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.
Sample Publications:
*Elsey MK, *Beltran NM, Serafine KM. (2025) Eating a ketogenic diet enhances sensitivity of rats to the effects of methamphetamine, but not dopamine D2/D3 receptor agonist quinpirole. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior. Oct: 255:174072. Epub 2025 Jul 24.
*Beltran NM, *Sullivan LL, *Naime GN, Minervini V, Serafine KM. (2025) Eating a high fat/high carbohydrate diet enhances morphine tolerance, while eating a ketogenic diet mitigates morphine withdrawal. European Journal of Pharmacology. Aug 5:1000:177709. Epub 2025 May 8.
*Beltran NM, *Garcia TI, *Naime GN, Minervini V, Serafine KM. (2025) The effects of high fat diet consumption on morphine-induced constipation. Behavioural Pharmacology. Apr 1;36(5):343-346. Epub 2025 Apr 29.
*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. Sept 18;391(1):30-38.
Serafine KM, O’Dell LE, Zorilla EP. (2021) Converging vulnerability factors for compulsive food and drug use. Invited review paper, Neuropharmacology, Special Issue: Vulnerabilities in Substance Abuse. 15; 196:108556. doi: 10/1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108556. Epub 2021 Apr 20.
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, Associate Dean of the 成人头条 School, and Co-Director of the Undergraduate Neuroscience Major
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