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I grew up in Southern California, and I am one of five girls, I have an identical twin, two older sisters, and one younger sister. I am Latina and a first-generation college student. I graduated from Mt. San Jacinto College with an associate degree in Behavioral Science and transferred to California State University, San Marcos, to complete a bachelor’s in psychology. I completed a master’s degree at Cal State San Marcos in a psychopharmacology lab and studied the antidepressant effects of the drug ketamine.

I received my PhD, from the University of California, Riverside, where I studied the behavioral neuroscience of feeding and motivation. My dissertation work was done on the role of the lateral septum, a brain area usually associated with fear and anxiety, and its role in eating.

Today, I am a Psychology Professor and the instructor for Physiological Psychology (Psych 103), the Physiological Psychology Lab (Psych 203), and Research Methods for Psychology (Psych 200). I introduce students to the basics of experimental research in psychology and in physiological psychology.

Physiological psychology, biological psychology, or behavioral neuroscience is a rapidly growing, interdisciplinary field that studies the neural control of behavior. The brain and nervous system control and regulate hunger, sleep, breath, heart rate, immune response, emotions, thoughts, movements, sensory perception, learning, memory, and social behaviors. The study of the physiological basis of behavior can help students better understand themselves and others, which will better prepare them for a wide range of careers.

As an instructor, I strive to create an inclusive and culturally sensitive classroom that promotes critical thinking and reflection. I use a combination of lectures, reading assignments, listening assignments, group discussions, and learning lab activities to help students reach their learning goals. Attendance and participation are necessary for all my courses, but students can expect to enjoy learning the course material while making meaningful connections with myself and with other students.