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CURRENT STUDENTS

Lyn Apa

Hometown: Pekin, Illinois

Education:
BS, Psychology - University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign

Laboratory: Undecided

Michelle Baladi

Hometown: Okemos, Michigan

Education:
BS, Biopsychology - University of Michigan

Laboratory: Dr. Charles France

Presentations:
Differential behavioral effects of quinpirole and raclopride in food-restricted and high fat diet rats. UTHSCSA Integrated Multidisciplinary Graduate Program Recruitment Poster Session (2008) and UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2007).

Publications:
Jutkiewicz EM, Baladi MG, Rice KC, Woods JH (2005) The convulsive and electroencephalographic changes produced by nonpeptide delta-opioid agonists in rats: Comparison with pentylenetetrazol. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 317(3):1337-48.

Jutkiewicz EM, Park YH, Baladi MG, Gnegy ME (2005) Amphetamine-sensitized rats demonstrate enhanced nicotine-stimulated locomotor activity and dopamine overflow. American Society for Pharmacol and Exp Ther., San Francisco, CA.

Offices:
Co-Chair: Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium Committee (2007)

Corina Bondi

Hometown: Calarasi, Romania

Education:
BS, Neuroscience & Physics - Muskingum College

Laboratory: Dr. David Morilak

Awards:
Travel Award: International Behavioral Neuroscience Society (2008)

Travel Award: Third International Conference on Cognitive Science - Moscow, Russia (2008)

Travel Award: Society for Neuroscience, Eli Lilly & Co. and Committee of Women in Neuroscience Graduate Student Award (2007)

San Antonio Neuroscience Alliance Research Award (July 2007 - July 2008)

3rd Place Poster: Center for Biomedical Neuroscience Annual Retreat (2007)

Travel Award: Okinawa Computational Neuroscience Course - Okinawa, Japan (2007)

Travel Award: RIKEN Brain Science Institute - Tokyo, Japan (2007)

Pharmacology Graduate Student of the Year (2006-2007)

Travel Award: Society for Neuroscience / Eli Lilly & Co. (2006)

Travel Award: European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Workshop on Neuropsychopharmacology for Young Scientests - Nice, France (2005)

1st Place Poster: UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (October 2004)

Presentations:
Drugs for Management of Depression in Bipolar Disorder. UTHSCSA School of Allied Health - Dental Hygiene Lecture (2008).

Stress reactivity of the brain noradrenergic system and its relevance to stress adaptation and vulnerability. UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2007).

Performance on an attentional set-shifting test induces fos expression in rat prefrontal cortex. Society for Neuroscience (2007) and UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2007).

Chronic unpredictable stress induces a cognitive deficit and anxiety-like behavior in rats that is prevented by chronic antidepressant drug treatment. UTHSCSA Integrated Multidisciplinary Graduate Program Recruitment Poster Session (2008) and San Antonio Neuroscience Alliance Retreat (2007).

Chronic unpredictable stress induces a cognitive deficit and anxiety-like behavior in rats. RIKEN Brain Science Institute (2007); UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2006); and Society for Neuroscience (2006).

Noradrenergic facilitation of defensive burying in lateral septum in rats: An adaptive coping response to stress. Forum of European Neuroscience (2006).

Chronic unpredictable stress produces alterations in cognitive capability and anxiety-like behavior in rats. Center for Biomedical Neuroscience Retreat (2006).

Effects of acute desipramine treatment on norepinephrine levels in mPFC and performance on rats on an attentional set-shifting task. UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2005) and Society for Neuroscience (2005).

The effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on dopamine clearance in striatum. UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (October 2004).

Noradrenergic facilitation of shock-probe defensive burying in lateral septum. European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Workshop on Neuropsychopharmacology for Young Scientists (2005); UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (October 2004); and Society for Neuroscience (2004).

Noradrenergic modulation of the defensive burying response in the lateral septum. UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (March 2004).

Time-dependent effects of chronic DMI treatment on shock-probe defensive burying in rats. American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (2004).

Publications:
Zhao Z, Baros AM, Zhang H, Lapiz MD, Bondi CO, Morilak DA, O'Donnell JM (2008) Norepinephrine transporter regulation mediates the long-term behavioral effects of the antidepressant desipramine. Neuropsychopharmacology (in press).

