Francesca Telese

Title(s)Associate Professor, Psychiatry
SchoolVc-health Sciences-schools
Address9500 Gilman Drive #
La Jolla CA 92093
ORCID ORCID Icon0000-0003-3877-0628 Additional info
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    Collapse Biography 
    Collapse Education and Training
    University of Naples Federico II, ItalyPh.D.2007Neuroscience
    University of California San Diego, San DiegoPostdoctoral Fellow2013Neuroepigenetics
    University of California San Diego , San Diego Assistant Project Scientist2017Neuroepigenetics

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    Welcome to my UCSD profile!

    Our laboratory is focused on studying the mechanisms of gene regulation that contribute to neuronal plasticity and behavior. By gaining a deeper understanding of these mechanisms, we strive to advance our fundamental understanding of brain function and pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches for brain diseases, particularly substance use disorders.

    Our interdisciplinary approach combines molecular, cellular, and behavioral studies with state-of-the-art functional genomics techniques. Through these methods, we aim to dissect the tissue- and cell type-specific gene regulatory mechanisms that underlie the neurobiology of substance use disorders.

    Whether you are an aspiring graduate student, a postdoctoral researcher seeking new horizons, or a research scientist eager to contribute to our research, we welcome you to reach out and explore the exciting opportunities that await you in our laboratory.
    Collapse In The News

    Collapse Research 
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    Multiomic profiling of cell types mediating opioid use disorder in rats
    National Institute on Drug Abuse R01DA056602Aug 15, 2022 - Apr 30, 2027
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Description: The alarming rise in prescription opioid misuse and the widespread availability of illegal opioids like heroin and fentanyl are fueling a devastating epidemic of opioid overdoses. The impact of opioids on various brain systems throughout the progression of addiction remains poorly understood. In this study, we aim to use advanced single-cell genomic techniques to investigate how different brain cell types respond to opioid exposure at various stages of addiction in a rodent model. This research will include a functional validation of key genes pinpointed by this study, aiming to discover novel targets for the development of therapeutic strategies.
    Decoding regulatory functions of genetic variants associated with substance use disorders
    NIH/NIDA 1R21DA056177May 1, 2022 - Apr 30, 2024
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Description: Genome-wide association studies have begun to identify genetic variants associated with substance abuse disorders, but understanding their functional biological role remains challenging. This application will develop and validate an innovative high-throughput method that will facilitate the prediction, interpretation and characterization of genetic variants associated with substance use disorders.
    Epigenetic regulation of food intake behavior
    UCSD/UCLA Diabetes Research Center Pilot DRCMay 1, 2021 - Apr 30, 2023
    Role: Principal investigator
    Decoding the grammar of transcriptional enhancers regulating different stages of opioid use disorder
    NIH U01DA051972Sep 30, 2020 - Jul 31, 2025
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Description: The misuse of both prescription and illegal opioids has led to a national crisis that affects public health and the economy. A key gap in our knowledge is understanding how specific cell types in the brain drive distinct transcriptional responses to addictive substances. Our focus is to explore the regulatory enhancer elements and upstream transcription factors that influence opioid addiction in vulnerable individuals. This project will leverage the genetic diversity of different inbred rat strains coupled with cutting-edge genomics technologies aimed at measuring enhancer activity.
    Single-cell resolution analysis of chromatin accessibility and gene expression changes in a model of drug addiction
    NIH U01DA050239May 1, 2020 - Feb 28, 2025
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Description: The goal of this project is to shed light on the biological underpinnings of opiate addiction, with a particular focus on the growing issue of the abuse of prescription pain relievers, such as oxycodone, a critical public health challenge. Despite extensive research, there's still a significant gap in understanding the gene regulatory mechanisms that contribute to the vulnerability and progression of opioid use disorders. This project aims to bridge this gap by systematically examining cell-type specific transcriptional and chromatin accessibility changes in the brains of genetically diverse rats with varying levels of addiction-like behaviors after self-administration of oxycodone.
    Epigenomic approaches to study the gene networks underlying the cannabis effects on genetic vulnerability to psychosis
    NIH DP1DA042232Jun 1, 2016 - Apr 30, 2021
    Role: Principal Investigator

