Matthew Howes: Breaking the Wall of Safer Cannabinoid Drugs
Participant in 2025 Falling Walls Lab Aotearoa New Zealand.
Matthew Howes, The New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science/ IO Ltd
Wairuakohu (Radula marginata), a taonga species from Aotearoa, produces unique cannabinoid-like compounds that may be safer alternatives to those derived from the cannabis plant. Wairuakohu-derived cannabinoids have potential as add-on therapies to treat conditions like epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Using cutting-edge liver-on-a-chip models, we are investigating their toxicity and interactions with other drugs
Matthew is a post-doctoral fellow at PHF Science using cutting-edge organ-on-a-chip technology to answer toxicological questions relevant to Aotearoa New Zealand. His PhD investigated the role of sugars in metabolic disease using a liver-on-a-chip approach. As a recipient of Callaghan Innovation’s Early Career R&D Grant and a KiwiNet Emerging Innovator, Matthew is now developing a toxicology platform to advance Māori-led taonga therapeutic discovery and innovation.