Stephanie Perez, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor/Research
Personal Statement:
Dr. Perez’s research investigates the circuits contributing to mood disorders and cognitive deficits during the perimenopausal and menopausal periods. Specifically, she examines how the dopamine system is differentially regulated by the ventral hippocampus and paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, during the transition to menopause.
Research
| • schizophrenia | • dopamine |
| • hippocampus | • neuroscience |
| • electrophysiology | • optogenitcs |
Awards & Accomplishments
San Antonio Life Science Institute (SALSI) Postdoctoral Scholar – 2016 William Thomas Booth Memorial Travel Award – 2016 Pharmacology/Neuroscience Award for Academic Excellence – UT Health San Antonio – 2014 The Armand J. Guarino Award for Academic Excellence – UT Health San Antonio – 2014 Commencement Speaker – St. John Bosco School – San Antonio, TX. – May, 2014 Center for Biomedical Neuroscience Retreat Post-Doctoral Poster Award – UT Health San Antonio – May, 2014 Pharmacology Neuroscience Graduate Student of the Year – UT Health San Antonio- October, 2013 Graduate Student Panel – Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Health Disparities Researcher Information and Training Workshop – UTSA – June, 2013 ‘Jennifer Torres Shining Star Award’ – Seton Home – May, 2013 Meeting Panelist, Blueprint Initiative ‘Enhancing Neuroscience Diversity through Undergraduate Research Education Experiences’ (BP-ENDURE) – Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting – October, 2012 Best Student Poster Presentation – 19th Annual Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium – October, 2012 Best Poster Presentation – Alamo Chapter Society for Neuroscience 2010 Chapter Retreat – October, 2010
• Appointments, Boards, Committees and Memberships •
Society for Neuroscience (SfN) – 2009-Present Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) – 2013-Present Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS) – 2013-Present
• Grants, Funding and Research Support •
1F31MH098564-01A1 – 03/2013 thru 04/2014 – NIH/NIMH Restoration of GABAergic function in a Rodent Model of Schizophrenia – The major goals of this project are to examine the effects of GABAergic precursor cell transplants on hippocampal firing rate, dopamine system function, and associated behaviors, in a rodent model of schizophrenia
Publications
Perez, SM. and Lodge, DJ. (2014) New approaches to the management of schizophrenia: focus on aberrant hippocampal drive of dopamine pathways. Drug Design, Development and Therapy 8:887-896