Dr. Martinez graduated with his B.S. in Psychology from the University at Buffalo in 2006. He received his M.S. (2011) and Ph.D. (2013) in Neuroscience from Georgia State University. He completed his postdoctoral training at the University of Minnesota, where he became interested in the neural/hormonal mechanisms driving the development and later expression of sex differences in drug addiction, using rat models of addictive behaviors.

In order to become informed consumers of the scientific content that pervades our daily lives, we must be able to critically assess this information. This requires a degree of scientific literacy that goes beyond mastery of fundamental course content. Towards this end, Dr. Martinez employs classroom strategies that focus on generating novel content (e.g., developing novel hypotheses, designing alternative experiments) from the existing neuroscience literature. Dr. Martinez also values a multi-modal approach to neuroscience instruction, including student contributions to scientific discoveries. In the lab, Dr. Martinez works with individual students to develop the technical abilities, conceptual knowledge, and scientific communication skills necessary to help them reach their specific personal and professional goals.

Publications:

• Arqoub, A., Flynn, K.G., & Martinez, L.A. "Gestational exposure to a ketogenic diet increases sociability in CD-1 mice." Behavioral Neuroscience 134(4): 358-368.
• Martinez, L.A., Lees, M.E., Ruskin, D.N., & Masino, S.A. "A ketogenic diet diminishes behavioral responses to cocaine in young adult male and female rats." Neuropharmacology 149 (2019): 27-34.
• Martinez, L.A., Gross, K.S., Himmler, B.T., Emmitt, N.L., Peterson, B.M., Gross, K.S., Zlebnik, N.E., Olive, M.F., Carroll, M.E., Meisel, R.L., & Mermelstein, P.G. "Estradiol facilitation of cocaine self-administration in female rats requires activation of mGluR5." eNeuro 3, no. 5 (2016):  ENEURO.0140-16.2016.
• Peterson, B.M., Martinez, L.A., Meisel, R.L., & Mermelstein, P.G. "Estradiol impacts the endocannabinoid system to influence behavioral and structural responses to cocaine in female rats." Neuropharmacology 110A (2016): 118-124.
• Gross, K.S., Brandner, D.D., Martinez, L.A., Olive, M.F., Meisel, R.L., Mermelstein, P.G. "Opposite effects of mGluR1a and mGluR5 activation on nucleus accumbens medium spiny neuron dendritic spine density." PloS One 11, no. 9 (2016): e0162755.
• Martinez, L.A., Peterson, B.M., Meisel, R.L., & Mermelstein, P.G. "Estradiol facilitation of cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization in female rats requires activation of mGluR5." Behavioural Brain Research 271 (2014): 39-42.

Presentations:

• Martinez, L.A., Lees, M.E., Ruskin, D.N., & Masino, S.A. Poster: "A ketogenic diet decreases behavioral responses to cocaine in male and female rats." Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, 2018.
• Arqoub, A.M.S., Flynn, K.G., Arementano, J.R., and Martinez, L.A. Poster: "Gestational exposure to a ketogenic diet increases sociability & decreases depressive-like behavior in CD-1 mice." Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience Social, San Diego, CA, 2018.
• Martinez, L.A., Peterson, B.M., & Mermelstein, P.G. Poster: "Estradiol facilitation of extended access cocaine self-administration in female rats requires activation of mGluR5." Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, October 19, 2015.

• Junior Faculty Research Fellowship, Trinity Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, $150, September, 2016.
• NRSA Institutional Research Training Grant (T32), National Institute on Drug Addiction (NIDA), $46,344, 2015-2016.
• NRSA Institutional Research Training Grant (T32), National Institute on Drug Addiction (NIDA), $43,680, 2014-2015.
• Diversity Scholars Travel Award to the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, NIDA, $1,000, November, 2015.
• Honeycutt Fellow, Department of Neuroscience, Georgia State University, $4,000, 2011-2013.