Sarah Elizabeth Main

• BSc (Hons) Pharmacology
• The Identification of Emerging Psychoactive Substances

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are a class of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) or ‘legal highs’. Their incidence of use is increasing as they are often difficult to detect. Currently, their structures and properties are not fully known, as well as their pharmacokinetics. This means that their effects cannot be characterised, making them potentially dangerous. This is a cause for concern, especially while they remain largely undetectable. This research aimed to identify any potential diagnostic analytes, as well as to develop a method for detection using mass spectrometry, which could prove useful in the fields of forensics and toxicology.

Project Supervisor: Dr Michael Dunn, Institue of Cellular Medicine

 Funding Source: Newcastle University