Nick Jikomes, Director of Science & Innovation, Leafly

With a decade of formal scientific training and five years at one of the fastest-growing tech startups in legal cannabis, Nick has acquired unique expertise in the chemical composition of commercial cannabis and how it relates to consumer preferences and behavior.

At Leafly, Nick lead efforts in research and data strategy. This includes forging strategic partnerships with cannabis testing labs and licensed producers to incorporate laboratory data into Leafly’s massive consumer-facing platform. By combining the latest scientific research insights and data science techniques, they are working to enhance the Leafly platform by creating exciting new product exploration and recommendation tools for consumers.

Nick believes that the right combination of research, data, and people will drive exciting new product innovations in the cannabis space and a global revolution in mental health and personalized medicine. Increased understanding of psychoactive plant-derived compounds will change the approach to mental health and disrupt multi-billion dollar industries.

Nick is also the creator of Mind & Matter, a content brand which includes a weekly podcast and long-form writing about how drugs, ideas & biotechnology are impacting our bodies & minds. You can learn more and see his content on Substack: https://mindandmatter.substack.com

Before joining Leafly, Nick completed ten years of formal training in biological research and science education, earning a B.S. in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University.