All along my career, my research focused on the neural mechanisms controlling major physiological functions (i.e. nociception and reproduction) or implicated in pathological states (i.e. stroke) with the aim of developing new clinical treatment or agronomic applications. I was awarded a master in Biological Science from the University of Turin, Italy, in 1988 and a PhD degree in Neuroscience in 1994 from the Pierre et Marie Curie University (Paris, France). I spent 4 years of post-doctoral training at The Neurosciences Institute of San Diego (CA, USA). In 1998 I moved from Academia to Industry (Schering-Plough) assuming first the position of group leader and then of section head. In 2010 I moved back to Academia and I was appointed research director at the INRA. My main expertise is in the neurobiology, neuropharmacology and drug discovery fields. At present, my research goal is the development and use of kisspeptin analogs suitable for reproduction management in livestock.