Lab Members | Flores Lab

Flores Lab Members

Giovanni Hernandez

Project Manager/Senior Research Associate

Ph.D. Psychology – Concordia University, 2010

M.Sc. Organizational Psychology – Universidad Simon Bolivar, 2003

M.Sc. Psychology Behavioral Analysis – Universidad Central de Venezuela, 2002

Giovanni’s main interests lie in the elucidation of the neurobiological circuit underlying decision-making.

He graduated from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (Caracas, Venezuela) with a B.S in Psychology in 1997 and then did two master’s degrees, one in Organizational Psychology and another in Behavior Analysis. He received his Ph.D. from Concordia University under the direction of Prof. Peter Shizgal; his graduate research focused on the role of dopamine in decision-making. During his postdoctoral studies at the University of Maryland under the advice of Joseph Cheer, he studied how modulation of the dopaminergic system by the endocannabinoid system alters goal-directed behavior. At the Université de Montreal, under the advice of Pierre-Paul Rompré and Daniel Levesque, Giovanni identified an NMDA receptor (GluN2C) responsible for the relay of the reward signal in the ventral tegmental area. He is now studying the development of dopamine neurons during adolescence and the effect of early-life exposure to cannabinoids. He has extensive experience using in-vivo techniques (Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, electrophysiology, microdialysis, fiber photometry, optogenetics) to correlate behavioral outputs with brain circuitry.

In memory of

Dominique Nouel - Feb 11, 2022

Lab and Project Coordinator

Ph.D Neuroscience, Université de Rouen, France
M.Sc. Biologie et Physiologie, Université de Rouen, France B.Sc. Biochimie, Université de Rouen, France

Ashraf Mahmud

Postdoctoral Fellow

Ph.D. Neuroscience, McGill University, 2023

M.A. in Psychology (Research and Clinical Option), Concordia University

B.Sc. Specialization in Psychology [Distinction], Concordia University

Depression is a chronic disabling disorder, often precipitated by stress. Altered expression of the Netrin-1/DCC pathway in the prefrontal cortex is tightly linked to major depressive disorder in humans and to susceptibility to stress-induced behavioral abnormalities in mice. My research goal is to identify how the Netrin-1/DCC pathway in the prefrontal cortex modulates vulnerability/resilience to stress and to decipher the precise neural circuitries involved. I use the chronic social defeat stress model in male and female mice and combine anatomical methods and genetic strategies. In my spare time I write poetry.
Email: ashraf.mahmud@mail.mcgill.ca

Alice Morgunova

Postdoctoral Fellow

Ph.D. Neuroscience, McGill University, 2023

McGill IPN Rotation Student, 2017–2018

Postbaccalaureate National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2017

B.A. Molecular, Cellular, and Behavioral Neuroscience; Hampshire College, 2016

I am interested in dissecting the differences between healthy and pathological brains across the lifetime. My current project is examining how adolescent vulnerability to psychopathology is influenced by the expression of a particular microRNA in the medial prefrontal cortex. MicroRNAs have been shown to be promising markers for certain conditions and the goal of my research is to identify a biomarker signature for major depressive disorder and schizophrenia.
In addition, I am collaborating with Dr. Patricia Sliveira’s lab to investigate polygenetic expression of netrin-1 family genes and their networks in healthy human development.

Hans Nicolas Ballesteros Acosta

Ph.D. Student

B.A. Psychology, National University of Colombia, 2020

M.Sc. Psychology, National University of Colombia, 2023

I completed my Master's in Psychology in 2023 at the National University of Colombia. I am interested in studying how experiences in adolescence impact ongoing neurodevelopment and lead to enduring changes in behavior. In my previous work I studied the effects of isolation stress and of nicotine administration, comparing adolescent versus adult exposure. In Dr. Flores' lab, I am now investigating whether social adversity in adolescence impacts the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse in the short and in the long-term, and the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms.

