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Villegas, Francisco

Villegas, Francisco

Associate Professor

Behavioral Sciences

Phone: 718-262-2674
Office Location: AC-3F05
Email: fvillegas@york.cuny.edu

My research interest is based on using rodent models of Alzheimer’s disease and the recovery of cognitive functions. The rat Alzheimer’s model is produced by chronic infusion of neurotoxins. I am interested in the effects of intracranial self-stimulation and deep brain stimulation in an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease and its effects on attention/learning/memory and neurogenesis. My lab uses various behavioral assessments including the Social Discrimination test, Morris water maze for testing learning/memory, and a ‘serial reaction time task’ for the testing of attention. Currently, I am looking at the behavioral and cognitive deficits, as well as sleep-wake measures in streptozotocin-induced [neurotoxin] rats. The goal of this study is to identify the biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease and measure changes in sleep/wake patterns in rodents.

Office Hours

DayTime

Education

DegreeInstitutionFieldDates
PhD City University of New York Experimental Cognition 1997 
BA City College, City University of New York Psychology 1979 

Areas of Expertise

  • Behavioral Neuroscience
  • Central mechanisms of reward and Sleep

Publications in Field Of Expertise

Other