Sara Jane Ward, PhD

Dr. Sara Jane Ward is a tenured associate professor in the Department of Neural Sciences and Center for Substance Abuse Research at the Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine. She earned her PhD in Neuroscience in 2004 from Wake Forest University. Her NRSA funded postdoctoral research in the laboratories of Drs. Linda Dykstra and Ellen Walker focused on characterizing the effect of the endocannabinoid system in palatable food and cocaine reinforcement. Current research in her independent laboratory focuses on investigating the therapeutic potential of non-psychoactive cannabinoids and terpenes using animal models of pain, neuroinflammation and substance use disorders. To date her research has focused on studying the single and combined effects of minor cannabinoids and terpenes. Her work on the protective effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in rodent models of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain has been supported by the NIH since 2014 and has inspired the implementation of at least two clinical trials in this area. She also collaborates with other academic laboratories and industry partners to study cannabinoid neuroprotection in models of substance use disorder, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and aging.