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    Collapse Bibliographic 
    Collapse Publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Researchers can login to make corrections and additions, or contact us for help. to make corrections and additions.
    Newest   |   Oldest   |   Most Cited   |   Most Discussed   |   Timeline   |   Field Summary   |   Plain Text
    Altmetrics Details PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.
    1. TM7SF3 controls TEAD1 splicing to prevent MASH-induced liver fibrosis. Cell Metab. 2024 May 07; 36(5):1030-1043.e7. Isaac R, Bandyopadhyay G, Rohm TV, Kang S, Wang J, Pokhrel N, Sakane S, Zapata R, Libster AM, Vinik Y, Berhan A, Kisseleva T, Borok Z, Zick Y, Telese F, Webster NJG, Olefsky JM. PMID: 38670107; PMCID: PMC11113091.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    2. A revamped rat reference genome improves the discovery of genetic diversity in laboratory rats. Cell Genom. 2024 Apr 10; 4(4):100527. de Jong TV, Pan Y, Rastas P, Munro D, Tutaj M, Akil H, Benner C, Chen D, Chitre AS, Chow W, Colonna V, Dalgard CL, Demos WM, Doris PA, Garrison E, Geurts AM, Gunturkun HM, Guryev V, Hourlier T, Howe K, Huang J, Kalbfleisch T, Kim P, Li L, Mahaffey S, Martin FJ, Mohammadi P, Ozel AB, Polesskaya O, Pravenec M, Prins P, Sebat J, Smith JR, Solberg Woods LC, Tabakoff B, Tracey A, Uliano-Silva M, Villani F, Wang H, Sharp BM, Telese F, Jiang Z, Saba L, Wang X, Murphy TD, Palmer AA, Kwitek AE, Dwinell MR, Williams RW, Li JZ, Chen H. PMID: 38537634; PMCID: PMC11019364.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    3. Genetic architecture distinguishes tinnitus from hearing loss. Nat Commun. 2024 Jan 19; 15(1):614. Clifford RE, Maihofer AX, Chatzinakos C, Coleman JRI, Daskalakis NP, Gasperi M, Hogan K, Mikita EA, Stein MB, Tcheandjieu C, Telese F, Zuo Y, Ryan AF, Nievergelt CM. PMID: 38242899; PMCID: PMC10799010.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    4. Genome-Wide Association Study of Chronic Dizziness in the Elderly Identifies Loci Implicating MLLT10, BPTF, LINC01224, and ROS1. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol. 2023 Dec; 24(6):575-591. Clifford R, Munro D, Dochtermann D, Devineni P, Pyarajan S, Million Veteran Program, Telese F, Palmer AA, Mohammadi P, Friedman R. PMID: 38036714; PMCID: PMC10752854.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 3     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    5. Author Correction: Single-nucleus genomics in outbred rats with divergent cocaine addiction-like behaviors reveals changes in amygdala GABAergic inhibition. Nat Neurosci. 2023 Nov; 26(11):2035. Zhou JL, de Guglielmo G, Ho AJ, Kallupi M, Pokhrel N, Li HR, Chitre AS, Munro D, Mohammadi P, Carrette LLG, George O, Palmer AA, McVicker G, Telese F. PMID: 37845545; PMCID: PMC10620070.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    
    6. Single-nucleus genomics in outbred rats with divergent cocaine addiction-like behaviors reveals changes in amygdala GABAergic inhibition. Nat Neurosci. 2023 Nov; 26(11):1868-1879. Zhou JL, de Guglielmo G, Ho AJ, Kallupi M, Pokhrel N, Li HR, Chitre AS, Munro D, Mohammadi P, Carrette LLG, George O, Palmer AA, McVicker G, Telese F. PMID: 37798411; PMCID: PMC10620093.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 3     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    7. A revamped rat reference genome improves the discovery of genetic diversity in laboratory rats. bioRxiv. 2023 Sep 28. de Jong TV, Pan Y, Rastas P, Munro D, Tutaj M, Akil H, Benner C, Chen D, Chitre AS, Chow W, Colonna V, Dalgard CL, Demos WM, Doris PA, Garrison E, Geurts AM, Gunturkun HM, Guryev V, Hourlier T, Howe K, Huang J, Kalbfleisch T, Kim P, Li L, Mahaffey S, Martin FJ, Mohammadi P, Ozel AB, Polesskaya O, Pravenec M, Prins P, Sebat J, Smith JR, Solberg Woods LC, Tabakoff B, Tracey A, Uliano-Silva M, Villani F, Wang H, Sharp BM, Telese F, Jiang Z, Saba L, Wang X, Murphy TD, Palmer AA, Kwitek AE, Dwinell MR, Williams RW, Li JZ, Chen H. PMID: 37214860; PMCID: PMC10197727.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    8. Strain and sex-related behavioral variability of oxycodone dependence in rats. Neuropharmacology. 2023 10 01; 237:109635. Doyle MR, Martinez AR, Qiao R, Dirik S, Di Ottavio F, Pascasio G, Martin-Fardon R, Benner C, George O, Telese F, de Guglielmo G. PMID: 37327971; PMCID: PMC10353778.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 3     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    9. The long non-coding RNA MALAT1 regulates intestine host-microbe interactions and polyposis. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2023; 11:1168693. Long T, Hernandez JE, Ma S, Steele S, Luo C, Li Y, Xie Q, Telese F, Zhou B, Huang WJM. PMID: 37325561; PMCID: PMC10265687.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    10. Nuclear receptor 5A2 regulation of Agrp underlies olanzapine-induced hyperphagia. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 05; 28(5):1857-1867. Zapata RC, Zhang D, Libster A, Porcu A, Montilla-Perez P, Nur A, Xu B, Zhang Z, Correa SM, Liu C, Telese F, Osborn O. PMID: 36765131; PMCID: PMC10412731.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimals
