IASIC Speaker Series

Tuesday, January 20th @ 3:00 PM Eastern

IASIC Speaker Series is pleased to welcome Dr. Yasmin Hurd, an internationally recognized neuroscientist and leader in translational addiction research. In her talk, “Unlocking the Biological Impact of Developmental Cannabis and Its Psychiatric Risk,” Dr. Hurd will explore cutting-edge evidence on how cannabis exposure during critical developmental periods can alter brain biology and increase vulnerability to psychiatric and substance use disorders later in life. Drawing from decades of preclinical and clinical research, her presentation will provide important insights for researchers, clinicians, and prevention leaders navigating the evolving landscape of cannabis normalization and policy.

Speaker: Dr. Yasmin L. Hurd, Ph.D.

About the Speaker: Dr. Yasmin Hurd is the Ward-Coleman Chair in Translational Neuroscience as well as Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Pharmacological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York. She is also the Director of the Addiction Institute at the Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System. She is an internationally renowned neuroscientist whose preclinical and clinical translational research examines the neurobiology of substance use disorders and related psychiatric disorders with primary focus on opioid abuse and the developmental effects of cannabis. Based on her high scientific accomplishments she was inducted into both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine.

Register here!

Cannabis Vaping, Edibles, and Genetics: What Can we Learn from Animal Models?

Tuesday, February 24th @ 10:00 AM Eastern

The IASIC Speaker Series continues with Dr. Khokhar, a leading researcher in translational neuropsychopharmacology, for a timely webinar titled “Cannabis Vaping, Edibles, and Genetics: What Can We Learn from Animal Models.” Drawing on innovative animal-model research, Dr. Khokhar will examine how emerging routes of cannabis administration—such as vaping and edibles—interact with genetic vulnerability and developmental processes to influence substance use risk. His work offers critical insights into the behavioral, neural, and pharmacokinetic mechanisms shaping today’s rapidly evolving cannabis landscape. 

Speaker:Jibran Y. Khokhar, Ph.D.  

About the Speaker: Dr. Khokhar completed his undergraduate training at Queen’s University, and his Ph.D. in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto and CAMH, under the supervision of Dr. Rachel Tyndale. He then completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at Dartmouth College with Dr. Alan GreenDr. Khokhar held a CIHR Post-doctoral Fellowship as well as NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Dr. Khokhar was recently hired as an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Translational Neuropsychopharmacology in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Schulich School of Medicine at Western University. Since starting his independent research group the lab has published 60 papers and received nearly $6 million in funding from federal and industry sources. Dr. Khokhar research revolves around establishing the behavioural and neural correlates of various types of vulnerabilities to substance use, starting from genetic risk to effects on development. He is also very interested in the pharmacokinetics of various routes of drug exposure, and has established tools and methods to study emerging routes of administration such as vaping and edibles. 

Register here!

The Role of Cannabis Use and Policy in Mass Shootings: Findings from the Columbia Mass Murder Database with Dr. Ragy Girgis

Wednesday, March 25th @ 1:00 PM Eastern

The IASIC Speaker Series welcomes Dr. Ragy Girgis, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University, for a compelling presentation titled “The Role of Cannabis Use and Policy in Mass Shootings: Findings from the Columbia Mass Murder Database.” Drawing on the most comprehensive mass murder repository ever assembled, Dr. Girgis will examine emerging evidence on the intersection of cannabis use, mental illness, and policy within the context of mass violence. This data-driven discussion offers critical insights for researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and prevention professionals seeking to better understand complex risk factors behind mass shootings.

Speaker: Ragy R. Girgis, M.D., M.S   

About the Speaker:

Ragy Girgis, MD is a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry and New York State Psychiatric Institute. His research often employs advanced imaging techniques such as MRI and PET scans, alongside clinical trials, to explore the complexities of psychosis and violence in mental illness. He has received grant funding as Principal Investigator from organizations including the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, and the Stanley Medical Research Institute. Dr. Girgis has published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and numerous books on severe mental illness, including his recent exploration of the intersection between religion and psychiatry, On Satan, Demons, and Psychiatry: Exploring Mental Illness in the Bible. 

Over the past 6 years, Dr. Girgis has worked extensively with colleagues to construct the most comprehensive mass murder repository in existence (the Columbia Mass Murder Database). This work has attracted the attention of many outside of academia and science, and Dr. Girgis has become a widely sought-after public speaker and commentator in all forms of media, including numerous podcasts, radio interviews, documentaries, live television interviews, written news articles, and more, from a variety of news and other media companies, including ABC, CBS, CNN, Wired, Scripps, Live NOW Fox, the Toronto Star, the NY Times, and USA Today, among others. 

Register here!