Role of the Endocannabinoid system in Health and Disease: Mood, Stress Resilience, Pain Processing and Sleep

In this episode, we will explore the endocannabinoid system's role in health and disease relating to mood, stress, resilience, pain processing, and sleep with our guest today, Dr. Michelle Sexton. She formally studied the endocannabinoid system for six years through her fellowship at the University of Washington and has continued her research into the health effects of cannabis at UCSD.

Dr. Michelle Sexton is an Assistant Adjunct Professor at UCSD in the Department of Anesthesiology. She graduated from Bastyr University in 2008 and then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington, where she formally studied the endocannabinoid system for six years. Her NIH-funded pre-doctoral and postdoctoral research on cannabinoids and their roles in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration investigated cannabis use and its impact on inflammatory markers. She has continued her research into the health effects of cannabis at UCSD. Prior to medical school, she was a midwife and herbalist for 15 years. Dr. Sexton has presented her research internationally and published 18 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Sexton’s clinical practice, research, and teaching focus on the endocannabinoid system and the roles for integrative medicine, including cannabis, to treat a range of conditions across the lifespan. She is a member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society, the International Association of Cannabinoid Medicine, the American Association of Naturopathic Doctors, and the Society of Cannabis Clinicians. She maintains a medical practice in the Pacific Beach neighborhood of San Diego, CA. When not caring for patients or pursuing research, you can find her in the garden, playing music, playing with grandchildren, swimming, or riding her bike to the beach for a surf session!