阮兰德汤森, a student 在 北科罗拉多大学's 体育与运动科学博士. D. -运动生理学, was a student project lead on CBD-related 研究. 海洋喷雾蔓越莓公司. awarded UNC a $250,000 grant to support the study. 安慰剂对照，随机 clinical trial investigated whether different doses of a CBD beverage would affect 生理或心理健康.

"We looked at a 60-milligram dose of CBD, a 30-milligram dose of CBD and compared that to a control (placebo) in active, healthy adults," Townsend said.

He scheduled the 102 participants — mostly college students — for multiple visits and supplied them with CBD beverages throughout the eight-week study. 参与者 were furnished Fitbits to track sleep and steps, and they completed surveys about 他们的感受.

"We are surprisingly one of the only labs that looks at CBD in healthy, active individuals. 我们站在这方面的最前沿。.

劳拉·斯图尔特教授 在 自然与健康科学学院Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Dietetics is a primary reason Ocean Spray entrusted UNC's lab with the study. 她的研究 explores the relationship between cannabis compounds and physical and mental health. She also directs UNC's new Complementary 健康 and Integrative Physiology Center (CHIPC).

"Dr. 斯图尔特营造了一个非常积极的环境. 她让我负责，但是 takes the extra step to check in to see how I'm doing. 这影响了我的整个博士生涯 experience, and I could not be any luckier," Townsend said.

Stewart recalled the study commenced just as the lab was reopening after being shut 在COVID期间停机.

"Ryland had to jump into this project without a lot of previous experience. 他走 from nothing happening 在 lab to recruiting 100 people into an eight-week study with over 400 different visits for all the individual participants. 这是一个巨大的 undertaking, and the funder wanted it finished in under a year," she said.

Stewart has 研究ed cannabis products since 2015. 在她的一项研究中，CBD显示 potential for improving immune function and sleep.

"Interestingly, in this larger study, we didn't see that. 至少在低剂量的情况下 daily CBD taken as part of a beverage, we didn't see a lot of potential for either 健康:对某人健康的改善或阻碍. 我仍然认为这个研究是非常有意义的 for the average person, especially given the fact that many CBD products instruct 消费者每天使用CBD，”斯图尔特说.

Her weekly meetings with Townsend included late nights and early mornings 在 lab. But despite the intense workload, she said he kept things lighthearted with a fun 每次会议的故事. Typically, students excel in either teaching or clinical work, 但她指出，汤森在这两个方面都很熟练.

“瑞兰德拥有多种优势. He can work in a clinical environment with healthy people or with people with medical conditions as it relates to exercise and complementary 还有替代医学. He's an excellent teacher, and his students love him. He is also a certified strength and conditioning coach, so he can work on the performance 还有侧面，”她说.

Townsend's work and 研究 reflect his varied interests. 他在CHIPC工作，教书 exercise physiology and lab courses, and develops training and nutrition plans for NFL和mlb级别的运动员. His prior 研究 included a study on club sport athletes' perceptions of transgender athletes with doctoral student Jenna Altomare.

"Transgender folk are underserved 在 研究 community. 有些人提到 how they had biases previously, but once they met a transgender individual, or had one on their team, they did a 180 or at least changed their positions," he said.

After graduating this summer, Townsend plans to continue working in holistic health as a professor in an academic setting or directly with individuals who want to improve 他们的表现.

"I'm really fascinated by holistic health, general wellness and 研究 so I want to look into possibilities within holistic health avenues on a college campus, on a team or directly with athletes or individuals who want to increase 他们的表现. 我喜欢帮助别人. 这就是我的风格，”汤森说.