CV - MArgarita Curras-Collazo

Honors and Awards

2019      Fellow of the American Physiological Society

2016-present    Editorial Board, American Journal of Physiology, Metabolism and Endocrinology

2016      Academy of Distinguished Teachers, Academic Senate, UC Riverside

2013      Teaching Career Enhancement Award, American Physiological Society

2013      McKnight Progressive Educator Award, American Physiological Society

2011      Distinguished Teaching Award, Sciences, Academic Senate, UC Riverside

2010      Nominated, Innovative Teaching Award, UC Riverside

2009      Best Publication Award, UC Toxic Substances Research and Teaching Program

2007      Abstract selected for the Society for Neuroscience Press Book

2002      Faculty Mentor of the Year, University Honors’ Program, UC Riverside

2001      Nominated by UC Riverside, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor Grant

2000      Distinguished Faculty Mentor, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research, UC Riverside

1997-98   UC Regents' Faculty Fellowship

1997-98   UC Regents’ Faculty Development Award

1995-96   UC Regents' Faculty Fellowship

1993-94   Individual National Research Service Award (NRSA), NIH

1990-92   American Epilepsy Foundation of America Postdoctoral Fellowship

1989-90   NIH Traineeship, Neurobiology Program Training Grant, University of North Carolina

1988         Hispanic Student Leadership Award, The Ohio State University

1987-88   Presidential Fellowship, The Ohio State University

1987         Graduate School Leadership Award, The Ohio State University

1986         Travel Fellowship for Minority Neuroscientists, Society for Neuroscience

1986         ICSABER Biomedical Research Society Award, The Ohio State University

1983-85   Minority Predoctoral Fellowship, The Ohio State University

Grant and Fellowship Review Panels

Advisory Board, President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Committee, Univ. California, Office of the

       President, 2003-present

Grant Panel, Life Sciences Selection Committee, President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program,

        University of California, Office of the President, 2007, 2010-2016 (Chair 2007, 2012, 2018, 2020)

Selection Panel, Neuroscience and Physiology, GRFP, National Science Foundation, 2003-04,

       2006-09, 2011-2012

Evaluation Panel, Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences, National Defense Science and

       Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program, 2007

Grant Panel, Anesthesiology, Brain, Cardiorenal, Lung, Respiration & Resuscitation, Surgery,

       American Heart Association, Western States Consortium Peer Review, 2004-2007

Advisory Board in Neuroscience, National Science Foundation, 2003-04

Grant Panel, Neuroendocrinology Program, Division of Integrative Biology & Neuroscience,

        National Science Foundation, 2000-2003

Grant Panel, UC MEXUS-CONACYT, Health and Medical Sciences, University of California

        (systemwide), 2001

National and Regional Committees

Invited Member, ADI Mastermind Group, American Physiological Society, 2020

Invited Participant, STRIDE Brainstorming Summit, American Physiological Society, 2018, 2020

Member, Inaugural Conference Program Committee, California Chapter, American Physiological

       Society, 2019

Invited Member, Central Nervous System Steering Committee, American Physiological Society,

        2011-2016

Chair, Porter Physiology Development and Minority Affairs Committee, American

        Physiological Society, 2014-2016 (member 2011-2013)

Liaison to PPDMAC, Committee on Careers & Professional Development, American Physiological Society 2014-2016

Advisory Board, Trainee Advisory Committee, American Physiological Society, 2014-2016

Conferences Organized and Sessions Chaired

2020  Session Co-Chair, The effect of exogenous neuropeptides on central signaling and

      behavior, 23rd International Symposium on regulatory peptides, Acapulco          

      Diamante, Mexico, 2020 (scheduled)

2017  Session Co-Chair, Neurotoxicity of Legacy and Emerging Persistent Organic Pollutants

      (POPs) (Metabolism and Toxicology), International Symposium on Halogenated Persistent

      Organic Pollutants (POPs) - DIOXIN 2017, Vancouver, Canada

2015  Organizing Committee, Int’l Symposium on Persistent Toxic Substances, UC Riverside,

       Riverside, CA 

2010  Invited Moderator, Roundtable Meeting, Student Research Program, American Heart Association,

       San Diego and Irvine, California

1991  Session Chair, Glutamate Receptor Pharmacology, European Neuroscience Meeting, Flims,

       Switzerland

Invited Lectures at National and International Scientific Meetings

• Dysregulation of Hypothalamic Gene Expression and the Oxytocinergic System by Soybean Oil Diets in Male Mice, 23rd International Symposium on Regulatory Peptides, Acapulco Diamante, Mexico, September 18-22, 2020 (scheduled)

• Adult or developmental exposure to PBDEs alters hepatic enzymes related to carbohydrate metabolism and oxidative stress in mice that show a diabetic phenotype, 39th International Symposium on Halogenated Persistent Organic Pollutants – DIOXIN 2019, Kyoto International Conference Center, August 25-30, 2019

