Alexander Baez
Education:
B.S. SUNY, Stony Brook University (2016)
Ph.D. Stony Brook University (2025)
Current Position:
7th Year MSTP
3rd Year Medical Student
Advisor:
Joshua Plotkin
Graduate Program:
Neuroscience
Research Interest:
My clinical and research interests primarily surround neuropharmacological and brain circuit interactions. One essential brain area for everyday behavior and ‘motivated action selection’ is the striatum (also referred to as the caudate/putamen), which to me conjures associations to a beehive of neurophysiological complexity. The striatum is the main input nucleus of the ‘basal ganglia’ and integrates motor, sensory, associative, reward, and other signals towards producing appropriate behavioral initiations and associations. Physiological disruptions within the striatum and basal ganglia have been associated with many neurological and psychiatric conditions, such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Tourette’s, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and addiction.
My PhD research has focused on understanding how changes in neuronal synaptic inputs from the cortex to the striatum can lead to anxiety and compulsive motor behaviors. My contributions thus far include highlighting how cholinergic neurotransmission within the striatum may become developmentally disrupted in the SAPAP3-protein-deletion mouse-model of compulsive motor behavior. Furthermore, I have worked to characterize how striatal cholinergic neurons respond to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the front-line pharmacological treatment of OCD. I hope to continue working to expand our understanding of how neuromodulation of brain circuits – both endogenous and exogenous – can modify brain function and supplement the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Publications:
Malgady, J., Baez, A., et al. “Non-synaptic Alterations in Striatal Excitability and Cholinergic Modulation in a SAPAP3 Mouse Model of Compulsive Motor Behavior.” Cell Reports. 2023 (In Review)
Baez A., Van Brunt T., Moody G., Wollmuth L. P., & Hsieh H. Voltage dependent allosteric modulation of IPSCs by benzodiazepines. Brain Research. 2020; 1736, 146699. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146699