    11. Chronic adolescent exposure to cannabis in mice leads to sex-biased changes in gene expression networks across brain regions. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2022 11; 47(12):2071-2080. Zuo Y, Iemolo A, Montilla-Perez P, Li HR, Yang X, Telese F. PMID: 35995972; PMCID: PMC9556757.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 6     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimals
    12. Reelin deficiency exacerbates cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion by enhancing neuronal activity in the dorsomedial striatum. Genes Brain Behav. 2022 09; 21(7):e12828. de Guglielmo G, Iemolo A, Nur A, Turner A, Montilla-Perez P, Martinez A, Crook C, Roberts A, Telese F. PMID: 35906757; PMCID: PMC9744517.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 5     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimals
    13. Glucocorticoid Receptor-Regulated Enhancers Play a Central Role in the Gene Regulatory Networks Underlying Drug Addiction. Front Neurosci. 2022; 16:858427. Duttke SH, Montilla-Perez P, Chang MW, Li H, Chen H, Carrette LLG, de Guglielmo G, George O, Palmer AA, Benner C, Telese F. PMID: 35651629; PMCID: PMC9149415.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 7  
    14. Nuclear Receptor 5A2 Regulation of Agrp underlies Olanzapine-induced Hyperphagia. bioRxiv. 2022. Rizaldy C. Zapata, Dinghong Zhang, Avraham Libster, Alessandra Porcu, Patricia Montilla-Perez, Zhi Zhang, Stephanie M Correa, Francesca Telese, Olivia Osborn. View Publication.
    15. RNA binding protein DDX5 directs tuft cell specification and function to regulate microbial repertoire and disease susceptibility in the intestine. Gut. 2022 09; 71(9):1790-1802. Long T, Abbasi N, Hernandez JE, Li Y, Sayed IM, Ma S, Iemolo A, Yee BA, Yeo GW, Telese F, Ghosh P, Das S, Huang WJM. PMID: 34853057; PMCID: PMC9156727.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 6     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    16. Functional validation of a finding from a mouse genome-wide association study shows that Azi2 influences the acute locomotor stimulant response to methamphetamine. Genes Brain Behav. 2021 09; 20(7):e12760. Zhou X, Barkley-Levenson AM, Montilla-Perez P, Telese F, Palmer AA. PMID: 34173327.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 3     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    17. Reelin deficiency contributes to long-term behavioral abnormalities induced by chronic adolescent exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in mice. Neuropharmacology. 2021 04 01; 187:108495. Iemolo A, Montilla-Perez P, Nguyen J, Risbrough VB, Taffe MA, Telese F. PMID: 33582152; PMCID: PMC7989547.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 5     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    18. The Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist, WIN-55212-2, Suppresses the Activation of Proinflammatory Genes Induced by Interleukin 1 Beta in Human Astrocytes. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res. 2022 02; 7(1):78-92. Fields JA, Swinton MK, Montilla-Perez P, Ricciardelli E, Telese F. PMID: 33998879; PMCID: PMC8864424.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 12     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    19. A cell type-specific expression map of NCoR1 and SMRT transcriptional co-repressors in the mouse brain. J Comp Neurol. 2020 09 01; 528(13):2218-2238. Iemolo A, Montilla-Perez P, Lai IC, Meng Y, Nolan S, Wen J, Rusu I, Dulcis D, Telese F. PMID: 32072640; PMCID: PMC7368833.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 4     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    20. Mitochondrial biogenesis is altered in HIV+ brains exposed to ART: Implications for therapeutic targeting of astroglia. Neurobiol Dis. 2019 10; 130:104502. Swinton MK, Carson A, Telese F, Sanchez AB, Soontornniyomkij B, Rad L, Batki I, Quintanilla B, Pérez-Santiago J, Achim CL, Letendre S, Ellis RJ, Grant I, Murphy AN, Fields JA. PMID: 31238091; PMCID: PMC6714553.