Psychology

2020 Pew Teaching Excellence Award
Distinguished Early Career Scholar Award 2012

Behavioral Neuroscience

PSY 101 – Introductory Psychology
PSY 330 - Foundations of Behavioral Neuroscience
PSY 432/532 – Psychopharmacology

My research interest is in the long-term neurobiological and behavioral changes associated with withdrawal from alcohol, and how these changes may lead to relapse. The long-term goal is to provide essential information regarding these biological systems to aid in the development of pharmacotherapies in the management of alcohol-related stress and potentially other stress-related disorders. My current research examines how gut-brain peptides may regulate stress-related behaviors following long-term periods of abstinence from alcohol in animal models of anxiety and depression. 

My current research seeks to examine the role of gut-brain peptides in the long-term behavioral changes associated with withdrawal from alcohol, and how these changes may lead to relapse. More specifically, my laboratory investigates how ghrelin receptors may regulate stress-related behaviors following long-term periods of abstinence from alcohol in animal models of anxiety and depression.

Jarman SK*, Haney AM*, Valdez GR (2018) Kappa opioid regulation of depressive-like behavior during acute and protracted withdrawal from ethanol. PLoS ONE. 13(9): e0205016.

Harshberger E, Gilson E, Gillett K, Stone J, El Amrani L, Valdez GR (2016). nor-BNI antagonism of kappa opioid agonist-induced reinstatement of ethanol-seeking behavior. Journal of Addiction. Article ID 1084235, 8 pages.

Valdez GR (2016) Corticotropin-releasing factor receptors as a potential target in the developments of antidepressant drugs. In Melatonin, Neuroprotective Agents, and Antidepressant Therapy, eds. F. López-Muñoz, V. Srinivasan, D. De Berardis MD, C. Álamo, TA Kato. New Delhi: Springer India.

Gillett K, Harshberger E, Valdez GR (2013) Protracted withdrawal from ethanol and enhanced responsiveness to stress: Regulation via the kappa opioid/dynorphin system. Alcohol. 47:359-65.

Valdez GR, Harshberger E (2012) Kappa opioid regulation of anxiety-like behavior during acute ethanol withdrawal. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 102: 44-7.

Walker BM, Valdez GR, McLaughlin JP, Bakalin G (2012) Targeting dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor systems to treat alcohol abuse and dependence. Alcohol 46: 359-70.

Valdez GR (2011) Corticotropin-releasing factor and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation of the behavioral stress response and depression. In Neurobiology of Depression, eds. F. López-Muños and C. Álamo. New York: Taylor & Francis Group.

Valdez GR (2009) CRF receptors as a potential target in the development of novel pharmacotherapies for depression. Curr Pharm Des 15:1587-94.