Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

The endogenous cannabinoid system is the system in the brain that is activated by cannabis. I believe that it might be involved in alcohol addiction, an illness for which the current therapies remain limited. Brain levels of the endogenous cannabinoid molecule, anandamide, are regulated by the enzyme Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH), and FAAH has been identified as a potential target for alcohol addiction therapeutics. My brain imaging study will provide one of the first measurements of this protein in humans with alcohol addiction. It will determine (1) whether low levels of this enzyme during early abstinence from alcohol is associated with alcohol use relapse and (2) whether enzyme levels change during the first month of abstinence. Results from this study may help indicate who is at risk for relapse of alcohol use as well as contribute to the development of better treatments for alcohol addiction.