Board members
Karen Boxx, J.D.
UW School of Law
Professor Boxx is interested in federal and state laws governing medical and recreational Cannabis, including laws regulating the use of Cannabis in research. She directs and teaches the UW Cannabis Law Seminar series that introduces student to federal and state laws governing medical and recreational Cannabis.
Susan Ferguson, Ph.D.
UW Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute
Dr. Ferguson strives to understand the development of behaviors associated with drug reward and addition. She integrates molecular biology, circuit-mapping, and behavioral neuroscience to study vulnerability to substance abuse. She is the Director of the Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI), and has served in this role since July 1, 2019.
Nina Isoherranen, Ph.D.
UW School of Pharmacy
Dr. Isoherranen studies the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of THC and CBD and their metabolites, with a special focus on the impact of pregnancy on cannabinoid disposition. She is the Endowed Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy.
Christopher Simpson, Ph.D.
UW School of Public Health
Cannabis production is now a major industry in the US, employing over 320,000 workers. Dr. Simpson collaborates with Cannabis growers in Washington State to better understand and control the occupational hazards faced by Cannabis workers, including exposures to UV radiation, and a variety of respiratory exposures including organic dust and terpenes. He is Assistant Chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Science, School of Public Health.
Nephi Stella, Ph.D., UW-CCR Director
UW School of Medicine
Dr. Stella studies the therapeutic value of cannabinoid-based molecules for the treatment of devastating neurological diseases, including epilepsy, chronic pain, addictive behaviors, and brain tumors. Dr. Stella is also extensively involved in Washington State policies concerning Cannabis use, abuse, and research, and is a member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences.
Elizabeth Van Volkenburgh, Ph.D.
College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Van Volkenburgh studies plant growth, especially the factors affecting leaf expansion. She is the Interim Director of the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.
Denise D. Walker, Ph.D.
UW School of Social Work
Dr. Walker develops and evaluates innovative interventions for Cannabis misuse for both adults and adolescents, utilizing brief interventions, longer courses of treatment, and aftercare. She is a co-developer of the Teen Marijuana Check-Up (TMCU), a school-based intervention identified as “evidence-based” on the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. Dr. Walker also conducts work to identify ways to intervene with Cannabis among those living with psychosis. She is the Director of the Innovative Programs Research Group.