Carly Pistawka, 22, is a fourth year undergraduate student in the joint UBC-BCIT honours in Biotechnology program. As a physically disabled student with chronic pain, Carly is passionate about pain research and clinical treatment approaches. Through research on her own condition, Carly found Dr. Caroline MacCallum, a physician specializing in medical cannabis, whose interests also included chronic and complex pain. During her 8-month co-op opportunity with Dr. MacCallum, she has worked on projects, presentations, and publications involving cannabis product safety, neurocognitive impairment, special populations, and opioid-cannabis synergy in chronic pain patients. Carly hopes to pursue genetic counseling or clinical research in pain after her bachelor’s degree.
Congratulations Carly!
