Giuseppe Gangarossa

Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative (CNRS UMR 8251)
Institut Universitaire de France (IUF)

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Title

The gut-brain vagal axis governs mesolimbic dopamine dynamics and reward events

Abstract

Reward-related processes have traditionally been ascribed to neural circuits centered on the dopamine (DA) system. While external stimuli, such as food and drugs of abuse, are well-established activators of DA-neuron activity, growing evidence indicates that interoceptive signals also play a critical role in modulating reward. Among these, the gut-brain vagal axis has emerged as a key pathway, yet its precise contribution to mesolimbic DA-dependent signaling, dynamics and behaviors remains poorly defined. Here, we combine complementary ex vivo and in vivo approaches across multiple scales to investigate how the gut-brain vagal axis regulates DA dynamics and reward-related behaviors. We show that gut-brain vagal tone is essential for gating mesolimbic DA system activity and functions, modulating DA-dependent molecular and cellular processes, and scaling both food- and drugs-induced reinforcement. These findings challenge the traditional brain-centric view of reward processing, supporting a more unified and integrated model in which gut-derived and vagus-mediated interoceptive signals are pivotal in intrinsically shaping motivation and reinforcement. By uncovering the influence of gut-brain vagal communication on mesolimbic DA functions, this work offers new insights into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying both adaptive and maladaptive reward processes, with broad implications for eating disorders and addiction.

Biosketch

Giuseppe Gangarossa is Professor of Neurobiology at Université Paris Cité and a member of the Unit of Functional and Adaptive Biology. His research explores the molecular and cellular mechanisms governing homeostatic and hedonic circuits that regulate energy balance and feeding behaviors, drawing inspiration from the emerging field of metabo-psychiatry.
He earned a Pharm.D. from the University of Bologna (Italy) and a European Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Bologna and Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) in 2011. Between 2011 and 2016, he pursued postdoctoral training in France (Montpellier, Paris) and Canada (London, Montreal). Over time, his research evolved from pure neurosciences to integrative physiology, reinforcing his belief that the brain does not act alone. In 2017, he was appointed Associate Professor at Université Paris Cité and promoted to Full Professor in 2022. His recent distinctions include the junior membership to the Institut Universitaire de France (2023) and the Humboldt Fellowship (2025). As a Humboldtian, he is also affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics (Tubingen, Germany), in the Body-Brain Department of Prof. Ivan de Araujo.

A committed advocate for equity in academia, Prof. Gangarossa actively works to combat discrimination and LGBTQ+ stigmatization as a member of the Alba Network.