LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) recently announced that Josee Guindon, DVM, Ph.D., was named a 2023 William A Devane Young Investigator Award honoree by the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS).

According to a TTUHSC press release, the international award shines a light on researchers who have demonstrated dedication, perseverance and skill in studying and researching the endocannabinoid system. It showcases investigators demonstrating outstanding contributions to the cannabinoid field within 15 years of receiving their Ph.D.

“It acknowledges early career investigators, but it’s in my research field of expertise,” Guindon said in the press release. “This is a hard-to-get award because you compete with everybody else internationally in the field, and cannabinoids is really an important and growing field now.”

There are more than 480 naturally occurring compounds present in the cannabis plant, more than 100 of which are considered to be cannabinoids.

One of those cannabinoids, known as cannabidiol or CBD, is also present in the hemp plant and is today found in a myriad of over-the-counter products.

“Basically, for the cannabinoid field, everything started in 1964 when they discovered that delta-9 THC was the main component which produced the analgesic (painkilling) effect,” Guindon said in the press release. “That’s been what I’ve been studying.

TTUHSC said Guindon’s general interest in cannabinoid research began when she was a graduate student during the early 2000s when her work focused on understanding the interaction between endocannabinoids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

Guindon, who is a tenured associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, will officially receive the award June 24-29 in Toronto at the ICRS’s 33rd Annual International Cannabinoid Research Society Symposium.