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 24     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    21. Glucocorticoid Receptor:MegaTrans Switching Mediates the Repression of an ERα-Regulated Transcriptional Program. Mol Cell. 2017 May 04; 66(3):321-331.e6. Yang F, Ma Q, Liu Z, Li W, Tan Y, Jin C, Ma W, Hu Y, Shen J, Ohgi KA, Telese F, Liu W, Rosenfeld MG. PMID: 28475868; PMCID: PMC5510478.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 35     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    22. Genome-wide epigenetic analysis of MEF2A and MEF2C transcription factors in mouse cortical neurons. Commun Integr Biol. 2015 Nov-Dec; 8(6):e1087624. Ma Q, Telese F. PMID: 27066173; PMCID: PMC4802763.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 18  
    23. LSD1n is an H4K20 demethylase regulating memory formation via transcriptional elongation control. Nat Neurosci. 2015 Sep; 18(9):1256-64. Wang J, Telese F, Tan Y, Li W, Jin C, He X, Basnet H, Ma Q, Merkurjev D, Zhu X, Liu Z, Zhang J, Ohgi K, Taylor H, White RR, Tazearslan C, Suh Y, Macfarlan TS, Pfaff SL, Rosenfeld MG. PMID: 26214369; PMCID: PMC4625987.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 74     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    24. LRP8-Reelin-Regulated Neuronal Enhancer Signature Underlying Learning and Memory Formation. Neuron. 2015 May 06; 86(3):696-710. Telese F, Ma Q, Perez PM, Notani D, Oh S, Li W, Comoletti D, Ohgi KA, Taylor H, Rosenfeld MG. PMID: 25892301; PMCID: PMC4486257.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 81     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    25. "Seq-ing" insights into the epigenetics of neuronal gene regulation. Neuron. 2013 Feb 20; 77(4):606-23. Telese F, Gamliel A, Skowronska-Krawczyk D, Garcia-Bassets I, Rosenfeld MG. PMID: 23439116; PMCID: PMC3736682.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 41     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    26. Tyrosine dephosphorylation of H2AX modulates apoptosis and survival decisions. Nature. 2009 Apr 02; 458(7238):591-6. Cook PJ, Ju BG, Telese F, Wang X, Glass CK, Rosenfeld MG. PMID: 19234442; PMCID: PMC2692521.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 279     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    27. Biomarkers, type II collagen, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate in osteoarthritis follow-up: the "Magenta osteoarthritis study". J Orthop Traumatol. 2008 Jun; 9(2):81-7. Scarpellini M, Lurati A, Vignati G, Marrazza MG, Telese F, Re K, Bellistri A. PMID: 19384621; PMCID: PMC2656961.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 13     Fields:    
    28. Histone methylation-dependent mechanisms impose ligand dependency for gene activation by nuclear receptors. Cell. 2007 Feb 09; 128(3):505-518. Garcia-Bassets I, Kwon YS, Telese F, Prefontaine GG, Hutt KR, Cheng CS, Ju BG, Ohgi KA, Wang J, Escoubet-Lozach L, Rose DW, Glass CK, Fu XD, Rosenfeld MG. PMID: 17289570; PMCID: PMC1994663.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 234     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    29. Essential roles for Fe65, Alzheimer amyloid precursor-binding protein, in the cellular response to DNA damage. J Biol Chem. 2007 Jan 12; 282(2):831-5. Minopoli G, Stante M, Napolitano F, Telese F, Aloia L, De Felice M, Di Lauro R, Pacelli R, Brunetti A, Zambrano N, Russo T. PMID: 17121854.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 25     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    30. Transcription regulation by the adaptor protein Fe65 and the nucleosome assembly factor SET. EMBO Rep. 2005 Jan; 6(1):77-82. Telese F, Bruni P, Donizetti A, Gianni D, D'Ambrosio C, Scaloni A, Zambrano N, Rosenfeld MG, Russo T. PMID: 15592452; PMCID: PMC1299219.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 38     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    31. Fe65 is not involved in the platelet-derived growth factor-induced processing of Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein, which activates its caspase-directed cleavage. J Biol Chem. 2004 Apr 16; 279(16):16161-9. Zambrano N, Gianni D, Bruni P, Passaro F, Telese F, Russo T. PMID: 14766758.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 12     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
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