Behavioral Neuroscience

The faculty in the BNS area are all interested in how the brain controls motivated behavior. Each individual faculty member investigates this from a different perspective, but all four faculty investigate behavior using rodent models in combination with an array of state-of-the art neuroscience methods, including neurochemical, molecular, immunohistochemical, and genetic approaches. Therefore, incoming trainees have a unique opportunity to learn an array of behavioral neuroscience methods. Collectively, the BNS area investigates motivated behavior, with an emphasis on animal models of addiction. Independently, each faculty also has their own expertise, including the neurobiology of mental illnesses like depression (Iñiguez), neurodegenerative diseases (Castañeda), and metabolic diseases like obesity (Serafine) and diabetes (O’Dell). Each researcher is also investigating the manner in which sex differences influence neurobiological outcomes, consistent with the NIH mandate on including females in biomedical research.

UTEP offers a Ph.D. in Psychology with a specialization in Behavioral Neuroscience. Graduate students have the opportunity to develop strong experimental skills in one of the fastest growing areas of science. UTEP offers a unique bicultural environment for conducting neuroscience research related to border-relevant issues. With four Hispanic faculty members, the neuroscience area offers an intensive and culturally sensitive environment that has a record of promoting the independent research careers of neuroscientists from diverse backgrounds. Our research programs are thematically centered on motivated behavior and we apply an array of state-of-the-art methods involving neurochemistry, molecular biology, electrophysiology, genetics, and histochemistry procedures. The goal for our students is to develop a strong foundation in neuroscience methods, grant and publication writing skills, and empirical design that will help our graduates develop independent research careers in neuroscience. Our graduate training program is enriched with a vibrant undergraduate and post-doctoral fellow environment that creates a strong scientific community of neuroscientists. In addition to the research offered in the Psychology department, there are also ongoing collaborative projects with other departments, such as Biological Sciences that has eight additional neuroscientists.

Contact Us

Our faculty and doctoral students' email addresses may be found by navigating their pages.