Nathaniel Roy
Ph.D. Student

B.Sc. Neurochemistry, Cornell University, 2023

Nate’s aim in research is to understand how positive experiences in adolescence alter neurodevelopment and how they modulate the negative effects of adversity. Through his previous studies of traumatic brain injury (Weill Cornell Medicine, 2020-2023) and transcranial photobiomodulation (Harvard Division of Neuropsychiatry & Neuromodulation, 2023-2024), he came to understand that minute changes in the brain’s structural and functional landscape can drastically alter behavioral output. This prompted his interest in studying the time window of adolescence, when the brain’s structural and functional architecture is being built in response to the surrounding world. Nate is heavily involved in adolescent mentorship and education as the founder of Cortex Flex, an organization dedicated to integrating positive experiences into adolescent lives. As a researcher in the Flores Lab, his goal is to develop an understanding of neurodevelopment that will augment his current work as an adolescent educator and inform his future work in psychiatric healthcare.

Maxime Teixeira

Ph.D. Student

M.Sc. Neuroscience, Université de Bordeaux, France, 2021

B.Sc. Pharmacology, Université Clermont Auvergne, France, 2019

B.Tech. Applied Science Université Clermont Auvergne, France, 2018

Since the beginning of my studies in higher education, I have been interested in pharmacology and addiction, as well as the long-term effects of childhood trauma. These interests led me to Dr. Cecilia Flores' lab. Here, I investigate miR-218 as a potential biomarker but also as a therapeutic target in mice, with the ultimate goal of improving the management of patients suffering from amphetamine addiction. More specifically, I investigate if the level of miR-218 found in blood, as well as other biomarkers, can predict the long-term effects of amphetamine use during adolescence.
maxime.teixeira@mail.mcgill.ca

Carlos Gonzalez

M.Sc. Student

B.Sc Biosciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, 2024

I hold a Bachelor's degree in Biosciences from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico. My research interests focus on understanding the effects of recreational drug use in adolescence on the developing brain and on exploring the mechanisms that lead to short and enduring

behavioral alterations. I am particularly interested in the role of puberty and in assessing how these processes may relate to the development of psychiatric disorders, such as depression and substance use disorder.

Daniel Lombardi

M.Sc. Student

B.Sc. Neuroscience, National Autonomous University of Mexico, 2022

My main interest is understanding the neurobiological impact of drug abuse when initiated during adolescence and its consequences throughout the lifespan. My ongoing project explores the alterations in the transcriptome of resilient and vulnerable socially defeated mice, both males and females, subjected to adolescent social stress.

Fatima Abboud

Biostatistician

M.Sc. Neuroscience, McGill University, 2023

B.Sc. Neuroscience-Statistics, University of Guelph, 2021

Through my B.Sc. and M.Sc. studies in neuroscience, I became increasingly interested in the early identification of the neural correlates of psychological and cognitive outcomes in at-risk youth. In my role at the Flores Lab, I collaborate with fellow team members to design and implement tailored statistical analysis workflows for various projects, including miRNA sequencing and dendritic spine analysis.

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Hannah Gregory

Research Assistant

B.Sc. Major Psychology, McGill University, 2024

I’m a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Psychology program at McGill University, with a minor in Interdisciplinary Life Sciences. During my degree, I became increasingly interested in mental health and addiction, specifically what factors can put one at risk for developing a disorder. At the Flores Lab, I completed an undergraduate research project (during the summer term of 2024) examining the effects of therapeutic-like dosage amphetamine on female adolescent mice. I’m continuing to explore the impacts of drug use on the adolescent brain as a research assistant.

Zohreh MohammadRezaee

Research Assistant

B.Sc. Honours Psychology (Behavioural Neuroscience),

Concordia University, 2024

I recently graduated from the BSc Honours Psychology (Behavioural Neuroscience) at Concordia University. I am interested in unraveling the neural mechanisms underlying learning and behavior at both the circuit and molecular levels, and exploring the potential therapeutic and clinical applications these findings could have for treating psychiatric disorders.

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