, including studies examining the effects of these drugs on experimentally induced pain. After receiving her Ph.D. in Biopsychology in 2007 in the field of preclinical psychopharmacology, she moved to Columbia University to focus on translating preclinical studies of psychoactive substances to the clinic using controlled human drug-administration studies. Dr. Cooper’s current research involves understanding the neurobiological, pharmacological, and behavioral variables that influence both the therapeutic potential and adverse effects of cannabis and cannabinoids. She previously served on the National Academies of Sciences Committee on the Health Effects of Cannabis that recently published a comprehensive consensus report of the health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids. Dr. Cooper is a member of the Editorial Board of Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
Mallory Loflin, PhD, is a research scientist for Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHCS) and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry within the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine. Dr. Loflin’s entire research career has been dedicated to the study of cannabinoids, with the aim of informing both prevention efforts for problematic use and development of cannabinoid-based therapeutics. She is currently conducting as Principal Investigator (PI) the first VA-funded cannabinoid clinical trial, “Cannabidiol as an Adjunctive to Prolonged Exposure for the Treatment of PTSD,” as part of a Career Development Award (CDA-2) funded by VA Clinical Science Research & Development (CSR&D). Dr. Loflin is also a co-investigator and consultant on four other ongoing cannabis and cannabinoid research studies, and currently holds a DEA research registration for schedule 1 controlled substances at VA San Diego. She is currently engaged in training efforts for advanced specialization in private-public drug development as part of her CDA-2 award’s training plan.
The SAB is led by Chairman Charles V. Pollack, Jr., M.A., M.D., FACEP, FAAEM, FAHA, FACC, FESC, FCPP, an international leader in emergency medicine and founder of The Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp at Thomas Jefferson University.