The UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids is excited to have Dr. Stephanie Lake join our growing team as a Postdoctoral Fellow. Dr. Lake comes to us from Vancouver, Canada, where she did her Masters of Population Health at The University of British Columbia, and studied the rising trend of prescription opioid injection. From her experience researching injection drug use, infectious disease transmission, and harm reduction, she became interested in studying the harm reduction and therapeutic aspects of cannabis use among people who use drugs. She continued her studies as a doctoral student studying cannabis as a harm reduction strategy in the context of the intensifying opioids poisoning and overdose crisis in Vancouver.
What attracted you to cannabis research specifically?
I came into cannabis research through working on epidemiological studies of substance use and health outcomes among marginalized people who use illicit drugs. My cannabis research specifically began through studying HIV treatment management; my PhD supervisor, Dr. M-J Milloy, and I studied the use of cannabis to manage HIV symptoms and HIV treatment side-effects among people who use drugs and live with HIV. This research sparked my interest in the therapeutic motivations for cannabis use, and I decided to pursue doctoral research in cannabis. Also, as I was beginning my doctoral work, the newly-elected Liberal government in Canada had planned to legalize cannabis, so I knew there would be a need for more cannabis research to influence policy.
What are you most looking forward to in your work here at the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids?
Human clinical trials are new for me so I’m really excited to be learning new things even after I have finished school! I come from an epidemiology background and I’m excited to bring that perspective to some of the research here so we can ask new research questions and analyze our data in new ways. I’m looking forward to learning from Dr. Cooper and her wealth of knowledge in experimental research and administering cannabis as a study drug. My scientific knowledge about cannabis is at the population level: understanding usage trends and their broad impacts on health outcomes and disease. Through working with Dr. Cooper in the Cannabinoid Laboratory, I hope to develop a better understanding of the neuro-psycho-pharmacological foundations of cannabis science to bring that perspective to population health research. Ultimately, I’m most excited for the opportunity to grow as a scientist!
What attracted you to UCLA?
I met Dr. Cooper at a conference two years ago and was very impressed with her work, and we also had a lot of common research interests. Soon after that, we ended up collaborating on one of my dissertation chapters, and I was able to incorporate her expertise into my research. As I worked with her, I learned more about the studies she was starting in her lab, and I saw a potential for us to merge our two fields and interests. I was also excited about the opportunity to move to LA, because I could picture myself enjoying and succeeding in this city, especially as a part of such an impactful research institution as UCLA.
What differences have you seen in the cannabis industry in Canada versus in LA?
Canada has tried to take a public health approach to legalization, whereas a lot of states have gone with a more commercialized approach. Both of these approaches come with their own risks and benefits, but from these different approaches, we see how they create differing cannabis use landscapes — for example, in the US, there are fewer restrictions on cannabis advertising, labeling, and promotion so it’s more visible, and in Canada there are lot of restrictions on advertising and labeling, which was essentially intended to minimize the appeal of cannabis to potential consumers. It will be interesting to see how cannabis is regulated in the US once it becomes federally legal.
What do you like to do in your time away from work?
I don’t like saying I love running (because I really don’t), but I am a runner. From 2017 to 2019, I ran a marathon every spring, but I definitely couldn’t run one now! During quarantine I’ve been staying safe at home with my pets and occasionally hiking on the weekend. I’m excited to explore LA and all of the different outdoor environments it has to offer!