Dr. Daniele Piomelli stands as a preeminent leader in the field of neuroscience with a distinguished career spanning over three decades. He currently holds the esteemed position of Distinguished Professor and Louise Turner Arnold Chair in Neurosciences at the University of California, Irvine, with joint appointments in Anatomy and Neurobiology, Pharmacology, and Biological Chemistry. Trained under Nobel Laureates at Columbia University and the Rockefeller University, his educational foundation included work with James H. Schwartz, Eric Kandel, and Paul Greengard, whose contributions to neuroscience were later recognized with the Nobel Prize in 2000. Prior to his appointment at UC Irvine, Dr. Piomelli established his research credentials through significant positions at the INSERM in Paris and the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego with Nobel Laureate Gerald Edelman. His career trajectory reflects a consistent commitment to advancing our understanding of brain function through innovative molecular approaches.
Dr. Piomelli's groundbreaking research has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of the endocannabinoid system, most notably through his seminal 1997 Nature publication identifying a second endogenous cannabinoid that modulates long-term potentiation, which has become a cornerstone of modern neuroscience. His laboratory has pioneered the study of lipid-derived messengers in the brain, producing over 400 peer-reviewed publications in premier journals including Nature, Science, and Nature Medicine, alongside three full-length books and 34 patents that have accelerated therapeutic development in the field. His discovery work directly catalyzed the formation of multiple biopharmaceutical companies including Kadmus Pharmaceuticals, Anteana Therapeutics, and Neokera Pharmaceuticals, translating basic science into potential clinical applications. The profound impact of his research extends to our understanding of memory, pain, and neurodegenerative conditions, with his work establishing critical links between endocannabinoid signaling and cognitive function across the lifespan. His development of sophisticated analytical techniques for studying lipid messengers has provided the scientific community with essential tools for advancing cannabinoid research worldwide.
As Director of the UCI Center for the Study of Cannabis and Editor-in-Chief of Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, Dr. Piomelli has established himself as the intellectual architect of modern cannabis science, creating essential infrastructure for rigorous, evidence-based research in this rapidly evolving field. He currently directs the NIDA Center of Excellence ICAL Impact of Cannabinoids Across the Lifespan, positioning him at the forefront of understanding how cannabinoids affect human development and aging. His leadership extends internationally through his founding directorship of the Department of Drug Discovery and Development at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, where he built a major European research hub from 2007 to 2016. Dr. Piomelli continues to mentor the next generation of neuroscientists while advancing cutting-edge research on the therapeutic potential of endocannabinoid modulators for conditions ranging from chronic pain to neurodegenerative disorders. His ongoing work promises to further illuminate the complex relationship between lipid signaling and brain health, with implications for developing novel therapeutic approaches to some of medicine's most challenging neurological conditions.
