Sebastian Jugl, Ph.D., R.Ph., M.S., a research assistant professor in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, has received a Career Development Award from the American Heart Association for his project, “Cardiovascular Safety of Medical Cannabis: Turning Safety Signals into Actionable, Risk-Stratified Evidence.”
The award, which will provide Jugl with $230,000 over three years, aims to support highly promising academic and health care professionals in the early years of their career, equipping them with the resources needed to assure future success as a research scientist. Jugl said the award is especially meaningful to him because it recognizes both the public health importance of the topic and the careful scientific approach he uses to study it.
“Questions about medical cannabis and cardiovascular risks are challenging, because the evidence is mixed, the products and patterns of use are complex and the patients bring very different baseline cardiovascular risks. For me, this recognition reflects confidence that thoughtful, real-world research can bring greater clarity to an important area,” Jugl said. “It’s also a major career milestone that motivates me to keep growing as an independent investigator and to produce evidence that is both scientifically rigorous and useful in practice. I am deeply grateful to my mentors, colleagues and the broader community who made this work possible, as well as to the American Heart Association for its support.”
Jugl works closely with Amie Goodin, Ph.D., an assistant professor of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy, and for this American Heart Association Career Development Award, his formal mentoring team includes Steven Smith, Pharm.D., M.P.H., associate professor and chair of the UF Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy; Almut Winterstein, R. Ph., Ph.D., a UF distinguished professor of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy and the director of the Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research; and David Winchester, M.D., a professor of medicine and radiology in the UF Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.
By analyzing data from the state of Florida’s Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Repository and engaging with patients, clinicians and researchers, Jugl aims to expand our knowledge of how medical cannabis use is connected to heart and stroke-related health issues and which patient populations may face the greatest risk.
“This award will help me take the next step in building my research career and generating better evidence on how medical cannabis may affect heart and brain health. I plan to use it to strengthen my training, learn from mentors and build the collaborations needed to carry out this and future work,” Jugl said. “Over time, it will help me strengthen and grow a research program that produces practical evidence for patients, doctors and policymakers.”