Ziva D Cooper

Ziva D Cooper is a Professor-in-Residence in both the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and the Department of Anesthesiology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. She serves as Vice Chair for Research in Psychiatry and Director of the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids. Dr. Cooper holds a Ph.D. in Biopsychology from the University of Michigan (2007) and completed postdoctoral training in human behavioral pharmacology at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute.

Her research integrates controlled human studies, observational designs, and preclinical models to investigate therapeutic and adverse effects of psychoactive substances, with emphasis on:

• Cannabis and cannabinoid pharmacology
• Opioid-substance interactions
• Sex-dependent drug effects
• Substance use disorder mechanisms
• Clinical trial methodology
• Pain management alternatives

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals predominant themes: cannabis potency effects on mental health (psychosis risk, anxiety modulation), polydrug interactions (alcohol-cannabis co-use), therapeutic applications (pain, depression), public health impacts of legalization, and COVID-19-related behavioral changes. Her work consistently demonstrates methodological rigor through controlled drug-administration paradigms and large-scale epidemiological surveys.

Dr. Cooper leads multiple NIH and state-funded projects, including:

• NIH R01DA057252: Age/sex-dependent THC pharmacodynamics
• CA DCC-93309: Cannabis concentrate toxicity study
• NIH R01AT010762: Terpene-THC interactions for pain
• CA DCC-93306: THC-CBD harm reduction strategies

She directs the multidisciplinary UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids and maintains active collaborations across neuroscience, public policy, and clinical disciplines.