MECHOULAM LECTURER

Lumír Ondřej Hanuš (* November 20, 1947) obtained his M.S. in analytical chemistry (1972), Ph.D. in analytical chemistry (1974) and associate professor in organic chemistry (1994) from Palacký University (Olomouc, Czech Republic) and his D.Sc. in pharmaceutical chemistry (1995) from Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic).

 

Between the years 1971 and 1990, I did research on cannabis and taught hygiene at Medical Faculty, Palacký University (Olomouc), 1976-1978 Postgraduate studies of Modern instrumental chemistry (Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, Brno). Period 1978–1979 spent as a research associate at the School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, USA. From 1990 up to 2020 (as a researcher, professor chair, and research fellow) with the School of Pharmacy (Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel). Between years 1997 and 1998, I was a visiting associate (NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, USA) and in 2001–2002 as a research fellow at NIAAA (NIH, Bethesda, USA). Steering Committee member (CMCER) and Senior Fellow in the Jefferson Institute of Emerging Health Professions, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (from 2017 to 2019). Visiting professor, Centro de Estudios Interdisciplinarios, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina, 2021.

 

He was Chief Scientist at Lumir Lab (Asana Bio Group Ltd.) and retired Professor Chaver and Research Fellow of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He was awarded with Honorary Doctorate degree - Chemiae Doctor honoris causa (2007) and Medicinae Doctor honoris causa (2011), Hanuš medal (2005), Memorial medal (2006), Outstanding Immigrant Scientist in Life Sciences and Medicine (2010), Addictology Award (2012), Recognition (Ljubljana 2014), Olomouc City Award (2013), Lifetime Award Winner (Washington D.C., 2016), Commemorative Medal of the Palacký University in Olomouc for extraordinary representation of Palacký University in the Czech Republic and abroad (2016) and Lifetime Achievement Award (Jamaica, 2018).

On March 24, 1992 he was the first person to isolate from the brain first endogenous ligand for cannabinoid receptor which was named anandamide. The discovery of this first endocannabinoid opened the world to medicinal use of cannabis.