Dr. Katherine M. Serafine
Research in Dr. Serafine’s Behavoral Pharmacology Laboratory focuses on the different factors that contribute to individual differences in vulnerability to drug abuse. To investigate these factors, Dr. Serafine uses preclinical models to investigate how factors such as age, sex and diet impact sensitivity to drugs of abuse like cocaine. Drug sensitivity is assessed using behavioral pharmacological models ranging from unconditioned behavior (e.g., locomotion) to more complex behaviors using classical and operant conditioning (e.g., conditioned place preference, drug discrimination, or intravenous self-administration). Students in the laboratory will receive hands on training on how to run behavioral experiments that help answer important questions about abuse vulnerability. Dr. Serafine’s current research interests include studying how diets high in fat or sugar change individual sensitivity to stimulants and opioids, and other recreational substances. Dr. Serafine is also interested in considering differential impact of age, sex and diet on sensitivity to prescription medications, including those used to treat obesity.
UTEP Faculty Profile
Sample Publications:
Beltran NM, Parra AN, Serrano AP, Castillo J, Castro IM, Elsey MK, Minervini V, Serafine KM. (2024) The effects of eating a traditional high fat/high carbohydrate or a ketogenic diet on sensitivity of female rats to morphine. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. Manuscript accepted 2024, July 17. PMID: 39060162
Serafine KM, O'Dell LE, Zorrilla EP. (2021) Converging vulnerability factors for compulsive food and drug use. Neuropharmacology: 20;196:108556. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108556. PMID: 33862029
Ramos J, Hardin EJ, Grant AH, Flores-Robles G, Gonzalez AT, Cruz B, Martinez AK, Beltran KM, Serafine KM. (2020) The effects of eating a high fat diet on sensitivity of male and female rats to methamphetamine and dopamine D1 receptor agonist SKF 82958. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 374(1) :6-15. PMID: 32265322
Ramos J, Hernandez-Casner C, Cruz B, Serafine KM. (2019) Sex differences in high fat diet-induced impairments to striatal Akt signaling and enhanced sensitivity to the behavioral effects of dopamine D2/D3 receptor agonist quinpirole. Physiology & Behavior,1; 203: 25-32. PMID: 29154786
Hernandez-Casner C, Woloshchuk CJ, Poisson C, Hussain S, Ramos J, Serafine KM. (2019) Dietary supplementation with fish oil reverses high fat diet-induced enhanced sensitivity to the behavioral effects of quinpirole. Behavioural Pharmacology, 30(4): 370-375. PMID: 31085944
Contact Information
Email: kmserafine2@utep.edu
Phone: 1-915-747-6566
Fax: 1-915-747-6553
Psychology 216B
Personal Information
Ph.D., American University (2012)
Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director
Courses
PSYC 1301 Introduction to Psychology
PSYC 2324 Introductory Neuroscience
PSYC 3346 Drugs of Abuse and Behavior
PSYC 6315 Psychopharmacology
PSYC 6355 Neuroscience Breadth Seminar: The Politics of Drugs
