News Archive 2013

Irish Cannabinoid Researchers Host Major International Conference

27 Sep 2013

Pictured are Dr. David Finn, Dr. Eric Downer and Prof. Raphael Mechoulam. 

The 6th European Workshop on Cannabinoid Research took place at Trinity College Dublin from Thursday 18th to Saturday 20th April. The conference was organised by the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) together with Irish cannabinoid researchers and was the largest and most high profile scientific conference on cannabis and cannabinoids ever held in Ireland.

The local organising committee comprised Irish cannabinoid researchers including Dr. Eric Downer, based at the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience at UCC, Dr. David Finn of NUI Galway, in addition to researchers at Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin. 

his conference is the leading forum in Europe for the presentation and discussion of novel findings in the area of cannabis and cannabinoid research. Cannabinoids are the biologically active constituents of the cannabis plant or synthetic drugs with similar effects. Cannabinoids bind to receptors throughout the body to exert their effects which can be wide-ranging. Indeed, the body itself produces its own cannabinoids, so-called endocannabinoids, which are now understood to play very important roles in health and disease processes. In recent years there has been considerable interest in the area of cannabis and cannabinoids for the treatment of a number of conditions including multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, psychiatric disorders, obesity and others.  A keynote lecture was delivered by Professor Raphael Mechoulam of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Professor Mechoulam is regarded by many as the founding father of modern scientific research into cannabinoids, having identified delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol as the main psychoactive constituent within the cannabis plant in the mid 20th century.

Secretary of the organising committee, Dr Eric Downer of UCC said: “It was a long-term goal to host this meeting in Ireland, and a great pleasure to finally welcome some of the world’s leading cannabinoid researchers to Ireland for what was an important conference. This meeting was very timely, given that the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis and cannabinoids are currently under heavy scrutiny here in Ireland”.

In addition to BPS, the conference received support and sponsorship from Science Foundation Ireland, The Irish Research Council, The Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland,  Fáilte Ireland, The International Society for Neurochemistry, industry sources and NUI Galway’s Centre for Pain Research.

To find out more about BPS member benefits and future meetings visit www.bps.ac.uk

 

Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience

Anatamaíocht agus Néareolaíocht

Room 2.33, 2nd Floor, Western Gateway Building, University College, Cork, Ireland

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