Francesco Leri
Updated August 2025
Dr. Francesco Leri is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Guelph and Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto (Scarborough Campus)
Dr. Leri completed his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Experimental Psychology at McGill University and his post-doctoral training at the Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology at Concordia University. In the Department of Psychology at the University of Guelph, he taught and led a research program in Behavioural Neuroscience between 2002 and 2024. He is now a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto, where he also serves as Associate Vice-Principal Research and Innovation for the campus in Scarborough.
Sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Dr. Leri and his research team have been investigating how reinforcing stimuli modify behaviour by enhancing the stability of memories formed during their experience. The laboratory has conducted a comprehensive analysis of the post-training effects of heroin and amphetamine in rats, subsequently broadened to include palatable foods and other prominent drug reinforcers such as nicotine and cocaine. These studies have identified conditions that determine whether post-training treatments enhance or impair learning and have also generated surprising findings. Notably, the laboratory found that both opiate administration and withdrawal from opioid drugs produce indistinguishable effects on the consolidation of object memory, suggesting that the neural systems mediating the impact of these drug states on memory formation operate downstream of their direct pharmacological actions.
Importantly, exposure to reinforcers not only "stamps in" memories but also increases the salience of the environmental stimuli that are present at the time of exposure. Consequently, in line with the established expertise in the neurobiology of “conditioned” reinforcers, Leri’s group demonstrated that environmental stimuli paired with both incentive (nicotine, cocaine, heroin) and aversive (opioid withdrawal) reinforcers significantly impact memory consolidation, potentially via shared actions on brain’s monoamine and stress-responsive systems.
The primary objective of the research at the University of Toronto is to identify neurochemical and hormonal mechanisms involved in both conditioned and unconditioned memory modulation. Understanding how these stimuli affect memory functions is important across several disciplines, including psychology, neuroscience, education, and mental health, as it helps clarify how environmental factors contribute to the development and persistence of both adaptive and maladaptive behaviors.
Education
Undergraduate (1990-1993): Experimental Psychology, McGill University, Montreal
Graduate (1993-1999): Master (Dr. M. Petrides) and PhD (Dr. K.B.J. Franklin) in Experimental Psychology, McGill University, Montreal
Post-Graduate (1999-2002): Post-Doctoral Fellow, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology (Dr. J. Stewart) Concordia University, Montreal
Executive (2018-2020): Certificate of Management Excellence, Harvard Business School, Boston
Selected Publications
Updated: August 2025
Magarbeh L, Elsheikh SSM, Islam F, Marshe VS, Men X, Tavakoli E, Kronenbuerger M, Kloiber S, Frey BN, Milev R, Soares CN, Parikh SV, Placenza F, Hassel S, Taylor VH, Leri F, Blier P, Uher R, Farzan F, Lam RW, Turecki G, Foster JA, Rotzinger S, Kennedy SH, Müller DJ. Polygenic Risk Score Analysis of Antidepressant Treatment Outcomes: A CAN-BIND-1 Study Report: Analyse des résultats du traitement antidépresseur à l'aide des scores de risque polygéniques : Rapport sur l'étude CAN-BIND-1. Can J Psychiatry. 2025 Mar29:7067437251329073. doi: 10.1177/07067437251329073. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40156272; PMCID: PMC11955985.
Baidoo N, Shaver A, Ginson B, Castellani J, Lapointe T, Wolter M, Leri F (2025). Memory enhancement by unconditioned and conditioned heroin withdrawal: role of corticotropin-releasing factor in the central amygdala. Neuropharmacology. 2025 May 15; 269:110341.
Renda B, Leri F (2024). The anxiogenic drug yohimbine is a reinforcer in male and female rats. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2024 Dec;50(2):432-443. doi: 10.1038/s41386-024-01985-1.
Islam F, Lisoway A, Oh ES, Fiori LM, Magarbeh L, Elsheikh SSM, Kim HK, Kloiber S, Kennedy JL, Frey BN, Milev R, Soares CN, Parikh SV, Placenza F, Hassel S, Taylor VH, Leri F, Blier P, Uher R, Farzan F, Lam RW, Turecki G, Foster JA, Rotzinger S, Kennedy SH, Müller DJ (2024). Integrative Genetic Variation, DNA Methylation, and Gene Expression Analysis of Escitalopram and Aripiprazole Treatment Outcomes in Depression: A CAN-BIND-1 Study. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2024 57: 232-244.
