Last updated on: 1/5/2009 | Author: ProCon.org

J. Michael Walker, PhD Biography

Title:
The Linda and Jack Gill Chair of Neuroscience at Indiana University
Position:
Pro to the question "Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?"
Reasoning:

“Cannabinoid compounds [from marijuana] apparently reduce swelling from inflammation. But more than that, they kill the pain from inflammation specifically. They work on the peripheral nerves that carry pain from your joint into the spinal cord.”

“Marijuana as Medicine,” Arthritis Today, Nov. 1, 2000
Theoretical Expertise Ranking:
    Experts
Individuals with MDs, PhDs, JDs, or equivalent advanced degrees in fields relevant to medical marijuana. Also top-level government officials (such as foreign leaders, US presidents, Founding Fathers, Supreme Court Justices, members of legislative bodies, cabinet members, military leaders, etc.) with positions relevant to medical marijuana issues.
Involvement and Affiliations:
  • Linda and Jack Gill Chair of Neuroscience, Indiana University, 2004-2008
  • Professor of Psychology, Indiana University, 2004-2008
  • Director, Walker Lab (affiliated with National Institute on Drug Abuse and private funding provided through Indiana University)
  • Director, Gill Center for Biomolecular Science and Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University
  • Chairman, Department of Psychology, and Adjunct Professor of Psychology, Brown University, 1983-2004
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Molecular and Systems Neuroscience, University of Michigan
Education:
  • PhD, Psychobiology, Ohio State University, 1979
  • AB, Psychology, Indiana University, 1973
Other:
  • Died Jan. 5, 2008
  • Born Aug. 14, 1950, in Pelham, Georgia
Quoted in:
  1. Is Marijuana an Effective Treatment for the Symptoms of Arthritis?