# Impact of Cannabinoid Across the Lifespan (ICAL)

> **NIH NIH P50** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · 2024 · $55,556

## Abstract

ICAL PILOT CORE: SUMMARY
This is a revised application for the renewal of the NIDA Center of Excellence, Impact of Cannabinoids
Across the Lifespan (ICAL). The Center tests the hypothesis that non-physiological activation of the
endocannabinoid system during adolescence – caused by exposure to D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) –
initiates a reprogramming of the genetic and epigenetic processes that govern this system’s molecular
structure, neuroanatomical architecture, and synaptic functions, ultimately producing persistent
abnormalities in cognition and motivated behavior. In this revised application for renewal, ICAL’s Pilot
Core will continue to fulfill two major programmatic objectives of the Center: (1) foster innovative research
that aligns with the Center’s scientific mission and maximizes use of its research resources; and (2)
provide career development activities and mentorship for junior investigators and/or established
investigators who are new to cannabinoid research. In the first 4-year funding period, the Core
supported seven projects, which provided evidence that daily exposure to THC in adolescence
produces: (a) disruptions in male and female reproductive function in mice (projects 6 and 7); (b)
sex-dependent alterations in extracellular vesicle signaling in the rat brain (project 3); (c)
microstructural changes in the brain of male mice (project 5); and (d) alterations in reward-related
behaviors (projects 1 and 4). Moreover, (e) one R01 and one R01-level California State grant
applications were funded based on results produced by project 3; and (f) three articles were
published and several others are in preparation. For this renewal, the Core plans to continue its
annual competition for pilot funding. Its Director, Dr. Christine Gall, is Professor and Chair of the
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior at UCI. Dr. Gall
will supervise the recruitment of projects and oversee their progress in consultation with the Center
director and co-director, the internal Steering Committee (SC) and External Advisory Group (EAG). The
Center’s Administrative Core will provide clerical support. Early-career investigators and/or investigators
new to the field who receive ICAL pilot funding will be paired with senior faculty members who will provide
mentorship during the project funding period and after research is completed. In addition, pilot grantees
will have access to the leadership and expertise of the SC and the EAG. The Pilot Core will continue
serving as a conduit for the exploration of new ideas and as an important venue for mentoring both junior
investigators and established investigators new to the field. The Core’s leadership will work to ensure that
the potential for each individual project and project investigator is fully realized.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10932779
- **Project number:** 2P50DA044118-05A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Christine M Gall
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $55,556
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2029-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10932779

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10932779, Impact of Cannabinoid Across the Lifespan (ICAL) (2P50DA044118-05A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10932779. Licensed CC0.

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