Renda B, Andrade AK, Wylie IR, Stone AP, Antenos M, Leri F, Murray JE (2024). Adolescent restraint stress enhances adult nicotine reinforcement in male and female rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 161:106927.
Islam F, Magarbeh L, Elsheikh SSM, Kloiber S, Espinola CW, Bhat V, Frey BN, Milev R, Soares CN, Parikh SV, Placenza F, Hassel S, Taylor VH, Leri F, Blier P, Uher R, Farzan F, Lam RW, Turecki G, Foster JA, Rotzinger S, Kennedy SH, Müller DJ (2024). Influence of CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and ABCB1 Gene Variants and Serum Levels of Escitalopram and Aripiprazole on Treatment-Emergent Sexual Dysfunction: A Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression 1 (CAN-BIND 1) Study. Can J Psychiatry. Oct 5:7067437231203433.
Francis T, Leri F (2023) Role of dopamine D1 receptor in the modulation of memory consolidation by passive and self-administered heroin and associated conditioned stimuli. Sci Rep 13(1):12614.
Lapointe T, Francis T, Doray K, Leri F (2023) Enhancement of memory consolidation by an avoidance conditioned stimulus: Modulation by the D3 receptor. Neuropharmacology 235:109572.
Wolter M, Lapointe T, Baidoo N, Mitchnick KA, Wideman C, Winters BD, Leri F (2023) Double dissociation of perirhinal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and dopamine D2 receptors in modulation of object memory consolidation by nicotine, cocaine and their conditioned stimuli. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 72:50-59.
Magarbeh L, Hassel C, Choi M, Islam F, Marshe VS, Zai CC, Zuberi R, Gammal RS, Men X, Scherf-Clavel M, Enko D, Frey BN, Milev R, Soares CN, Parikh SV, Placenza F, Strother SC, Hassel S, Taylor VH, Leri F, Blier P, Farzan F, Lam RW, Turecki G, Foster JA, Rotzinger S, Kloiber S, Kennedy JL, Kennedy SH, Bousman CA, Müller DJ (2023) ABCB1 Gene Variants and Antidepressant Treatment Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Including Results from the CAN-BIND-1 Study. Clin Pharmacol Ther 114: 88-117.
Francis T, Wolter M, Leri F (2022) The effects of passive and active administration of heroin, and associated conditioned stimuli, on consolidation of object memory. Sci Rep 12(1):20351.
Islam F, Marshe VS, Magarbeh L, Frey BN, Milev RV, Soares CN, Parikh SV, Placenza F, Strother SC, Hassel S, Taylor VH, Leri F, Blier P, Uher R, Farzan F, Lam RW, Turecki G, Foster JA, Rotzinger S, Kennedy SH, Müller DJ. Effects of CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 gene variants on escitalopram and aripiprazole treatment outcome and serum levels: results from the CAN-BIND 1 study. Transl Psychiatry.
2022 Sep 6;12(1):366. doi: 10.1038/s41398-022-02124-4. PMID: 36068210; PMCID: PMC9448818.
Melanson B, Wolter M, Leatham Z, Lapointe T, Kennedy S, Leri F. Conditioned anti-immobility by ketamine: A comparison to escitalopram and bupropion. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2022 Apr 25. doi: 10.1037/pha0000573. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 35467924.
Wang S, Leri F, Rizvi SJ. Clinical and Preclinical Assessments of Anhedonia in Psychiatric Disorders. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2022;58:3-21. doi: 10.1007/7854_2022_318. PMID: 35435647.
Baidoo N, Leri F. Inhibition of noradrenergic and corticotrophin-releasing factor systems: Effects on enhancement of memory consolidation by unconditioned and conditioned heroin withdrawal. Neuropharmacology. 2022 May 15;209:109018.
doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109018. Epub 2022 Feb 28. PMID: 35240132.
Baidoo N, Leri F. Extended amygdala, conditioned withdrawal and memory consolidation. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2022 Mar 8;113:110435. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110435. Epub 2021 Sep 9. PMID: 34509531.
