CV Lattes
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Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH) (Institutional affiliation from the last research proposal) Birthplace: Brazil
Holds a Bachelor's degree (2003) and Licenciate degree (2005) in Biological Sciences, as well as a Master's (2006) and Ph.D. (2010) in Psychobiology, all from the University of São Paulo (USP). She completed Postdoctoral fellowships at USP (2010-2014), Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School (2018), and the University of Minnesota (2018-2019). Since 2014, she has been a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), working in both Undergraduate and Graduate Psychology Programs. She served as vice-coordinator of the Graduate Program in Psychology at UFSCar during the 2017-2018 and 2019-2021 terms, and as the coordinator of the PPGPsi-UFSCar in the 2021-2023 term. She is a Review Editor for the journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. She is a member of the National Association for Research and Graduate Studies in Psychology (ANPEPP), the Institute of Neurosciences and Behavior (INeC), the Brazilian Society for Neuroscience and Behavior (SBNeC), the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), and the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society (IBNS). She has experience in Behavioral Neuroscience, with a focus on Neuropsychopharmacology, Neurophysiology, and Animal Behavior, emphasizing the investigation of the neural bases of emotion, learning and memory, and related mental disorders. (Source: Lattes Curriculum)
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Since the social and economic impact of stress-associated disorders is increasing, the investigation of the biological changes underlying such disorders is of fundamental importance. Studies suggest that dopaminergic activity, when associated with the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, could determine aversive states. We showed that manipulations that inte…
Behavioral flexibility, the ability to quickly adapt behavior to changes in the environment, has crucial implications in neurological and psychiatric conditions. Investigating the neural bases of this flexibility aims to advance the understanding of these conditions and propose new perspectives for therapeutic interventions. The set-shifting task is a fundamental tool for studying behavio…
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that belongs to the catecholamine class, and among its range of functions, it is related to mechanisms underlying fear and anxiety. The role of different dopaminergic receptors in unconditioned fear is not yet well defined; however, some studies demonstrate that D2 receptors in the inferior colliculus (IC) play a role in modulating unconditioned aversive res…
In association with other mediators, corticosterone orchestrates the various elements of the stress response. Corticosteroids act by binding to receptors of two types: mineralocorticoids (MR) and glucocorticoids (GR). MR antagonism in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), but not GR antagonism, appears to reduce conditioned fear responses in male rats. Considering the fact that the female bra…
(Only some records are available in English at this moment)
Corticosterone is a glucocorticoid hormone related to the expression of fear/anxiety responses in dangerous situations. Blocking its synthesis with the use of the drug metyrapone is capable of reducing unconditioned defensive responses in male rats. Recent studies have shown that, considering the estrous cycle, females sometimes exhibit different behaviors and responses than those observe…
Behavioral flexibility is the ability to modify behavior in response to changes in environmental contingencies and appears to be compromised in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In patients with OCD, the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS), the main target used, and of the subthalamic nucleus (STN), seems to increase behavioral flexibilit…
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that has been increasingly related to fear/anxiety states. Studies have shown that exposure to aversive conditioned stimuli leads to increased dopamine release in some structures, such as the amygdala and the nucleus accumbens. Such studies were mostly performed on males. Potential gender differences, taking into account, for example, the fact that the femal…
(Only some records are available in English at this moment)
Cognitive control, the ability to make flexible, goal-oriented decisions, is a critical trait often impaired in various mental disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and addiction. To restore proper functioning, treatment strategies such as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) have increasingly focused on targeted circuit-based neuromodulation. One of the main target area…
Experiences inducing fear can lead to persistent and debilitating memories. The process of extinguishing conditioned fear responses involves establishing new memories that counteract the previously association with fear. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has shown promise as an adjunct treatment for fear-related disorders, with studies indicating its potential to improve fear extinction and a…
Mental disorders are currently the leading cause of disability. Among them, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects about 2 to 3% of the world population. Considering OCD prevalence, its strong impact on patient and family, and the high number of refractory patients, more studies for the understanding of its pathophysiology and optimization of therapeutic approaches are required. Alth…
| 1 / 1 | Ongoing grants |
| 1 / 1 | Completed research grants |
| 4 / 4 | Ongoing scholarships in Brazil |
| 12 / 8 | Completed scholarships in Brazil |
| 1 / 1 | Ongoing scholarships abroad |
| 2 / 2 | Completed scholarships abroad |
| 21 / 17 | All research grants and scholarships |
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