2021 Fellows
Saul Alamilla, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychological Science
Kennesaw State University
eIRTI Senior Mentor: Andrea Hussong, PhD
eIRTI Peer Mentor: Diana Sheehan, PhD
Dr. Alamilla is a faculty member in the Department of Psychological Science at Kennesaw State University. Prior to joining KSU, he was a Faculty Fellow in the Department of Applied Psychology at New York University, where he was also affiliated with the Center for Practice and Research at the Intersection of Information, Society, and Methodology. Dr. Alamilla’s research and scholarship address the social ecology of health and wellbeing among diverse, marginalized, and underrepresented groups. He is interested in the antecedents and consequences of multiculturalism, especially the implications for the health and wellbeing of diverse populations. His work utilizes interdisciplinary perspectives to examine the impact of contextual factors including cultural factors, adversity, and resilience on wellbeing and substance use in particular. He primarily teaches courses in research methods and statistics in psychology, multicultural psychology, and applied psychology. In addition to research and teaching, he serves as a reviewer for several journals and is senior associate editor of Behavioral Medicine (Taylor & Francis). He received a PhD in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2009, where he received a Eugene-Cota Robles Fellowship.
Selected Publications:
Alamilla, S. G., & Cano, M. Á. (2022). COVID-19 and Adverse Social Determinants of Health. Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.), 48(2), 67–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2022.2027859, PMID: 35318902.
Cano, M. Á., Marsiglia, F. F., Meca, A., De La Rosa, M., Ramírez-Ortiz, D., Sánchez, M., Colón Burgos, J. F., Alamilla, S. G., Wuyke, G., Parras, D., Ali, S. Z., Forney, D. J., Varas-Rodríguez, E., Ruvalcaba, Y., Contreras, A., Ahmed, S., Vega-Luna, B., Ochoa, L. G., Cuadra, R., & Domínguez García, M. J. (2021). Psychosocial stress, bicultural identity integration, and bicultural self-efficacy among Hispanic emerging adults. Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 37(2), 392–398. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2993, PMID: 33002313.
Alamilla, S. G., Barney, B. J., Small, R., Wang, S. C., Schwartz, S. J., Donovan, R. A., & Lewis, C. (2020). Explaining the Immigrant Paradox: The Influence of Acculturation, Enculturation, and Acculturative Stress on Problematic Alcohol Consumption. Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.), 46(1), 21–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2018.1539945, PMID: 30615590.
Adelis Cruz, BS
Doctoral Student, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Texas A&M University
eIRTI Senior Mentor: Alicia Izquierdo, PhD
eIRTI Peer Mentor: Lucas Albrechet-Souza, PhD
Adelis Cruz is a third-year PhD student in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Texas A&M University where she is pursuing a degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Behavioral and Cellular Neuroscience. She received a BS in Biological Sciences and a minor in Psychology at the University of Texas at El Paso and where she received research training through the BUILDING SCHOLARS program. As an undergraduate, Adelis worked under the mentorship of Dr. Edward Castañeda investigating the neurobiological mechanisms of behavioral sensitization to amphetamine using a rodent model. As a graduate student, Adelis works under the mentorship of Dr. Rachel Smith investigating the neurobiological mechanisms of compulsive drug seeking and relapse using rodent models of drug addiction. She has conducted research concerning the role of neuronal projections from the prelimbic prefrontal cortex to rostromedial tegmental nucleus in cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. Her current research focuses on the neural mechanisms that control compulsive drug seeking. Specifically, she aims to investigate the role of the prefrontal cortex and thalamus in the recruitment of neural mechanisms that regulate compulsive drug seeking. Her long-term career goal is to become an independent neuroscientist and to contribute to research focused on dysfunctional neural mechanisms associated with drug addiction.
Selected Publications:
Jones BJ, Cruz AM, Kim TH, Spencer HF, Smith RJ (2022) Discriminating goal-directed and habitual cocaine seeking in rats using a novel outcome devaluation procedure. Learning and Memory 29, 447-457. doi.org/10.1101/lm.053621.122
Cruz, A. M., Spencer, H. F., Kim, T. H., Jhou, T. C., & Smith, R. J. (2021). Prelimbic cortical projections to rostromedial tegmental nucleus play a suppressive role in cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 46(8), 1399–1406. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-020-00909-z, PMID: 33230269.
Cruz, A. M., Kim, T. H., & Smith, R. J. (2021). Monosynaptic Retrograde Tracing From Prelimbic Neuron Subpopulations Projecting to Either Nucleus Accumbens Core or Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus. Frontiers in neural circuits, 15, 639733. https://doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2021.639733, PMID: 33732114.
