DIRECTOR:

Itai Bab, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

 

CO-DIRECTORS:

Ester Fride, Ariel University
Esther Shohami, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Zvi Vogel, Weizmann Institute of Science

 

Cannabinoids are natural and synthetic substances that activate receptors in the brain and other parts of the body and mimic the action of THC, the active ingredient of marijuana and hashish. Together, the naturally occurring cannabinoids in the body, their receptors and metabolizing enzymes, are called the "endocannabinoid system." The discovery of THC in 1964 and the endocannabinoids almost 30 years later were carried out by Israeli scientists led by Prof. Raphael Mechoulam of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Inspired by these discoveries, many aspects of the endocannabinoid system are being studied by hundreds of scientists around the world, including first-class Israeli researchers. A significant part of these research efforts deals with the development of new drugs to treat neural diseases, diabetes and obesity, high blood pressure, fear and anxiety, inflammation, osteoporosis and cancer. Many of the studies in the field are being published in leading scientific journals like Science and Nature. This conference will host some of the world's most prominent cannabinoid scientists, as well as PhD students and doctoral fellows, in order to address in-depth major issues of current cannabinoid research.

The conference is dedicated to Raphael Mechoulam's 80th birthday, and is supported by grants from the Institute for Advanced Studies and the Israel Science Foundation, as well as by Yissum.

 

SPEAKERS:

Heather Bradshaw, Bloomington, Indiana
Benjamin Cravatt, La Jolla, California
Dale Deutch, Stony Brook, New York
Vincenzo Di Marzo, Pozzuoli, Italy
Javier Fernandez-Ruiz, Madrid, Spain
Cecilia Hillard, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Andrea Hohmann, Athens, Georgia
Allyn Howlett, Durham, North Carolina
George Kunos, Bethesda, Maryland
Aron Lichtman, Richmond, Virginia
Sophie Lotersztajn, Creteil, France
Mary Lynch, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Mauro Maccarrone, Teramo, Italy
Ken Mackie, Bloomington, Indiana
Raphael Mechoulam, Jerusalem, Israel
Pal Pacher, Bethesda, Maryland
Linda Parker, Guelph, Ontario
Daniela Parolaro, Busto Arsizio, Italy
Roger Pertwee, Aberdeen, UK
Daniele Piomelli, Irvine, California
Neta Rimmerman, Rehovot, Israel
Ethan Russo, Vashon, Washington
Yosef Sarne, Tel Aviv, Israel
Mone Zaidi, New York, New York
Andreas Zimmer, Bonn, Germany