Melanson B, Leri F. Effect of ketamine on the physiological responses to combined hypoglycemic and psychophysical stress. IBRO Neurosci Rep. 2021 Aug 23;11:81-87. doi: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2021.08.002. PMID: 34485972; PMCID: PMC8406162.
Daniels S, Lemaire D, Lapointe T, Limebeer C, Parker L, Leri F. Effects of inescapable stress on responses to social incentive stimuli and modulation by escitalopram. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2021 Nov;238(11):3239-3247. doi:
10.1007/s00213-021-05940-6. Epub 2021 Jul 30. PMID: 34328518.
Ayoub SM, Piscitelli F, Silvestri C, Limebeer CL, Rock EM, Smoum R, Farag M, de Almeida H, Sullivan MT, Lacroix S, Boubertakh B, Nallabelli N, Lichtman AH, Leri F, Mechoulam R, Di Marzo V, Parker LA. Spontaneous and Naloxone- Precipitated Withdrawal Behaviors From Chronic Opiates are Accompanied by Changes in <i>N</i>-Oleoylglycine and <i>N</i>-Oleoylalanine Levels in the Brain and Ameliorated by Treatment With These Mediators. Front Pharmacol. 2021 Sep 15;12:706703. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.706703. PMID: 34603019; PMCID: PMC8479102.
Wolter M, Lapointe T, Melanson B, Baidoo N, Francis T, Winters BD, Leri F. Memory enhancing effects of nicotine, cocaine, and their conditioned stimuli; effects of beta-adrenergic and dopamine D2 receptor antagonists. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2021 Sep;238(9):2617-2628. doi:10.1007/s00213-021-05884-x. Epub 2021 Jun 26. PMID: 34175982.
Wang S, Leri F, Rizvi SJ. Anhedonia as a central factor in depression: Neural mechanisms revealed from preclinical to clinical evidence. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2021 Aug 30;110:110289. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110289. Epub 2021 Feb 23. PMID: 33631251.
Minhas M, Limebeer CL, Strom E, Parker LA, Leri F. High fructose corn syrup alters behavioural and neurobiological responses to oxycodone in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2021 Jun;205:173189. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173189. Epub 2021
Apr 15. PMID: 33845083.
Horman T, Ayoub S, Leri F. Evidence of hypoglycemic anhedonia and modulation by bupropion in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2021 Apr;203:173120. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173120. Epub 2021 Jan 23. PMID: 33497714.
Melanson B, Lapointe T, Leri F. Impact of impaired glucose metabolism on responses to a psychophysical stressor: modulation by ketamine. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2021 Apr;238(4):1005-1015. doi: 10.1007/s00213-020-05748-w. Epub 2021 Jan 6. PMID: 33404733.
Lapointe T, Wolter M, Leri F. Analysis of memory modulation by conditioned stimuli. Learn Mem. 2021 Feb 16;28(3):87-94. doi: 10.1101/lm.052407.120. PMID: 33593927; PMCID: PMC7888238.
Baidoo N, Wolter M, Holahan MR, Teale T, Winters B, Leri F. The effects of morphine withdrawal and conditioned withdrawal on memory consolidation and c-Fos expression in the central amygdala. Addict Biol. 2021 Mar;26(2):e12909. doi: 10.1111/adb.12909. Epub 2020 May 17. PMID: 32418296.
Ayoub SM, Smoum R, Farag M, Atwal H, Collins SA, Rock EM, Limebeer CL, Piscitelli F, Iannotti FA, Lichtman AH, Leri F, Di Marzo V, Mechoulam R, Parker LA. Oleoyl alanine (HU595): a stable monomethylated oleoyl glycine interferes
with acute naloxone precipitated morphine withdrawal in male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2020 Sep;237(9):2753-2765. doi:
10.1007/s00213-020-05570-4. Epub 2020 Jun 16. PMID: 32556401.
Ayoub SM, Minhas M, Lapointe T, Limebeer CL, Parker LA, Leri F. Effects of high fructose corn syrup on ethanol self-administration in rats. Alcohol. 2020 Sep;87:79-88. doi: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2020.05.003. Epub 2020 Jun 1. PMID: 32497557.