• Neurotoxic effects of developmental exposure to DE-71 on forebrain social peptides, social behavior, and olfaction in C57BL/6 mice, 39th International Symposium on Halogenated Persistent Organic Pollutants – DIOXIN 2019, Kyoto International Conference Center, August 25-30, 2019

• Altered neocortical circuitry in mice exposed perinatally to polybrominated diphenyl ethers, 37th International Symposium on Halogenated Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) - DIOXIN 2017, Vancouver, Canada, August 23, 2017

• Permanently compromised nitric oxide signaling necessary for neuroendocrine function after early life exposure to PCBs, International Toxicology Summit & Expo, Houston, TX, October, 2016

• Developmental exposure to indoor flame retardants exaggerates blood pressure responses by altering activity in neuroendocrine, endocrine and autonomic nervous systems, International Symposium on Persistent Toxic Substances, Riverside, CA, November 17, 2015.

• Toxic couch chemicals increase the risk of hypertension and abnormal stress responses, LSU, Baton Rouge, LA, March, 2015

• Developmental PBDE exposure increases blood pressure and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in osmotic challenged rat, American Autonomic Society, San Juan, Puerto Rico, November 8, 2014

• Developmental Exposure to PBDEs increases risk of Hypertensive responses and augments hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal activity, Laverne University, Laverne, CA, September 24, 2014

• Developmental Exposure to PBDEs increases risk of Hypertensive responses and augments hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal activity, Department of Biotechnology, Pontifical Catholic University, Ponce, Puerto Rico, September 20, 2014

• Developmental exposure to PBDEs dysregulates neuroendocrine and physiological systems relevant to homeostasis and stress, Int’l Toxicology Summit & Expo, San Antonio, TX, Nov. 23, 2012

• Indoor flame retardants disrupt dendritic growth in primary cortical cultures by interfering with thyroid and vasopressin receptor signaling, International Toxicology Summit & Expo, Hilton San Antonio Airport, San Antonio, TX, November, 2012

• Neuroendocrine disruption caused by the indoor organohalogen pollutants PBDEs, UCMEXUS Symposium Toxic Earth Toxic Bodies, Binational Perspectives on Environmental Health, University of California, Riverside, March 2011

• Exposure to fire retardant chemicals before birth can permanently harm the neuroendocrine system and alter body water regulation and cardiovascular function, MARC and URC/CARE program groups at UCLA and Mount Saint Mary’s College, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, May 17, 2011 

• PBDEs and PCBs suppress osmotically elevated vasopressin and nitric oxide content in the rat magnocellular nuclei, 1st International Symposium on Neuroendocrine Effects of Endocrine Disruptors (NEED), Rouen, France, June 2010

• Exploring the Neurobiological Effects of the Environmental Toxicants Domoic Acid and PCB/PBDEs, Department of Pharmacology, University of Otago, New Zealand, August, 2009

• Amplification of osmotically elicited local vasopressin release by PACAP and nitric oxide-dependent glutamate signaling, Center for Neuroendocrinology, Department of Pharmacology, University of Otago, New Zealand, August, 2009

• New information on how exposure to fire retardant chemicals before birth can permanently harm the neuroendocrine system, body water regulation, and cardiovascular function, Green Science Policy Institute, University of California, Berkeley, 2008

• Amplification of osmotically elicited local vasopressin release by PACAP and nitric oxide-dependent glutamate signaling, Workshop on dendritic peptide release, Society for Neuroscience Meeting, San Diego, CA, November, 2007

• Perinatal Exposure to Aroclor 1254 Induces Long-Term Suppression of Osmotically Induced Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity in Neuroendocrine Cells of the Rat Supraoptic Nucleus, 27th International Conference on Halogenated Environmental Organic Pollutants, Tokyo, Japan, September, 2007

• Dietary exposure to the PCB mixture Aroclor 1254 may compromise osmoregulation by altering central vasopressin release, Neurotoxicity of Persistent Chemicals, 24th International Symposium on Halogenated Environmental Organic Pollutants and POPs, Berlin, Germany, September, 2004

• Neuromodulation of neurosecretory cells by vasopressin: Possible role of PACAP, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Division de Neurociencias, Mexico City, Mexico, March 2002

• Properties of NMDA receptor channels in the SON: possible role in the synaptic modulation of neurosecretory cells during osmotic activation, The Synaptic Control of Magnocellular Neurosecretory Neurons, A Workshop, Satellite to the 2000 Society for Neuroscience Meeting, New Orleans, LA, November, 2000

• Differential excitotoxic susceptibility of cortical neurons and hypothalamic neuroendocrine cells in a rat model of stroke, Tenth Medical Symposium: Research Day, Ross University, School of Medicine, Portsmouth, Dominica, West Indies, March, 1999

• Selectivity of amino acid transmitters acting at N-methyl-D-aspartate and amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate receptors, Postsynaptic Glutamate Receptors Session, Society for Neuroscience, New Orleans, LA, 1991

• Excitatory Amino Acids: an Update, Satellite of the XIth International Union of Pharmacology (IUPHAR) Congress, Flims, Switzerland, June 28-29, 1990.