Cannabis and the Developing Brain

Miriam Melis is an Associate Professor at the University of Cagliari, Italy. She holds a PharmD (University of Palermo, 1993) as well as a PhD in Neuroscience (University of Cagliari, 2011). During her career she worked as a Research Fellow for two years at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UCSF and as a Visiting Scientist at Lund Universitet Wallenberg Neuroscience Center in 2011. Her research is focused on understanding neurobiological mechanisms (i.e., adaptations of both mesocorticolimbic dopamine and endocannabinoid signaling) of resilience and susceptibility to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes leading to neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., psychotic- spectrum, substance use disorder, antisocial behavior, anxiety, depression). She has published 46 research papers, 5 book chapters and edited two books specifically on the effects of (endo)cannabinoids in the CNS. Olivier Manzoni is a Research Director at INSERM in Marseille and director of the International Associated Laboratory CannaLab (University of Indiana, Bloomington USA / Aix-Marseille University, France). His research is centered on understanding the molecular basis of synaptic plasticity in normal and pathological conditions, with a focus on the function of the endocannabinoid system and the effects of cannabis during lifetime.

• 1. Pre-clinical models of neurodevelopmental cannabinoid exposureKen Mackie2. Epigenetic imprint: An underlying link to developmental effects of pre-natal cannabis exposure Anissa Bara and Yasmin L. Hurd3. Impact of adolescent THC exposure on later adulthood: Focus on mesocorticolimbic function and behaviorsAnthony English, Benjamin Land, and Nephi Stella4. Endocannabinoids and sex differences in the developing social behavior networkMargaret M. McCarthy, Ashley E. Marquardt, and Jonathan W. VanRyzin5. Behavioral consequences of pre/peri-natal Cannabis exposureAntonia Manduca and Viviana Trezza6. Correlates and consequences of cannabinoid exposure on adolescent brain remodeling: Focus on glial cells and epigeneticsZamberletti Erica, Manenti Cristina, Gabaglio Marina, Rubino Tiziana, and Parolaro Daniela7. Effects of pre-natal THC exposure on the mesolimbic dopamine system: Unveiling an endophenotype of sensory information processing deficitsRoberto Frau and Miriam Melis8. Perinatal cannabis exposure and long-term consequences on synaptic programmingGabriele Giua, Olivier J.J. Manzoni, and Andrew F. Scheyer9. Molecular and cellular principles of endocannabinoid signaling and their sensitivity to cannabis in the developing brainErik Keimpema and Tibor Harkany10. How adolescent cannabinoid exposure sets the stage for long-term emotional and cognitive dysregulation: Impacts on molecular and neuronal risk pathwaysSteven R. Laviolette11. Molecular mechanisms underlying cannabis-induced risk of psychosisPaula Unzueta-Larrinaga, Luis F. Callado, and Leyre Uriguen12. Synthetic cannabinoids: State-of-the-art with a focus on fertility and developmentA.-L. P_elissier-Alicot13. Pre-natal THC exposure interferes with the neurodevelopmental role of endocannabinoid signalingIsmael Galve-Roperh, Adan de Salas-Quiroga,Samuel Simon Sanchez, and Manuel Guzman14. Cannabis effects on the adolescent brainKateryna Murlanova, Yuto Hasegawa, Atsushi Kamiya, and Mikhail V. Pletnikov