Giovanni Marsicano is the leader of the AVENIR Group Research team "Endocannabinoids and Neuroadaptation" affiliated with the INSERM lab: Pathophysiology of neural plasticity - Pier Vincenzo Piazza .

1)We will generate advanced genetic tools allowing conditional deletion , rescue and overexpression of ECS elements. The integrated use of these tools will lead to the detailed maping of the brain neurocircuitries where the ECS controls food intake.
2)We will provide strong evidence pointing to differential functions of the ECS in food intake, depending on the specific circuits activated
3)We will determine which endocannabinoid(s) are involved in specific aspects of food intake.
4)We will detail electrophysiological impact of the ECS on the hypothalamic neuronal network regulating food intake, establishing firm causal relationship between neuronal activity and behavior.
5) We will identify novel biochimichal mechanisms linking the ECS to hypothalamic neuronal activity , mitochondrial fonctions and regulation of food intake.