In This Issue:

Rachel Tomko, Ph.D.

Understanding Young Adults' Cannabis Use and Craving in Naturalistic Settings: Insights from Ecological Momentary Assessment 

Thursday, July 10th at 1:00 PM MST

Dr. Rachel Tomko is an Associate Professor in the Addiction Sciences Division at MUSC’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a licensed clinical psychologist. Her research focuses on how individual and sex-related factors influence cannabis use disorder and treatment outcomes. Supported by funding from NIDA and the Office of Research on Women’s Health, she studies sex and hormonal influences on cannabis use disorder remission and co-leads a project focused on young adults with cannabis use disorder as part of MUSC’s Specialized Center of Research Excellence on Sex Differences. Dr. Tomko also has methodological interests in improving measurement of substance use and craving in daily life and in real-world settings by using tools such as ecological momentary assessment and other technology-driven measures.

Kent Vrana, PhD, FAAAS, FASPET

Minor Cannabinoids for Pain and Emerging Concerns with Unregulated Cannabinoids

Thursday, August 14th at 1:00 PM MST

Dr. Kent Vrana is the Elliot S. Vesell Professor of Pharmacology (Chair Emeritus) in the Department of Molecular and Precision Medicine at the Penn State College of Medicine. He has a BS from the University of Iowa and a PhD from the LSU Health Science Center in New Orleans. He was a post-doctoral fellow in embryology and molecular biology at Johns Hopkins University. Following faculty positions at West Virginia and Wake Forest Universities, in 2004, Dr. Vrana became Chair of Pharmacology at Penn State.  Dr. Vrana is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids, and associate editor of Pharmacology. He has co-authored more than 225 scientific articles, book chapters, and monographs (including two textbooks). In 2009, he was inducted into the Society of Distinguished Educators at the Penn State College of Medicine. In 2015, he was elected a Fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS). In 2023, he became the founding director of the Penn State Center for Cannabis and Natural Product Pharmaceutics.  In 2024, he was elected a Fellow of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). On June 30, 2024, he stepped down as Chair of Pharmacology after a nearly 21-year tenure. On April 30, 2025, he received the Penn State College of Medicine Career Research Excellence Award.

Cynthia Ocamb, Ph.D.

Powdery mildew, curly top, and mollicute occurrence in CBD-cannabis in the Pacific Northwest of the United States

Wednesday, July 16th at 11:00 AM MST

Cynthia Ocamb is a professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University, based in Corvallis, OR. Ocamb provides statewide leadership in the diagnosis and management of diseases of field and vegetable crops as an Extension specialist in plant pathology. She is a co-editor of the Pacific Northwest Plant Disease Management Handbook. Her current research activities consists of hop and hemp pathology projects as well as studying diseases in specialty seed crops with an emphasis on the fungal pathogen Fusarium. 

Todd P. Michael, Ph.D.

The Cannabis Pangenome

Wednesday, August 20th at 11:00 AM MST

Todd Michael, Ph.D. is a Research Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, an Adjunct Professor at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and Chief Science Officer at the San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG). His research group focuses on leveraging advanced sequencing technologies and informatics to understand how genome architecture enables plants to adapt to and thrive in diverse environments. At the Salk Institute, the Michael Group contributes to the Harnessing Plants Initiative (HPI) by applying their genomics platform to develop crop, rangeland, and wetland species capable of enhanced carbon sequestration through deep root systems. At SDBG, Dr. Michael is applying plant genome sequencing and pangenomic frameworks to support conservation efforts and engage in educational outreach.

What is CHRI?-CHRI is a collaboration between two organizations with years of experience in medicinal cannabis research: Johns Hopkins University and Realm of Caring. The individuals behind these organizations offer decades of combined experience in relevant fields for a comprehensive approach to data collection and management.