(Deceased) Clinician, Researcher and Consultant
For his entire career, Dr. Ostrow has dedicated his work to ending health disparities and finding innovative solutions to the most challenging problems in public health. Trained at the University of Chicago in their Medical Scientist MD/PhD Program (MSTP) he began his research on the neuropharmacology of mood disorders, but soon found himself as the founding PI of the largest and longest running longitudinal observational study of men at-risk for AIDS, the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) in 1983. His research since then has focused on the links between psychoactive drugs and HIV infection, recently showing that the use of three types of drugs-stimulants, EDDs and volatile nitrites-are associated with the majority of new HIV infections among gay/bisexual men.
From his clinical practice as an Addiction Psychiatrist and his MACS research findings, he concluded that cannabis use did not have negative effects on either HIV infection or disease progression. This led him to be an early advocate for research on the therapeutic potential of medical cannabis and drug policy changes, including ending the Federal prohibition of Cannabis use and research. Currently he is focusing on translational research to develop Cannabinoid-based HIV therapies and the establishment of the Community-Based Clinical Cannabis Evaluation and Research Network (CBCCERN) as a community based solution, to accelerate the development of data based MC’s therapeutic guidelines for specific symptoms and conditions.
Dr. Ostrow worked passionately on his projects up until his untimely death. Dr. Ostrow was instrumental in helping structure the Integrative Providers Association in its early stage development to serve all disciplines, as well as the Compassion Center’s Center for Incubation & Findings Research (CIFR) in an effort to empower other integrative providers with his expanse of knowledge, wisdom and resources. Dr. Ostrow was a true humanitarian and a great physician that will be hard to replace in the greater landscape of society. Rest in Power Dr. David G. Ostrow!
For more information, please visit: cbccern.org
