NICHOLAS MAYKUT

Thesis: The Use of Cannabidiol in the Treatment of Metabolic Disorders

Thesis Director:  Dr. Scott Stagg, Department of Biological Science

"I am truly honored and blessed to have been selected for the 2022 Bess H. Ward Thesis Award. As a pre-medical student with a growing interest in cardiology and bridging the many health care disparities that exist in our medical field, research is and will be an integral part of my journey towards becoming a physician. My research project aimed to look at whether or not cannabidiol (CBD) could be used as an effective treatment of metabolic syndrome—cardiovascular disease and obesity—while mitigating any adverse side effects seen with other drugs.

The Bess H. Ward Thesis Award not only provided me with the funding that I needed to be able to complete this project but also instilled a confidence and drive in me knowing that many others recognize and support my research. This project required hundreds of hours of specialized data analysis, and the thesis award helped me purchased the technologies necessary to complete this. My data showed promising results in the effect of CBD on metabolic variables such as oxygen consumption, locomotor activity, and energy expenditure. In the future, I hope to further this research by looking deeper into these effects to help further our understanding of how CBD can work to treat the disorders of interest and advance treatment in the medical field. I am so grateful for the knowledge, skills, and joy researching in Dr. Fadool’s lab has brought me over the past two years. I am, again, extremely grateful for the support of the Bess H. Ward foundation and look forward to experiencing similar support in my research endeavors in the future."

-Nicholas Maykut, Fall 2021 Bess H. Ward Thesis Award Winner