October 2022
Dr. Cinnamon Bidwell’s primary research focus is translational studies investigating the effects of abused drugs and how these effects impact psychological and physical health acutely and chronically. For over a decade, she has been building on her training in studies of drug dependence, neurobehavior, behavioral genetics, and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. She has expertise in human laboratory studies on cannabis, cannabinoids, alcohol, and nicotine, and maintains research projects in the underlying factors that contribute to successful clinical treatment of psychiatric and substance use conditions. Her current research investigates the direct neurobiological effects of drugs of abuse, including high potency marijuana and cannabinoids in psychiatric and medical populations and the direct physiological and behavioral effects of cannabinoids as they pertain to both their abuse potential and potential therapeutic effects in observational as well as human laboratory studies.
Dr. Bidwell has published over 70 scientific publications and two book chapters on the neurobiology of substance abuse and its overlap with psychiatric disorders. She has received Early Career awards from premier professional societies including the American Psychological Association and the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, and is regularly invited to speak at national and international scientific meetings. Dr. Bidwell’s research is primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health and the state of Colorado.