Dr. Patricia Di Ciano

Patricia Di Ciano is a member of the Driving Simulator Lab (DSL) within the Institute for Mental health Policy Research (IMPHR). Comprised of 4 IMHPR Scientists, the DSL is committed to understanding the impact of cannabis and other intoxicating substances on driving.

Patricia Di Ciano, PhD
Scientist, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute
Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto
Collaborative Program in Neuroscience
Patricia.diciano@camh.ca
416 535-8501 x34002

Patricia Di Ciano earned her PhD in Psychology from the University of British Columbia before starting a Post-Doctoral position at the University of Cambridge in the UK. This was followed by staff and faculty positions at the University of Cambridge and Swansea University. Dr. Di Ciano joined CAMH in 2012. Over the years, her research has focused on both pre-clinical models and clinical research. At UBC and the University of Cambridge she used pre-clinical models to study the neurobiology, neurochemistry and neuroanatomy of cocaine, amphetamine and heroin seeking, especially seeking under the control of conditioned environmental cues. At CAMH she conducted animal studies into tobacco use and gambling disorder and human studies into tobacco use. She used PET imaging to study the dopaminergic correlates of tobacco use in awake humans.

Dr. Di Ciano joined IMHPR in 2019 and since then has been conducting regulated and observational studies into the effects of cannabis on driving and related measures of cognition and subjective experience as well as blood and oral fluid THC. She is interested in understanding the complex relationship between impairment and levels of blood THC to better inform the deterrence and detection of use of cannabis while driving. She is also interested in the effects of newer types of cannabis; she is conducting studies with edibles and vapes, both of which have seen a sharp increase in use since legalization in 2018-2019.

Dr. Di Ciano has served as the Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI on a number of completed and ongoing projects since joining IMHPR in 2019:

Listen to Dr. Di Ciano speak with Dr. Brian Goldman of CBC’s ‘The Dose’ about dopamine fasting:

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/410/episode/16039269