As a graduate student at the University of Texas at San Antonio, I studied the brain mechanisms involved in learning and memory.  My dissertation focused on the role of protein synthesis in long-term potentiation (LTP) in various regions of the rat hippocampus.  These studies included direct intracranial administration of a protein synthesis inhibitor in the CA3 area of the rat hippocampus.  In-vivo extracellular recording manipulations were used to analyze the effects of the drug following electrical stimulation to induce LTP.  Tissue samples were further analyzed using the Bradford Assay so as to measure protein concentration in the hippocampus.  The major finding of this work is that protein synthesis is critical for LTP following delayed periods after electrical brain stimulation.  This may have important implications for understanding how various nuclei of the hippocampus modulate/store memories. 
          I am currently a post-doctoral trainee in Dr. Laura E. O’Dell’s laboratory.  We are studying the neurochemical mechanisms mediating the behavioral effects to nicotine and alcohol addiction.  My studies will examine the role of acetylcholine in modulating developmental differences to nicotine withdrawal in the rat.  Brain samples will be collected using in vivo microdialysis and the samples area analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection (HPLC-EC).  Previous behavioral studies in our lab have shown that the behavioral effects of nicotine withdrawal are lower during adolescence.  Thus, our hypothesis is that the neurochemical effect of nicotine withdrawal on acetylcholine levels will also be reduced in adolescents versus adult rats.  This work can have important implications for understanding tobacco abuse in your persons.  My current research is supported by a NIDA Research Development Diversity Program Supplement Grant (DA021274-02S1) from 2008-2010.   

LeBaron, R.G., Hernandez, R.V., Navarro, M., Orfila, J. E. Curry, L., and Martinez, Jr., J.L. Focal
          adhesion-like process underlie induction of long-term potentiation in the Schaffer collateral-CA1
          region of the hippocampus. R.D. Fields (Ed.) Beyond the Synapse, London: Cambridge, 2008,
          154-168.

LeBaron, R.G., Hernandez, R.V., Navarro, M.M., Curry, L.R., Orfila, J.E., Martinez, J.L. Jr., A focal
          adhesion-like process underlies induction of long-term potentiation in the Schaffer collateral-CA1
          region of the hippocampus. Neuron Glia Biology, Jan 2005, pp 1-9, published online 7 Sept 2005.

Thompson, K.J., Mata, M.L., Orfila, J.E., Barea-Rodriquez, E.J., and Martinez, J.L., Jr., The
          Metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist AIDA blocks induction of mossy fiber-CA3 LTP in
          vivo. J Neurophysiol. 2005 May;93(5):2668-73.

Thompson, K.J., Orfila, J.E., Achanta, P., and Martinez, J.L, Jr., Gene expression associated with
          in vivo induction of early phase- long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampal mossy fiber –
          coronus ammonis (CA)3 pathway. Cellular and Molecular Biology 2003: 49 (8) pgs. 

LeBaron, R., Hernandez, R.V., Orfila, J.E., and Martinez, J.L., Jr., An integrin binding peptide GRGDSP
          reduces rat CA1 hippocampal long-tern potentiation during the first few minutes. January 2003: 
          Neuroscience Letters.