Mercedes Hernandez, PhD
Assistant Professor, Steve Hicks School of Social Work
University of Texas at Austin
eIRTI Senior Mentor: Felipe Gonzalez-Castro, PhD
eIRTI Peer Mentor: Miguel Pinedo, PhD
Mercedes Hernandez is an assistant professor at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at University of Texas at Austin. She received her PhD in social work from the University of Southern California. Her research interests are informed by her extensive clinical practice experience in community mental health settings and are focused on addressing mental and behavioral health disparities among Latinx with an emphasis on help-seeking behaviors and early intervention outcomes. Her work in the area of serious mental illness and Latinx revealed the challenges presented by illness-related stressors and the use of alcohol as a coping mechanism with negative individual and social consequences. Dr. Hernandez’s current research expands on previous work by examining the role of sociocultural factors and the unique mechanisms contributing to risk for and resilience against risky drinking behavior among Latina adults.
Selected Publications:
Hernandez, M., Barrio, C., Helu-Brown, P., Lim, C., & Gaona, L. (2022). Substance use in relation to mental illness: A study of Mexican-origin Latinos with schizophrenia and their family members. Health & Social Work, 47(3), 175–183. https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/hlac014
Hernandez, M., von Sternberg, K., & Velasquez, M. M. (2022). Alcohol use and problems among Latinas at risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy: The role of acculturation and interpersonal factors. Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 21(2), 425–438. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2020.1777609, PMID: 32538710.
Hernandez, M., von Sternberg, K., Castro, Y., & Velasquez, M. M. (2021). Reasons and obstacles for changing risky drinking behavior among Latinas at risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy. Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 1–15. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2021.1952127, PMID: 34339347.
Hernandez, M. Y., Hernandez, M., Lopez, D. H., Gamez, D., & Lopez, S. R. (2020). What do health providers and patients tweet about schizophrenia?. Early intervention in psychiatry, 14(5), 613–618. https://doi.org/10.1111/eip.12888, PMID: 31617322.
Hernandez, M., Hernandez, M. Y., Lopez, D., Barrio, C., Gamez, D., & López, S. R. (2019). Family processes and duration of untreated psychosis among US Latinos. Early intervention in psychiatry, 13(6), 1389–1395. https://doi.org/10.1111/eip.12779, PMID: 30644163.
Hernandez, M., von Sternberg, K. L., Castro, Y., & Velasquez, M. M. (2019). The Role of Acculturation and Alcohol Problems on Frequency of Cannabis Use Among Latinas at Risk of an Alcohol-Exposed Pregnancy. Substance use & misuse, 54(12), 1980–1990. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2019.1625399, PMID: 31220980.
Marilyn Horta, PhD
NIDA T32 Postdoctoral Fellow, Epidemiology
University of Florida
eIRTI Senior Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Losin
eIRTI Peer Mentor: Angela Bazzi, PhD
Marilyn Horta is a NIDA T32 Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Florida Substance Abuse Training Center in Public Health. She is affiliated with the University of Florida Center for Addiction Research and Education as well as the Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence. Marilyn’s research interests are in the neurobiological and psychosocial contributors to pain and substance use across development, primarily in aging. As a graduate student, she studied the effects of oxytocin on social cognition, which is not well-described yet in older adults, and sought to better understand the therapeutic potential of intranasal oxytocin on a brain and behavioral level. Currently, Marilyn is examining the impact of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic on pain and substance use in older adults. In an upcoming pilot, Marilyn will examine the impact of chronic pain on decision-making, reward processing, and substance use among older adults. Her long-term goal is to conduct rigorous, inclusive research that can inform the development of effective interventions to promote healthful aging.
Selected Publications:
Horta M, Pehlivanoglu D, Ebner NC. The Role of Intranasal Oxytocin on Social Cognition: An Integrative Human Lifespan Approach. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep. 2020 Dec;7(4):175-192. doi: 10.1007/s40473-020-00214-5. Epub 2020 Sep 12. PMID: 33717829; PMCID: PMC7951958.
Rung, J. M., Kidder, Q. A., Horta, M., Nazarloo, H. P., Carter, C. S., Berry, M. S., & Ebner, N. C. (2022). Associations between alcohol use and peripheral, genetic, and epigenetic markers of oxytocin in a general sample of young and older adults. Brain and behavior, 12(3), e2425. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.2425, PMID: 35146961
Rung, J. M., Horta, M., Tammi, E. M., Perez, E., Ojeda, M. C., Lin, T., Harris, G., Somerville, J., Salmeron, D., Beltz, S. E., Sandesara, B., Feifel, D., & Ebner, N. C. (2021). Safety and tolerability of chronic intranasal oxytocin in older men: results from a randomized controlled trial. Psychopharmacology, 238(9), 2405–2418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-021-05862-3, PMID: 33982141.
