Ziva Cooper, Ph.D.

Dr. Ziva Cooper is the Director of the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids in the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Associate Professor-in-Residence in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at David Geffen School of Medicine. Her current research involves understanding variables that influence both the therapeutic potential and adverse effects of cannabis and cannabinoids through double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. Current funded projects include 1) understanding differences between men and women in their response to the abuse-related and pain-relieving effects, and the role that circulating hormones and endocannabinoids contribute to these differences, 2) the potential for THC and CBD to reduce reliance on opioids, 3) impact of cannabis use on HIV-associated inflammation, and 4) the effectiveness of cannabidiol to address symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Cooper strives to incorporate a translational approach to understating both the potential therapeutic and adverse effects associated with cannabis and cannabinoids.