Baidoo N, Wolter M, Leri F. Opioid withdrawal and memory consolidation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020 Jul;114:16-24. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.029. Epub 2020 Apr 12. PMID: 32294487.
Horman T, Fernandes MF, Tache MC, Hucik B, Mutch DM, Leri F. Dietary <i>n</i>-6/<i>n</i>-3 Ratio Influences Brain Fatty Acid Composition in Adult Rats. Nutrients. 2020 Jun 21;12(6):1847. doi: 10.3390/nu12061847. PMID: 32575852; PMCID: PMC7353285.
Wolter M, Huff AE, Baidoo N, Jardine KH, Pulles Z, Winters BD, Leri F. Modulation of object memory consolidation by heroin and heroin-conditioned stimuli: Role of opioid and noradrenergic systems. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2020 Apr;33:146-157. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.01.010. Epub 2020 Feb 14. PMID: 32067860.
Daniels S, Horman T, Lapointe T, Melanson B, Storace A, Kennedy SH, Frey BN, Rizvi SJ, Hassel S, Mueller DJ, Parikh SV, Lam RW, Blier P, Farzan F, Giacobbe P, Milev R, Placenza F, Soares CN, Turecki G, Uher R, Leri F. Reverse translation of major depressive disorder symptoms: A framework for the behavioural phenotyping of putative biomarkers. J Affect Disord. 2020 Feb
15;263:353-366. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.108. Epub 2019 Nov 23. PMID: 31969265.
Storace A, Daniels S, Zhou Y, Kalisch B, Parker L, Rock E, Limebeer C, Lapointe T, Leri F. A study of limbic brain derived neurotrophic factor gene expression in male Sprague-Dawley rats trained on a learned helplessness task. Behav Brain Res. 2019 Dec 30;376:112174. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112174. Epub 2019 Aug 23. PMID: 31449911.
Ju C, Fiori LM, Belzeaux R, Theroux JF, Chen GG, Aouabed Z, Blier P, Farzan F, Frey BN, Giacobbe P, Lam RW, Leri F, MacQueen GM, Milev R, Müller DJ, Parikh SV, Rotzinger S, Soares CN, Uher R, Li Q, Foster JA, Kennedy SH, Turecki G. Integrated genome-wide methylation and expression analyses reveal functional predictors of response to antidepressants. Transl Psychiatry. 2019 Oct
8;9(1):254. doi: 10.1038/s41398-019-0589-0. PMID: 31594917; PMCID: PMC6783543.
Lapointe T, Hudson R, Daniels S, Melanson B, Zhou Y, Leri F. Effects of combined escitalopram and aripiprazole in rats: role of the 5-HT<sub>1a</sub> receptor. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2019 Jul;236(7):2273-2281. doi: 10.1007/s00213-019-05225-z. Epub 2019 Mar 22. Erratum in: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2019 May 22;: PMID: 30903210.
Zhou Y, Leri F, Low MJ, Kreek MJ. Sex differences in the effect of bupropion and naltrexone combination on alcohol drinking in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2019 Jun;181:28-36. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.04.004. Epub 2019 Apr 13. PMID: 30991059; PMCID: PMC6545156.
Belzeaux R, Fiori LM, Lopez JP, Boucekine M, Boyer L, Blier P, Farzan F, Frey BN, Giacobbe P, Lam RW, Leri F, MacQueen GM, Milev R, Müller DJ, Parikh SV, Rotzinger S, Soares CN, Uher R, Foster JA, Kennedy SH, Turecki G. Predicting Worsening Suicidal Ideation With Clinical Features and Peripheral Expression of Messenger RNA and MicroRNA During Antidepressant Treatment. J Clin Psychiatry. 2019 May 7;80(3):18m12556. doi: 10.4088/JCP.18m12556. PMID: 31087825.
Kennedy SH, Lam RW, Rotzinger S, Milev RV, Blier P, Downar J, Evans KR, Farzan F, Foster JA, Frey BN, Giacobbe P, Hall GB, Harkness KL, Hassel S, Ismail Z, Leri F, McInerney S, MacQueen GM, Minuzzi L, Müller DJ, Parikh SV, Placenza
FM, Quilty LC, Ravindran AV, Sassi RB, Soares CN, Strother SC, Turecki G, Vaccarino AL, Vila-Rodriguez F, Yu J, Uher R; CAN-BIND Investigator Team. Symptomatic and Functional Outcomes and Early Prediction of Response to Escitalopram Monotherapy and Sequential Adjunctive Aripiprazole Therapy in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder: A CAN-BIND-1 Report. J Clin Psychiatry.
