The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded a prestigious Vidi grant worth 800,000 euros to NSMD's Janna Cousijn. Her project 'Blowing minds; detangling the highs and lows of cannabis for brain health' will further investigate the two faces of cannabis; the positive and negative interaction between cannabis use and mental functioning in both medicinal and recreational users.
With a Vidi grant, laureates can develop an innovative line of research and set up their own research group. Cousijn's project is special because users from different countries are being followed, which means that in addition to the method of use and the product, the cultural context can also be investigated. "I see the project as a milestone: scientifically, because I am addressing several knowledge gaps in one fell swoop, and socially, because we can finally provide the right answers to questions from users, healthcare professionals and politicians."
Dr Janna Cousijn received her PhD from the University of Amsterdam in 2012 and has been working as an associate professor at the Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences since 2021.
She is a member of the NSMD Team Cognitive Control.