Dr. Monte’s lab awarded a prestigious NIH R21 award

Dr. Monte’s lab was recently awarded a prestigious NIH R21 award to develop functional, cell-based assays for synthetic cannabinoids. Synthetic cannabinoids (like “spice,” “K2,” and many others) are easy to synthesize, commonly used for a more intense high compared to cannabis, and difficult to detect by traditional drug screens. Dr. Monte’s lab has developed cutting edge methodology that tests for these substances based on their biological effects rather than chemical structure.