Dr. Lichtman earned his B.A. in Psychology at Rutgers College in 1984 and proceeded to earn his Ph.D. in Psychology with Drs. Michael Fanselow and Catherine Cramer at Dartmouth College in 1989. He received postdoctoral training from 1989-1993 in pharmacology under the mentorship of the late Dr. Billy R. Martin at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He then joined the faculty at VCU and rose up through the ranks to Professor. In 2015, Dr. Lichtman became Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies in the VCU School of Pharmacy, while continuing his basic research. His research program has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since the early 1990s. The International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) recognized Dr. Lichtman for outstanding research contributions made to the cannabinoid field by giving him the 2013 Mechoulam Award. He is also a past president of the ICRS. Dr. Lichtman is a co-inventor on two patents and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Abide Therapeutics and Sea Pharmaceuticals. In addition to his scholarship, Dr. Lichtman is a dedicated to teacher and mentor, and has trained 13 Ph.D. students and nine postdoctoral fellows. He twice received the Professor of the Year Award in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and the VCU School of Medicine gave him the Distinguished Mentor Award in 2013.

Dr. Lichtman’s research is in the area of behavioral pharmacology and focuses on drug abuse, with an emphasis on the investigation of the endogenous cannabinoid system. His NIDA-supported research has resulted in the publication of almost 200 peer-review articles that have revealed: 1) the physiological functions of the endogenous cannabinoid system; 2) the neural substrates and mechanisms of action underlying cannabinoid-induced antinociception and memory deficits; and 3) the consequences of chronic cannabinoid administration (i.e., dependence). His research utilizes a collaborative multidisciplinary approach examining the relationship between the pharmacological effects of cannabinoids on behavior and the underlying biochemical/molecular processes. His research group has provided proof of principle through complementary pharmacological and genetic approaches that the endogenous cannabinoid system contains promising therapeutic targets to treat a variety of disease states. The long-term goal of the Lichtman laboratory is to increase understanding of the physiological functions of the endogenous cannabinoid system and to contribute to the development of cannabinoid-based medications for the treatment of pain and inflammatory disorders, psychiatric conditions, and drug addiction.