Venue: Centre Broca Nouvelle-Aquitaine / conference room / ground floor
Miriam Melis
PhD, Universita di Cagliari
Invited by Francis Chaouloff
DR INSERM/ Neurocentre Magendie / Expertise: endocannabinoïdes, stress, exercice physique
Abstract :
Miriam Melis graduated in Neuroscience at the University of Cagliari where she is currently an associate professor of pharmacology. Her main research interest is to understand neurobiological mechanisms of resilience and susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., substance use disorder, antisocial behavior, anxiety, depression) that involve adaptations of both mesocorticolimbic dopamine pathway and endocannabinoid system. Vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders can be innate (i.e., temperaments, sex) or induced by early life adversities (e.g. drug exposure, adverse social events) and can be examined in rodent models to reveal early and/or endo phenotypes in order to develop novel and age-specific pharmacological strategies for the prevention and treatment of aberrant affective functioning.
Selected publications
Frau R, Fanni S, Serra V, Simola N, Godar SC, Traccis , Devoto P, Bortolato M, Melis M (2019) Dysfunctional mesocortical dopamine circuit at pre-adolescence is associated to aggressive behavior in MAO-A hypomorphic mice exposed to early life stress. Neuropharmacol. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.01.032
Fattore L, Melis M. (2016) Sex differences in impulsive and compulsive behaviors: a focus on drug addiction. Addict Biol. 21(5):1043-51.
Sagheddu C, Melis M (2015) Individual differences and vulnerability to drug addiction: a focus on the endocannabinoid system. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 14 (4): 502-517
Melis M, Sagheddu C, De Felice M, Casti A, Madeddu C, Spiga S, Muntoni AL, Mackie K, Marsicano G, Colombo G, Castelli MP, Pistis M. (2014) Enhanced endocannabinoid-mediated modulation of rostromedial tegmental nucleus drive onto dopamine neurons in Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats. Journal of Neuroscience, 34(38):12716-24
Melis M, De Felice M, Lecca S, Fattore L, Pistis M (2013): Sex-specific tonic 2-arachidonoylglycerol signaling at inhibitory inputs onto dopamine neurons of Lister Hooded rats. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 7(93):1-13.