Characterisation of the effects of cannabinoid CB2 receptor agonists and antagonists

Ruth completed her PhD in 1990 at the University of Edinburgh. The focus of this and her postdoctoral research was cyclooxygenase metabolite pharmacology and prostanoid receptor pharmacology. Following a career break to look after her children (1991–95), she returned to research funded by a Career Re-entry Fellowship at the University of Aberdeen in 1996. The Fellowship focused on the emerging area of cannabinoid receptor pharmacology. In 2008 Ruth became Chair in Molecular Pharmacology at the University of Aberdeen, where she was also Director of the Kosterlitz Centre for Therapeutics. In 2013 she relocated to the University of Toronto to take up the position of Chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Her research is focused on the molecular pharmacology of the endocannabinoids, phytocannabinoids and small molecules targeting the cannabinoid system. The ultimate goal of her research is to exploit the endocannabinoid system for development of novel therapeutics and to gain greater understanding the pharmacology of cannabis constituents.