Yasmin Hurd, PhD

I recently spoke at Morehouse School of Medicine's Curtis L. Parker Student Research Symposium and came away inspired & uplifted by the incredible work these students & postdocs are doing ⚕️

To all the talented trainees at Morehouse: keep up the great work. You will make a tremendous impact!

Screenshot of the top section of the attached article, including the article title, a summary of the announcement, and a photo from the new CARES facility.

Thank you to @thetowfoundation.bsky.social for supporting CARES! This funding will go a long way toward making a true impact on young people's lives.

🤝 Read about the partnership here: give.mountsinai.org/gift-announc...

Many of today's youth are under the misconception that #cannabis is not addictive, but the truth is, it can be.

I spoke with Impact Parents about empowering youth to understand the effects of cannabis use on their brains and health 🧠 ⬇️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wZu...

Cannabidiol Attenuates Heroin Seeking in Male Rats Associated With Normalization of Discrete Neurobiological Signatures Within the Nucleus Accumbens With Subregional Specificity Opioid use disorder is a chronic relapsing condition characterized by cycles of compulsive drug use, abstinence, and relapse. Cannabidiol (CBD), a nonintoxicating cannabinoid, is under investigation a...

The findings from this work deepen our understanding of how heroin alters the brain and highlight novel pathways through which CBD may offer benefits for relapse treatment.

Huge thanks to the team for all their hard work!

Read the full paper: www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S000...

A figure from the paper, showing a matrix of the gene-gene correlations.

CBD did not reverse all heroin-induced effects, but selectively normalized specific genes in the NAc core commonly changed in the NAc shell and normalized a distinct subset of unique genes in the NAc shell that correlated with heroin-seeking behavior.

A figure from the paper, showing the effects of heroin and heroin + CBD in the NAc core and the NAc shell.

Heroin exposure produced broad transcriptional disruptions in both subregions, with the NAc shell showing the most significant changes.

Several of these shifts involved pathways tied to plasticity, inflammation, and markers of opioid use disorder.

A figure from the paper, showing the gene expression that was examined in the NAc Core and the NAc Shell.

To explore the neurobiology associated with these behavioral findings, we focused on the nucleus accumbens (NAc)––a region central to motivation, reward, and cue sensitivity.

Using RNA sequencing, we examined gene expression in NAc subregions—the NAc core and shell 🔬

Figure from the paper showing part of the methods. Lefthand upper image: A rat in a behavior box, with the title "Heroin/Saline Self-Administration (15 days)" above it. Center upper image: A rat in a homecage, with the title "Forced Abstinence (14 days)" above it. Righthand upper image: A series of needles indicating the injections, beside a rat, with the title "CBD (24h before session) + Blood Draw (1h post inj)" above it. Lefthand lower image: A rat in a behavior box, with the title "Seeking Session (1 hour)" above it. Center lower image: A rat with an image-within-the-image of a part the rat's brain, with the title "Disposition (1.5h post session)" above it. Righthand lower image: A slice of the rat brain, with the title "Nucleus Accumbens Neuroanatomy" above it.

Prior to cue exposure, a sub-group of rats were given CBD, while another group served as controls.

Behavioral analyses showed a clear reduction in heroin seeking among the CBD-treated rats, pointing to its potential antirelapse effects.

Figure from the paper showing part of the methods. Lefthand image: A rat in a behavior box, with the title "Heroin/Saline Self-Administration (15 days)" above it. Righthand image: A rat in a homecage, with the title "Forced Abstinence (14 days)" above it.

Rats first learned to self-administer heroin, with each infusion paired to a light cue signaling drug availability.

Following training and a 14 day abstinence period, exposure to the cues alone, without the drug, led to strong heroin-seeking behaviors.

Screenshot of the top of the article, including the article title, authors, and abstract.

Identifying the neural pathways that link drug cues to relapse is critical to improving substance use disorder treatments.

New work from my lab found that #CBD reduces cue-driven heroin seeking in rats, related to changes in gene expression 🧠👇

www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S000...

Catch our CEO @caitvw.bsky.social at @acnporg.bsky.social next week!

Her Special Topics Session will tackle #SciComm in an era of misinformation with Yasmin Hurd @neurovoice.bsky.social & Lana Ruvolo Grasser 📢🧪

Caitlin will be at ACNP all week so email her to connect: caitlin@stellatecomms.com

Reclassifying #cannabis could expand research to understand its possible clinical use. At the same time, it’s important to remain thoughtful about potential addiction & mental health risks, particularly for adolescents & young adults.

More in @newsweek.com: www.newsweek.com/is-donald-tr...

The title of the article "Does Cannabis Actually Have Medical Benefits?" underneath which is an image of a cannabis leaf with a stethoscope wrapped around it.

#Cannabis should not be treated like a medical panacea. Like any other treatment, we need strong evidence of its safety & efficacy before confidently supporting its use for medical conditions.

A recent review from Dr. Kevin Hill highlights the knowledge gaps we still need to fill: bit.ly/3Ksrui6

Early Cannabis Use Poses Risks to Physical and Mental Health Recent studies have found earlier teen cannabis use significantly increases risks for serious health problems in adulthood. Best goal: Delay or prevent cannabis use in adolescents.

