RM-CRC Pilot Award Recipients 2025
2025 Awardee: Ashley Brooks-Russell, PhD
Institution: University of Colorado-Anschutz
"Cannabis and Cognitive Aging: A Pilot Investigation of Simulated Driving Performance"
Abstract: As cannabis use becomes more prevalent among older adults, understanding its impact on driving performance, especially in the context of cognitive aging, is critical for promoting safety and independence. This pilot study aims to evaluate simulated driving performance before and after cannabis use among older drivers. We will recruit at least 20 older adults aged 65–89 who regularly use cannabis, using varied outreach strategies, and conduct data collection visits at our off-campus lab. At the screening visit we will assess cognition, driving history, and cannabis use. At the data collection visit, we will measure driving performance, psychomotor function, and blood cannabinoid and metabolite levels before and after participants consume their usual edible cannabis product. In addition to piloting data collection protocols and study measures we will evaluate recruitment strategies with an online or phone eligibility survey. We will track response and eligibility rates, reasons for ineligibility or refusal, and participant demographics and cannabis use patterns. Findings will inform a larger study of cannabis-related changes in driving performance and cognition, supporting safe mobility strategies for older adults who use cannabis.
Ashley Brooks-Russell, PhD
University of Colorado-Anschutz
2025 Awardee: Benjamin Risk, PhD
Institution: Emory University
"Using ensemble learning to understand the impacts of prenatal cannabis exposure on neurodevelopment in adolescence"
Abstract: Cannabis use by pregnant women increased from 3.4% in 2002 to 7% in 2017 in the United States. The availability of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products has far outpaced scientific understanding of their impacts. The endocannabinoid system plays a critical role during gestation and early neurodevelopment. Animal studies indicate that prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) leads to lasting decreases in synaptic plasticity, social behavior, and executive function. Studies in humans have been more limited. Cannabis use in adolescents increases the risk of schizophrenia, and studies suggest PCE is associated with psychotic-like events. In Aim 1, we propose to use brain normative modeling to develop developmental benchmarks for adolescents similar to height and weight percentiles. We use an ensemble of quantile learners to accurately model brain measures as a function of age while accounting for motion artifacts. We then determine whether PCE children are flagged for developmental concerns. In Aim 2, we use causal inference with machine learning to determine whether brain trajectories are modified by PCE. We then use an ensemble of machine learning algorithms to examine how brain trajectories mediate the relationship between PCE and hallucinatory-like events. Completing these aims will help families understand possible harms of prenatal cannabis use.
Benjamin Risk, PhD
Emory University
Rocky Mountain Cannabis Research Center (RM-CRC)
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1890 N. Revere Ct., Aurora, CO 80045
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