Université Laval
Canada Excellence Research Chair on the
Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis
in Metabolic Health

Dr. Vincenzo Di Marzo

Chairholder and professor at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine at Université Laval.

Photo Vincenzo Di MarzoDr. Vincenzo Di Marzo holds the Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health (CERC-MEND) at Université Laval in Quebec, Canada and Associate Research Director at the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry of the National Research Council (ICB-CNR) in Naples, Italy. He is also the coordinator of the Endocannabinoid Research Group in the Naples region, and the director of the Joint International Research Unit between the Italian National Research Council and Université Laval, for Chemical and Biomolecular Research on the Microbiome and its impact on Metabolic Health and Nutrition (UMI-MicroMeNu). He holds a master's degree in chemistry  from the University of Naples “Federico II” in 1983, and a PhD in biochemistry from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London in 1988. He is co-author of over 760 articles published in peer-reviewed journals (H index 131 according to Scopus). In 2014-2022 he has been listed for 9 consecutive years among the Highly Cited Researchers (top 1% in the world) in all scientific disciplines.

vincenzo.di-marzo.1@ulaval.ca
IUCPQ: 418 656-8711 ext. 7263
INAF: 418 656-2131 ext. 404960

See Dr. Vincenzo Di Marzo's publications

See his projects

  • Discovery of the biosynthetic and metabolic pathways of the endocannabinoids and of some endocannabinoid-like molecules
  • Development of selective inhibitors of endocannabinoid inactivation and biosynthesis
  • Studies of the regulation of endocannabinoid levels in tissues under physiological and pathological conditions and development of profiling techniques for endocannabinoid and endocannabinoid-like molecules
  • First studies on the role of the endocannabinoid system in the regulation of food intake and metabolism
  • Discovery of the anti-tumor actions of endocannabinoids
  • Discovery of the first endovanilloids
  • Discovery of the relationships between endocannabinoids and endovanilloids
  • Discovery of the role of TRPV1 channels in the brain in the control of pain, anxiety and synaptic plasticity
  • Invention of the names “endocannabinoids” and “endovanilloids”
  • Development of dual target drugs with high efficacy and safety in experimental models of chronic pain and anxiety
  • Discovery of the role of the endocannabinoid system in skeletal muscle differentiation

The Joint International Research Unit for chemical and biomolecular research on the microbiome and its impact on metabolic health (UMI-MicroMeNu), of which Dr. Di Marzo is the director, is a bilateral research unit between the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and the Université Laval of Quebec.

The UMI is aimed at strengthening the scientific and technological cooperation between Université Laval and the CNR through exchanges of students and professors in the framework of pioneering bilateral research projects.

CERC network diagram

Dr. Di Marzo has received numerous grants, awards and fellowships:

  • A research grant from the Human Frontier Science Program to study the biosynthesis, metabolism and structure-activity relationships of anandamide;
  •  Merkator Grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinshaft for outstanding foreign scientists;
  •  The Mechoulam Award for "outstanding contribution to cannabinoid research";
  • The Luigi Tartufari Award for Chemistry from the Italian Academy of Sciences (Accademia dei Lincei);
  • The "Ester Fride Award for Basic Sciences" of the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines;
  •  The "Guido Dorso" International Award for Research;
  • The medal of the Italian Accademia delle Scienze, or XL, for the physical and natural sciences;
  • In November 2018, he was elected a member of the Italian Accademia dei Lincei, the oldest academy of sciences in the world.

  • Giada Giorgini, Ph.D. student
  • Nayudu Nallabelli, Ph.D. student

  • Hayatte-Dounia Mir, postdoctoral fellow
  • Hilal Kalkan, postdoctoral fellow
  • Chanté Muller, postdotoral fellow
  • Besma Boubertakh, Ph.D. candidate
  • Katarzyna Dudek, Ph.D. candidate
  • Fredy Alexander Guevara-Agudelo, Ph.D. candidate

  • Charlène Rosine Roussel, postdoctoral fellow
  • Jyoti Sihag, postdoctoral fellow
  • Bénédicte Allam-Ndoul, postdoctoral fellow
  • Sara Braga Guebara, postdoctoral fellow
  • Volatiana Rakotoarivelo, postdoctoral fellow
  • Andrea Colarusso, postdoctoral fellow
  • Rim Ben Necib, Ph.D. student
  • Tommaso Venneri, Ph.D. visiting student