2019 Feb 5;80(2):18m12202. doi: 10.4088/JCP.18m12202. PMID: 30840787.
Wolter M, Huff E, Speigel T, Winters BD, Leri F. Cocaine, nicotine, and their conditioned contexts enhance consolidation of object memory in rats. Learn Mem. 2019 Jan 16;26(2):46-55. doi: 10.1101/lm.048579.118. PMID: 30651377; PMCID: PMC6340119.
Horman T, Fernandes MF, Zhou Y, Fuller B, Tigert M, Leri F. An exploration of the aversive properties of 2-deoxy-D-glucose in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2018 Oct;235(10):3055-3063. doi: 10.1007/s00213-018-4998-1. Epub 2018
Aug 15. PMID: 30112578.
Thériault RK, Leri F, Kalisch B. The role of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in cocaine place preference and mu opioid receptor expression in the nucleus accumbens. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2018 Sep;235(9):2675-2685. doi:
10.1007/s00213-018-4961-1. Epub 2018 Jul 10. PMID: 29992335.
Levy A, Daniels S, Hudson R, Horman T, Flynn A, Zhou Y, Leri F. Bupropion and naltrexone combination alters high fructose corn syrup self-administration and gene expression in rats. Neuropharmacology. 2018 Jun;135:547-554. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.01.035. PMID: 29408463.
Daniels S, Pratt M, Zhou Y, Leri F. Effect of steady-state methadone on high fructose corn syrup consumption in rats. J Psychopharmacol. 2018 Feb;32(2):215-222. doi: 10.1177/0269881117742116. Epub 2017 Dec 6. PMID: 29207922.
Baskaran A, Farzan F, Milev R, Brenner CA, Alturi S, Pat McAndrews M, Blier P, Evans K, Foster JA, Frey BN, Giacobbe P, Lam RW, Leri F, MacQueen GM, Müller DJ, Parikh SV, Rotzinger S, Soares CN, Strother SC, Turecki G, Kennedy SH; CAN- BIND Investigators Team. The comparative effectiveness of electroencephalographic indices in predicting response to escitalopram therapy
in depression: A pilot study. J Affect Disord. 2018 Feb;227:542-549. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.10.028. Epub 2017 Nov 3. PMID: 29169123.
Fernandes MF, Tache MC, Klingel SL, Leri F, Mutch DM. Safflower (n-6) and flaxseed (n-3) high-fat diets differentially regulate hypothalamic fatty acid profiles, gene expression, and insulin signalling. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2018 Jan;128:67-73. doi: 10.1016/j.plefa.2017.12.002. Epub 2017 Dec 8. PMID: 29413363.
Hudson R, Zhou Y, Leri F. The combination of escitalopram and aripiprazole: Investigation of psychomotor effects in rats. J Psychopharmacol. 2017 Dec;31(12):1605-1614. doi: 10.1177/0269881117732515. Epub 2017 Oct 26. PMID:
29069975.
Lopez JP, Fiori LM, Cruceanu C, Lin R, Labonte B, Cates HM, Heller EA, Vialou V, Ku SM, Gerald C, Han MH, Foster J, Frey BN, Soares CN, Müller DJ, Farzan F, Leri F, MacQueen GM, Feilotter H, Tyryshkin K, Evans KR, Giacobbe P, Blier P, Lam RW, Milev R, Parikh SV, Rotzinger S, Strother SC, Lewis CM, Aitchison KJ, Wittenberg GM, Mechawar N, Nestler EJ, Uher R, Kennedy SH, Turecki
G. MicroRNAs 146a/b-5 and 425-3p and 24-3p are markers of antidepressant response and regulate MAPK/Wnt-system genes. Nat Commun. 2017 May 22;8:15497. doi: 10.1038/ncomms15497. PMID: 28530238; PMCID: PMC5477510.