Bondi CO, Rodriguez G, Gould GG, Frazer A, Morilak DA (2008) Chronic unpredictable stress induces a cognitive deficit and anxiety-like behavior in rats that is prevented by chronic antidepressant drug treatment. Neuropsychopharmacology 33:320-331.

Bondi CO, Barrera G, Lapiz MD, Bedard T, Mahan A, Morilak DA (2007) Noradrenergic facilitation of shock-probe defensive burying in lateral septum of rats, and modulation by chronic treatment with desipramine. Progress in Neuropsychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry 31:(2)482-95.

Lapiz MD, Zhao Z, Bondi CO, O'Donnel JM, Morilak DA (2007) Blockade of autoreceptor-mediated inhibition of norepinephrine release by atipamezole is maintained after chronic reuptake inhibition. Intl J of Neuropsychopharmacology 10:827-833.

Lapiz MD, Bondi CO, Morilak DA (2006) Chronic treatment with desipramine improves cognitive performance of rats in an attentional set-shifting test. Neuropsychopharmacology 32(5)1000-10.

Petre CO, Barrera G, Morilak DA (2005) Noradrenergic facilitation of shock-probe defensive burying in lateral septum. ECNP Annual Workshop (Nice, France), Eur Neuropsychopharmacology 15(Suppl 1):S43.

Morilak DA, Barrera G, Echevarria DJ, Garcia AS, Hernandez A, Ma S, Petre CO (2004) Role of brain norepinephrine in the behavioral response to stress. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 29(8):1214-24.

Barrera G, Mahan A, Petre CO, Morilak DA (2004) Time-dependent effects of chronic DMI treatment on shock-probe defensive burying in rats. ACNP Annual Meeting (San Juan, Puerto Rico), Neuropsychopharmacol 29(Suppl 1):S157.

Offices:
Chair: Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium Committee (2005)

Member: Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium Committee (2004)

Peter Campos

Hometown: San Antonio, Texas

Education:
BA, Psychology - University of Texas

Laboratory: Undecided

Jacob Garza

Hometown: Alice, Texas

Education:
BS, Biology - Texas A&M University - Kingsville
MS, Biology - Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Laboratory: Dr. Xin-Yun Lu

Awards:
UTHSCSA Presidential Ambassador Scholarship (2008)

F31: NRSA Individual Predoctoral Fellowship - Mechanisms underlying leptin's effects on adult hippocampal neurogenesis (2008-2010)

Travel Award: Society for Neuroscience (2007)

3rd Place Poster: UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2006)

Presentations:
Leptin promotes adult hippocampal neurogenesis, UTHSCSA Integrated Multidisciplinary Graduate Program Recruitment Poster Session (2008).

RNAi-mediated silencing of the malanocortin-4 receptor in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus increases food intake and body weight. Center for Biomedical Neuroscience (2007) and Society for Neuroscience (2007).

Leptin promotes adult hippocampal neurogenesis. UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2007).

Leptin reverses chronic stress-induced suppression of hippocampal neurogenesis and behavioral deficits in an animal model of depression. Society for Neuroscience (2006).

Antidepressant behavioral responses and signal transduction pathways in the hippocampus and amygdala of mice induced leptin. Society for Neuroscience (2006) and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience (2006).

Chronic unpredictable stress and leptin: Opposite effects on hippocampal neurogenesis. UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2006).

Publications:
Garza JC, Guo M, Zhang W, and Lu X-Y (2008). Leptin promotes adult hippocampal neurogenesis in vivo and in vitro. Journal of Biol Chem (in press).

Garza JC, Kim CS, Liu J, Zhang W, and Lu X-Y (2008). AAV-mediated knockdown of MC4R in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus promotes high fat diet-induced hyperphagia and obesity. Journal of Endocrinology (in press).

Ryu KY, Garza JC, Lu X-Y, Barsh GS, Kopito RR (2008). Hypothalamic neurodegeneration and adult-onset obesity in mice lacking the Ubb polyubiquitin gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 105(10)::4016-21.

Liu J, Garza JC, Truong HV, Henschel J, Zhang W, Lu X-Y (2007). The melanocortinergic pathway is rapidly recruited by acute emotional stress and contributes to stress-induced anorexia and anxiety-like behavior. Endicrinology 148:5531-40.

