Dr. Jeanelle Portelli joined CPN in June 2017. She started her studies in Pharmacy at the University of Malta (Malta), where she graduated in 2007. In 2012, she earned a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a focus on Neuropharmacology from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium). Her Ph.D. and subsequent postdoctoral research at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and University of Gent (Belgium) focused on the role of neuropeptides and G-protein-coupled receptors as potential targets for the development of new antiepileptic drugs for patients with refractory epilepsy. Dr. Portelli has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and was the first editor of a book focusing on the central function of the ghrelin receptor. She has served as a regular reviewer for several Journals and grant proposals, and has presented her research findings at different international conferences. Her current research interests at CPN involve the role of the ghrelin system in addictions and mental health disorders.