Research Interests

Dr. Bolaños research aims at establishing causal relationships between early-life experiences, brain, biochemistry, and behavior. Specifically, his research interest center on investigating how exposure to psychotropic drugs (e.g. stimulants, antidepressants, prescription drugs), and stress (whether physical or emotional), alter the biochemical integrity of neuronal pathways involved in the regulation of mood and motivated behaviors, and how these pharmacological, environmental, and/or genetic manipulations early-in-life affect biochemical and behavioral functioning later in adulthood. Understanding the relationship(s) between brain and behavior from a developmental perspective can provide novel insights for the development of therapeutics for stress and drug dependence.

Recent Publications

Alter D, Beverly JA, Patel R, Bolaños-Guzmán CA, Steiner H (2017). The 5-HT1B serotonin receptor regulates methylphenidate-induced gene expression in the striatum: Differential effects on immediate-early genes. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 31, 1078-1087.

Sial OK†, Parise EM†, Parise LF†, Gnecco T*, Bolaños-Guzmán CA (2020). Ketamine: The final frontier or another depressing end? Behavioural Brain Research.

Saurabh S†, Armant RJ*, Bolaños-Guzmán CA, Perrotti LI (2020). Overlap in the neurocircuitry and molecular mechanism underlying ketamine abuse and its use as an antidepressant. Behavioural Brain Research.

Affiliated Research Cluster

Affective Science. Causal relationships between early-life experience, brain, biochemistry, and behavior; regulation of mood and motivated behaviors.