RESEARCH
Research in the Philippines
2021 – Present
I now serve as a Supervising Scientist at the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH). I am advising young faculty to develop the country’s first research labs in the area of Behavioral Neuroscience to use rodent models. I work closely with Dr. Rohani Cena-Navarro of UP-NIH, who directs a government-funded research program on Mental Health Research, which focuses on two areas:
Drug Addiction (PI: Rohani Cena-Navarro). The objective of this work is to use rat models to develop new behavioral and pharmacological treatments for individuals suffering from addiction of two commonly abused drugs in the Philippines: inhalants (toluene) and methamphetamine.
Depression (PI: Richelle Manalo). The objective of this work is to use rat models to develop probiotic treatments capable of reversing of preventing depression in stressed individuals.
Use of machine learning to track social behavior (SLEAP, B-SoiD)
Studying preference for social novelty
Research in Puerto Rico
1997 – 2021
Research in the Quirk Lab at the University of Puerto Rico investigated the neural circuits underlying fear learning, extinction, and avoidance behaviors using a variety of behavioral, electrophysiological, optogenetic, and molecular techniques. By combining these tools, we aimed to uncover the mechanisms that govern how the brain processes and modulates fear, as well as how fear responses are altered during extinction and avoidance learning.
In collaboration with the Martinez lab, we extend this research to human studies on fear and anxiety, aiming to develop better treatments for PTSD and OCD. These disorders are characterized by excessive fear and avoidance, preventing natural extinction processes. Through collaborations with the NIMH Conte Center on OCD, we are examining the neural circuits involved in avoidance behaviors, with the goal of uncovering novel therapeutic approaches for anxiety-related conditions.
Methods and Studies in Focus
Auditory Fear Conditioning
Platform-mediated Avoidance
Optogenetics in Behaving Rats
Single-Unit Recording from Behaving Rats
Immunocytochemistry and other Molecular Techniques
Fear Reactions of Monkeys in the Wild
Human Fear Conditioning & Extinction
Computational Modeling of Fear Circuits
In the Lab in San Juan …
The Quirk Lab at the University of Puerto Rico closed in 2021. It was replaced by the “Lab of Fear and Pleasure” at University of Puerto Rico, directed by Dr. Christian Bravo-Rivera