Offices:
Alternate Member: University of Texas Student Advisory Council (2007-2008)

Peer Advisor: UTHSCSA Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (2006-2007)

Member: Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium Committee (2006)

Jacob Junco

Hometown: La Vernia, Texas

Education:
BS, Chemistry & Biology - Duke University

Laboratory: Undecided

Jason Justice

Hometown: San Antonio, Texas

Education:
BS, Biology - University of Texas - San Antonio

Laboratory: Dr. David Weiss

Presentations:
Persistently decreased spontaneous synaptic inhibition of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons after neonatal hypoxia-induced seizures. UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Sympsoium (2006).

Neuroprotective effects of topiramate in the kainic acid model of status epilepticus, American Epilepsy Society (2002).

Publications:
Sanchez R, Justice J, Zhang K (2007) Persistently decreased basal synaptic inhibition of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons after neonatal hypoxia-induced seizures. Developmental Neuroscience 29:159-167.

Offices:
Member: UTHSCSA Campus Wellness Committee (2008-2009)

GSBS Peer Advisor (2007-2008)

Member: UTHSCSA Infectious Policy and Education Committee (2007-2008)

Alex Martinez

Hometown: El Paso, Texas

Education:
BA, Biology - St. Mary's University

Laboratory: Undecided

Presentations:
IGF-1 protects against rotenone-induced apoptosis and death in human dopaminergic cells through activation of PI3/AKT signaling pathway. UTHSCSA Integrated Multidisciplinary Graduate Program Recruitment Poster Session (2008) and UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2007).

Kristen Matthews

Hometown: Converse, Texas

Education:
BA, Psychology - University of Texas at San Antonio
MS, Health Psychology - Texas State University

Laboratory: Undecided

Presentations:
Oropharyngeal receptors and fos staining following dehydration and rehydration in the rat. UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2007).

Matt Rowan

Hometown: College Station, Texas

Education:
BS, Chemistry - Texas A&M University
MS, Forensic Science - George Washington University

Laboratory: Dr. William Clarke

Awards:
Outstanding Student Poster: UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2007).

Craniofacial Oral-Biology Student Training in Academic Research Training Grant (2007-2011)

Presentations:
Life as a Graduate Student. UTHSCSA Integrated Multidisciplinary Graduate Program Recruitment Seminar (2008).

Non-Opioid Analgesics, UTHSCSA School of Allied Health - Dental Hygiene Lecture (2008).

Peripheral delta opioid receptors (DOR) require priming for functional competence in vivo.

Regulation of mu opioid receptor signaling in trigeminal ganglion neurons by RGD-binding integrins. Society for Neuroscience (2007) and UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2007).

Publications:
Rowan MP, Ruparel NB, Patwardhan AM, Berg KA, Clarke WP, Hargreaves KM (2008) Peripheral delta opioid receptors require priming for functional competence in vivo. Eur J Pharmacol (submitted).

Offices:
GSBS Peer Advisor (2008-2009)

Chair: Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium Committee (2007)

Phoebe Scotland

Hometown: Tulameen, British Columbia, Canada

Education:
Hon. BA, Psychology - Okanagan University College - Canada
MA, Experimental Psychology - McGill University - Canada

Laboratory: Dr. Kenneth Hargreaves

Awards:
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (2008-2010)

Presentations:
Inflammation and the Immune System, UTHSCSA School of Allied Health - Dental Hygiene Lecture (2008)

Effect of CFA on peripheral prolactin levels in inflamed tissue. Society for Neuroscience (2007) and UTHSCSA Integrated Multidisciplinary Graduate Program Recruitment Poster Session (2008)

Effects of intrathecal DHPG on spontaneous nociceptive behaviors in rats with neuropathy or chronic inflammation. Keystone Symposium: Pain Mechanisms and the Development of Analgesics (2006).

Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors and nociception. Philip R. Bromage Anesthesia Research Day, McGill University (2006).

Publications:
Scotland PE and Coderre TJ (2007) Enhanced 3,5-Dihydroxyphenylglycine-induced sustained nociceptive behaviors in rats with neuropathy or chronic inflammation. Behavioral Brain Research, 184:150-156.

