Endocannabinoids and Lipid Mediators in Brain Functions

Miriam Melis is an Associate Professor at the University of Cagliari, Italy. She holds a PharmD in Pharmacy (University of Palermo, 1993) as well as a PhD in Neuroscience University of Cagliari, 2011). During her career Miriam Melis worked as a Research Fellow for two years at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center, San Francisco, CA, US and as a Visiting Scientist at Lund Universitet Wallenberg Neuroscience Center in 2011. Her current research is focused on understanding neurobiological underpinnings (e.g., adaptations of both mesocorticolimbic dopamine pathway and endocannabinoid system) of resilience and susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., substance use disorder, antisocial behavior, anxiety, depression). Her group discovered that dopamine neurons can synthesize and release lipid signaling molecules (i.e. endocannabinoids and their cognate molecules) under both physiological and pathological conditions. She has published 34 research papers as wellas 2 book chapters on this topic.