Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 2:00 pm EDT
The past decade has seen a substantial increase in cannabis use during pregnancy, but there is limited data regarding potential effects on child behavioral outcomes and the extent to which these effects are mediated via the in utero environment. Supported by a BBRF Young Investigator Grant, Dr. Johnson has collected placental tissue from clinical study participants and generated DNA methylation data from these tissue samples. DNA methylation refers to a process through which DNA is “tagged” with methyl molecules—an important way in which cells regulate gene expression. This webinar will focus on the relationship between prenatal cannabis exposure and DNA methylation in placental tissue from pregnant people enrolled in the clinical study, called the Cannabis Use During Development and Early Life (CUDDEL) study.
Please use #BBRFWebinar when sharing or posting about our Meet the Scientist Webinars on social media.
Sign up for other upcoming webinars.
View past webinar recordings.
Presented by
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
2020 Young Investigator Grant
Dr. Johnson is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Her work is currently supported by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Hevolution Foundation/the American Federation for Aging Research. She studies genetic and environmental influences on human behavior and mental health conditions, with a focus on substance use.
Moderated by
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., serves as the President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, the largest private funder of mental health research grants. Dr. Borenstein developed the Emmy-nominated public television program “Healthy Minds,” and serves as host and executive producer of the series. The program, broadcast nationwide, is available online, and focuses on topics in psychiatry in order to educate the public, reduce stigma and offer a message of hope. Dr. Borenstein served as Editor-in-Chief of Psychiatric News, the newspaper of the American Psychiatric Association from 2012 - 2023.
Dr. Borenstein is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and serves as the Chair of the Section of Psychiatry at the Academy. He also has served as the President of the New York State Psychiatric Association. Dr. Borenstein earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard and his medical degree at New York University.
