image: Emma Johnson, Ph.D.
Credit: BBRF
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) welcomes the public to join a free webinar, “Does Cannabis Use During Pregnancy Affect Gene Regulation In Placental Tissue?” on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 2:00 pm ET. Emma C. Johnson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, will be the guest speaker. The session will be hosted by Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation and host of the Emmy® nominated television series Healthy Minds.
Register Now to explore Dr. Johnson’s groundbreaking research findings.
Over the past ten years, cannabis use during pregnancy has increased significantly, 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. With support from a BBRF Young Investigator Grant, Dr. Johnson has collected placental tissue from clinical study participants and generated DNA methylation data from these tissue samples. 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.
About Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) awards research grants to develop improved treatments, cures, and methods of prevention for mental illness. These illnesses include addiction, ADHD, anxiety, autism, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression, eating disorders, OCD, PTSD, and schizophrenia, as well as research on suicide prevention. Since 1987, the Foundation has awarded more than $462 million to fund more than 5,600 leading scientists around the world. 100% of every dollar donated for research is invested in research. BBRF operating expenses are covered by separate foundation grants. BBRF is the producer of the Emmy® nominated public television series Healthy Minds with Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, which aims to remove the stigma of mental illness and demonstrate that with help, there is hope.