Sarah Bulin
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D., Neuroscience
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, Texas
Lab: 210-567-0569
Email: bulin@uthscsa.edu
Lab Association: David Morilak, Ph.D.
Research Interests
| • cognitive flexibility | • prefrontal cortex |
| • glutamate | • stress |
Research Summary
My research is exploring the role of glutamatergic signaling in cognitive flexibility with and without chronic stress. Previous work in the Morilak lab has indicated that cognitive flexibility, mediated in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), is decreased by repeated norepinephrine (NE) modulation during stress. Using behavioral pharmacology and molecular techniques, I will be testing the hypothesis that repeated NE activation during CUS compromises cognitive flexibility by compromising glutamate signaling in the PFC.
Accomplishments, Awards and Honors
- 2017 – San Antonio Life Sciences Institute (SALSI) Neuroscience Postdoctoral Fellowship
- 2013 – Neuroscience Section Poster Winner – Metroplex Day Symposium
- 2012 – Travel Award – 2012 NIDA/INSERM Collaboration Workshop
- 2010 – Received an Unconditional Pass on the qualifying exam in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience – University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center – Oral exam and written proposal were entitled: The Role of Agouti-Related Peptide (AgRP) in Stress
Appointments, Boards, Committees and Memberships
2010-Present – Society for Neuroscience Member
Certifications and Training
Completed University Teaching Excellence Course
Grants, Funding and Research Support
SALSI Neuroscience Postdoctoral Fellowship
Lectures and Presentations
- Poster Presenter – American College of Neuropsychopharmacoloy
- 2014 – Oral Presenter – College on Problems of Drug Dependence
- 2013 – Oral Presenter – Metroplex Day Symposium
Selected Publications
- Whoolery CW, Walker AK, Richardson DR, Lucero MJ, Reynolds RP, Beddow DH, Clark KL, Shih HY, LeBlanc JA, Cole MG, Amaral WZ, Mukherjee S, Zhang S, Ahn F, Bulin SE, DeCarolis NA, Rivera PD, Chen BPC, Yun S, Eisch AJ. (2017) Whole-Body Exposure to 28Si-Radiation Dose-Dependently Disrupts Dentate Gyrus Neurogenesis and Proliferation in the Short Term and New Neuron Survival and Contextual Fear Conditioning in the Long Term Radiat Res. Nov;188(5):532-551. doi: 10.1667/RR14797.1. Epub 2017 Sep 25. PMID:28945526
- Girotti M, Adler SM, Bulin SE, Fucich EA, Paredes D, Morilak DA. (2017) Prefrontal cortex executive processes affected by stress in health and disease Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2017 Jul 6. pii: S0278-5846(17)30365-2. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.07.004. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PMID: 28690203
- Bulin SE, Mendoza ML, Richardson DR, Song KH, Solberg TD, Yun S, Eisch AJ. (2018) Dentate gyrus neurogenesis ablation via cranial irradiation enhances morphine self-administration and locomotor sensitization Addict Biol. Mar;23(2):665-675. doi: 10.1111/adb.12524. Epub 2017 Jun 19. PMID: 28626932
- Jett JD, Bulin SE, Hatherall LC, McCartney CM, Morilak DA. (2017) Deficits in cognitive flexibility induced by chronic unpredictable stress are associated with impaired glutamate neurotransmission in the rat medial prefrontal cortex Neuroscience. Mar 27;346:284-297. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.01.017. Epub 2017 Jan 26. PMID: 28131625
- Carr, JA., Lustgarten, J., Ahmed, N., Bergfeld, N., Bulin, SE., Shoukfeh, O. and Tripathy, S. (2010) The organization of CRF neuronal pathways in toads: Evidence that retinal afferents do not contribute significantly to tectal CRF content. Brain, Behav Evol. 76(1):71-86 PMID 20926857
- Selected Abstracts
- Bulin, SE., Richardson, DR., Song, KH., Solberg, TD. and Eisch, AJ. Reduction of adult hippocampal neurogenesis via cranial irradiation enhances morphine self-administration and morphine-induced locomotor sensitization – Society for Neuroscience Conference – Washington, D.C. (2014)
Bulin, SE., Richardson, DR., Song, KH., Solberg, TD. and Eisch, AJ. Reduction of adult hippocampal neurogenesis via cranial irradiation enhances morphine self-administration and morphine-induced locomotor sensitization – College on Problems of Drug Dependence Annual Meeting – Oral Presentation – San Juan, PR. (2014)