Current research continues to emphasize that adolescents should not be consuming #cannabis and need to be better educated about its health impacts 🧠

Read more about the mental and physical effects of cannabis use on the brain ⬇️
www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/addi...

GREAT PRESENTATION by @neurovoice.bsky.social at Mount SInai's Dean's Select Seminar Series. An exciting talk about how @mountsinainyc.bsky.social's translational efforts in #Addiction research are contributing to the development of treatments that can truly make a difference in patients' lives.

Happy to share that our Comprehensive Adolescent Rehabilitation and Education Service (CARES) is now in a new location where we're better equipped to help youth facing mental health and substance use challenges.

Congratulations to the team, and special shout out to CARES Director, Shilpa Taufique 🎉

Seminar flyer including talk title, Yasmin's image, and details about the date & location.

I'm looking forward to speaking at Mount Sinai's Dean's Select Seminar Series on October 6.

I'll be talking about the translational efforts in addiction research that contribute to the development of treatments 🧠

More information: friedmanbrain.icahn.mssm.edu/deans-select...

See you there!

Highly potent #cannabis products have become ubiquitous and commonplace, but now that these products are legal, many people are consuming them without knowing the risks they may pose.

Read more 👇

Cover art from the Road to Resilience podcast, featuring Dr. Yasmin Hurd in the lab.

Adolescents are gaining access to #cannabis at a younger age, have a plethora of ways to ingest it, and are consuming dangerously high concentrations of THC. This greatly impacts young, developing brains 🧠

Learn more on Mount Sinai's Road to Resilience: www.mountsinai.org/about/newsro...

Selfie of Yasmin & Amanda.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting tennis player Amanda Anisimova! 🤩 🎾

I'm so inspired by her persistence & resilience. As scientists, we can learn a lot from her on how to handle victory & defeat. Win or lose in the research game, let’s grow with grace & keep showing up.

Screenshot of the podcast episode, showing the podcast artwork & the episode title.

The #cannabis landscape has changed. High THC concentrations in today's products have profound effects on the brain 🧠

I spoke with Doug Bopst on The Adversity Advantage about the risks of cannabis consumption. #Neuroskyence

🎧 Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/bb/podcast/c...

Screenshot of the title & abstract of the article.

🧠 We know that #cannabis use can disrupt adolescent brain development and behavior, but individual differences and THC potency can impact that trajectory 🤔

Read about current cannabis findings and future directions for research here: psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/...

A card saying "CONGRATULATIONS" with cartoon images of a party popper and a graduate cap and diploma.

We recently celebrated the graduating cohort from our CARES youth program. The commitment and strength this group has shown demonstrates how life trajectories can change with the right motivation and support and how our program impacts the lives of those seeking help.

Congratulations graduates 🎉

Screenshot of the article title ("What to know about the changing marijuana landscape") from the APA Report.

We are long overdue for more research on the benefits and risks of #cannabis use. However, the urgency for better policies for product standards and public education cannot be overstated. We need to act.

Read more in the American Psychological Association's June Report: www.apa.org/monitor/2025...

Our research shows how #cannabis affects the developing brain. I spoke to Dr. Delaney Ruston about how #THC exposure in adolescent rats alters cell communication vital for cognitive function.

Watch more: www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2Eb...

Image showing a photo of Yasmin Hurd, her talk title ("Cannabis - The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly"), and the talk time and location

I'm looking forward to speaking at @canacn.bsky.social's annual meeting tomorrow! I’ll be talking about all things #Cannabis, including our current preclinical and human research that is relevant to policy and expanding consumer knowledge.

Come say hello! #Neuroskyence

To all those descending onto Toronto for the @canacn.bsky.social annual meeting, as program chair I hope you have an exciting meeting and enjoy our featured speakers @franklandlab.bsky.social
@yulonglilab.bsky.social @neurovoice.bsky.social @turrigiano.bsky.social and Kerry Ressler #CAN2025

Image of a cannabis leaf from the article, with the Washington City Paper logo at the bottom.

🤔 Today’s #cannabis products are shaped largely by commercial interests, which means consumer health & wellbeing isn’t always the top priority.

I encourage consumers to evaluate these products & know the potential risks.

Read more in @wcp.bsky.social: washingtoncitypaper.com/article/7624...

Image of the podcast episode artwork, episode title, and name of the podcast.

Today’s #cannabis has much more potent THC than in the past. How we think about & approach cannabis needs to change with this in mind - from policy & consumer perspectives.

🎧 Listen to my discussion with Julie Rose on Top Of Mind here: open.spotify.com/show/5P43AGN...

Image thanking attendees of the event. There is a list of the scientists and clinicians who spoke at the event, and an image taken from the event.

Our AIMS event last week was a hit 🎉

So warmed by the incredible feedback! Attendees shared how much they appreciated learning about #cannabis across clinical care, translational research & preclinical work.

Special thanks to the expert speakers who made this event possible!