Holder MD and Scotland PE (2005) The effects of static magnetic fields on cold and pressure induced pain. The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice, 3:30-38.

Offices:
Student Representative: Pharmacology Committee on Graduate Studies (2007-2008)

Harinder Singh

Hometown: New Delhi, India

Education:
BS, Zoology - Hindu College
MS, Zoology - University of Delhi

Laboratory: Undecided

Alexandra Soto Piña

Hometown: Toluca, Mexico

Education:
BS, Medical Technology - Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
MS, Biology - Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Laboratory: Dr. Randy Strong

Awards:
Mexican National Council for Science and Technology - CONACyT Award (2006-2009)

Publications:
Lapiz-Bluhm D; Soto Piña A; Hensler J; Morilak D (2008) Chronic intermittent cold stress and serotonin depletion induce deficits of reversal learning in an attentional set-shifting test in rats (in press).

Jennifer Stewart

Hometown: San Antonio, Texas

Education:
BS, Biology - University of Texas - San Antonio
MS, Biology - University of Texas - San Antonio

Laboratory: Dr. George Henderson

Awards:

F31: NRSA Individual Predoctoral Fellowship - The role of ethanol in Nrf2-ARE mediated neuroprotection (2008-2010)

Pharmacology Graduate Student of the Year (2007-2008)

Travel Award: American Society for Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics (2008)

Outstanding Student Poster: UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2007)

Travel Award: Research Society on Alcoholism (2007)

Presentations:
Atrocytes and Neuroprotection, UTHSCSA Integrated Multidisciplinary Graduate Program Recruitment Seminar (2008).

Ethanol Activates Nrf2: A potential mechanism of neuroprotection, Texas Research Society on Alcoholism (2008).

Antibacterials, antifungals, and TB, UTHSCSA School of Allied Health - Dental Hygiene Lecture (2007).

Ethanol and Nrf2/ARE, UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2007).

Ethanol activation of Nrf2/ARE, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience Retreat (2007).

Neuroprotection against ethanol mediated oxidative stress and apoptosis via NRF/ARE. Research Society on Alcoholism (2007); UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Sympsoium (2006); and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience (2006).

Discover Science...Explore UTHSCSA. Science Expo (2006).

Selective vulnerabilities of cortical neuron subpopulations. UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2005).

Regulation of SERT by adenosine receptor. Center for Biomedical Neuroscience (2005).

Publications:
Rathinam ML, Watts LT, Stark AA, Mahimainathan L, Stewart, J Schenker S, Henderson GI. (2006) Astrocyte control of fetal cortical neuron glutathione homeostasis: up-regulation by ethanol. J Neurochem 96(5):1289-300.

Faulkner JL, Szcykalski LM, Springer F, Barnes JL. (2005) Origin of interstitial fibroblasts in an accelerated model of angiotensin II-induced renal fibrosis. Am J Pathol 167(5):1193-205.

Offices:
Member: UT Student Advisory Council (2006-2007)

Secretary: UTHSCSA Graduate Student Association (2005-2007)

Ha Van Truong

Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Education:
BA, Biology - Macalester College

Laboratory: Dr. Xin-Yun Lu

Presentations:
Anatomical and functional interactions between leptin and 5-HT. UTHSCSA Integrated Multidisciplinary Graduate Program Recruitment Poster Session (2008) and Society for Nueroscience (2007).

Central melancortin signaling mediates behavioral responses to acute emotional stress. Society for Neuroscience (2007).

Dorsal raphe 5-HT neurons express the long form leptin receptor and are activated by leptin. UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2007).

Publications:
Liu J, Garza JC, Truong HV, Henschel J, Zhang W, Lu X-Y (2007) The melanocortinergic pathway is rapidly recruited by emotional stress and contributes to stress-induced anorexia and anxiety-like behavior. Endocrinology 148:5531-40.

Margaret Wey

Hometown: Tainan City, Taiwan

Education:
BS, Pharmacy - China Medical College

Laboratory: Undecided

Presentations:
Attractin Mutant Mice are Sensitive to MPTP-induced Parkinsonism. UTHSCSA Integrated Multidisciplinary Graduate Program Recruitment Poster Session (2008); Society for Neuroscience (2007); and UTHSCSA Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium (2007).