From the advisory committee report: "Janna Cousijn is transforming the direction of addiction research by focusing not on the harmful effects of cannabis use but on the recovery capacity of the adolescent brain. Her research on ’social plasticity’--the brain’s ability to adapt to its social environment-explains why many young people who use cannabis can stop without treatment when placed in a drug-free environment. She has shown that adolescents’ high social sensitivity, often regarded as a risk factor, can also be a strength. This influential insight contributes to more effective addiction care that harnesses the brain’s natural resilience."
Dr. Janna Cousijn studied Medical Biology and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Amsterdam, where she earned her doctorate cum laude in 2012 with research on cannabis addiction. Since 2021, Cousijn has been an Associate Professor at Team Brain & Cognition, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences. With her team, she explores how the environment and the brain together shape addiction risk and resilience.
Learn more on the work of Dr. Janna Cousijn on the website of Ammodo Science Award
About the Ammodo Science Award for Fundamental Research
Every two years, Ammodo presents the Ammodo Science Award for Fundamental Research to eight exceptional mid-career scientists conducting fundamental research. This award includes a monetary prize of ¤350,000 and is presented across four scientific domains: Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Biomedical Sciences. The laureates are selected by advisory committees composed of esteemed scientists.- Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Marjolein Kooistra, communications ESSB, 0683676038, kooistra@essb.eur.nl
The study embraces the two faces of cannabis and will identify the positive and negative interactions between cannabis use and mental functioning