Horta, M., Pehlivanoglu, D., Ebner, N. C. (2020). The Role of Intranasal Oxytocin on Social Cognition: an Integrative Human Lifespan Approach. Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports. DOI: 10.1007/s40473-020-00214-5, PMID: 33717829.
Horta, M., Kaylor, K., Feifel, D., Ebner, N. C. (2020). Chronic oxytocin administration as a tool for investigation and treatment: A cross-disciplinary systematic review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.10.012, PMID: 31647964.
Horta, M., Ziaei, M., Lin, T., Porges, E. C., Fischer, H., Feifel, D., Spreng, R. N., Ebner, N.C. (2019). Oxytocin alters patterns of brain activity and amygdalar connectivity by age during dynamic facial emotion identification. Neurobiology of Aging. DOI: 10.1016/J.NEUROBIOLAGING.2019.01.016, PMID: 30870779.
Alejandra Jacotte-Simancas, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physiology
Louisiana State University
eIRTI Senior Mentor: Laura O’Dell, PhD
Dr. Jacotte received her PhD in Neuroscience from Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain where she studied the effect of voluntary physical exercise and citicoline on reducing cognitive deficits following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Currently, her research is focused on elucidating the neurobiological mechanisms underlying post-TBI escalation of alcohol consumption and anxiety-like behavior using different approaches such as behavioral analysis, electrophysiology, circuit-based manipulations, and site-specific neuropharmacology. Her long-term research interest includes examining the effectiveness of physical exercise to reduce different comorbidities associated with TBI, specifically pain and substance use disorder and its impact on post-TBI recovery.
Selected Publications:
Jacotte-Simancas, A., Middleton, J. W., Stielper, Z. F., Edwards, S., Molina, P. E., & Gilpin, N. W. (2022). Brain Injury Effects on Neuronal Activation and Synaptic Transmission in the Basolateral Amygdala of Adult Male and Female Wistar Rats. Journal of neurotrauma, 39(7-8), 544–559. https://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2021.0270, PMID: 35081744.
Jacotte-Simancas, A., Fucich, E. A., Stielper, Z. F., & Molina, P. E. (2021). Traumatic brain injury and the misuse of alcohol, opioids, and cannabis. International review of neurobiology, 157, 195–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.irn.2020.09.003, PMID: 33648670.
Jacotte-Simancas A., Costa-Miserachs D, Coll-Andreu M., Torras-Garcia, M., Borlongan C., Portel-Cortes I. (2015) Effects of voluntary physical exercise, citicoline and combined treatment on object recognition memory, neurogenesis and neuroprotection after traumatic brain injury in rats. Journal of Neurotrauma. 32:739-751, PMID: 25144903.
Anel Jaramillo, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Vanderbilt University
eIRTI Senior Mentor: Marisela Morales, PhD
eIRTI Peer Mentor: Luis Natividad, PhD
Anel A. Jaramillo was born in Texas from Mexican-immigrants and is a first-generation college graduate from the University of Texas at Austin. After receiving her B.S. in Biology, Dr. Jaramillo attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and obtained her PhD in Neuroscience in 2017. She is currently a postdoctoral scholar at Vanderbilt University where she uses preclinical alcohol and stress models to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying anxiety and abstinence-induced affective disturbances. Outside of academia, Dr. Jaramillo enjoys exploring the Nashville music scene, gardening, and doing things that keep her dog active.
Selected Publications:
Jaramillo A.A., Williford K.M., Marshall C., Winder D.G., Centanni S.W. Transient BNST activity associates with approach behavior in a stressful environment and is modulated by the parabrachial nucleus. Neurobiology of Stress. 2020 Aug 1; 13:100247. PubMed PMID: 33344702
Jaramillo A.A., Van Voorhies K., Besheer J. Silencing the insular–striatal circuit decreases alcohol self–administration and increases sensitivity to alcohol. Behavioral Brain Research. 2018 Aug 1;348:74–81. PubMed PMID: 29660441
Jaramillo A.A., Randall P.A., Stewart S., Fortino B., Van Voorhies K., Besheer J. Functional role for cortical–striatal circuitry in modulating alcohol self–administration. Neuropharmacology. 2017 Mar 1;130:42–53. PubMed PMID: 29183687
Funding:
NIH/NIAAA. K99. (August 2021- July 2023). Neuropeptide-dependent parabrachial control of the BNST during alcohol abstinence-induced negative affect. Principal Investigator.