Principal Investigator

Katherine M. Serafine, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience

Dr. Serafine earned her B.A. in psychology from Norwich University in Northfield, VT., and her M.A. in psychology as well as her Ph.D. in Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience from American University in Washington, DC. Her dissertation research focused on the neurochemical mediation of the aversive effects of cocaine, using classical conditioning procedures. Dr. Serafine completed a postdoctoral fellowship in behavioral pharmacology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, TX. Her research interests include the impact of diet and drug history on abuse vulnerability. Recently, Dr. Serafine's research has also focused on sex differences in drug sensitivity, and the neurochemical and behavioral overlap between drug abuse and food-related conditions, such as obesity and binge eating disorder. Dr. Serafine was appointed as a tenure track Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at El Paso in 2015, and was selected to be the 2018-2019 ACNP/AMP Biomedical Research Awareness Day Fellow. In 2019, she was also named one of NIH's "Future Research Leaders". In September 2021, Dr. Serafine was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure. Dr. Serafine was also recently selected as the 2022/2023 American Psychological Association  Executive Branch Science Fellow. In 2026 Dr. Serafine was selected by the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics as the J.H. Woods Awardee in Behavioral Pharmacology. 

Graduate Students

Leslie Sullivan
Third Year Doctoral Student

Leslie is a 3rd year PhD student at UTEP, but has been working in the lab since 2023 when she was an undergraduate. Leslie first joined the lab through the LSAMP Summer Research Academy, and completed an honors thesis with Dr. Serafine before applying to graduate school. Leslie has been working on her First Year Research project, which involves studying GLP-1 Receptor agonist drugs, which are currently being used for obesity and diabetes in clinical populations. She recently presented her First Year Research Project to the Psychology Department in Fall 2025. Leslie aims to propose and defend her masters thesis in the 2026-2027 academic year, which is focused on exploring the impact of GLP-1 receptor agonists on sensitivity to opioid drugs. 

Undergraduate Students

Nicholas Dominguez
​​Undergraduate Research Assistant

Nicholas is a senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy at UTEP and is expected to graduate in December 2026. Prior to attending UTEP, Nicholas served on active duty in the United States Marine Corps from 2016-2020. He joined the lab in Summer 2026 and has recently completed training. Nicholas is assisting with ongoing experiments in the laboratory and is eager to continue developing as a psychology researcher. After graduation he plans to apply for graduate school. 

Carlos Palomino
​Undergraduate Research Assistant

Carlos is a junior at UTEP majoring in Neuroscience with a concentration in Psychology and is expected to graduate in December 2026. He joined the lab in summer 2025 and is currently completing lab training. Carlos will assist with ongoing projects in the lab. Carlos is a U-RISE Trainee, president of Christians at UTEP, and has co-authored research on craniofacial development. After graduation, Carlos plans to pursue an MD/PhD with a focus on neuroscience and addressing health disparities in underserved communities.

Nicholas Pisciotta 
​​Undergraduate Research Assistant

Caption Coming Soon!

Destiny Umpstead
​​​Undergraduate Research Assistant
​​SMARTMIND Summer Student 2026

Destiny is a senior at UTEP majoring in Psychology with minors in Biological Sciences and Criminal Justice and is expected to graduate in December 2026. She joined the lab in summer 2026 after being selected for the SMARTMIND summer research program, where she gained hands-on experience investigating the effects of diet and semaglutide on morphine-induced constipation. In addition to her work in the lab, Destiny serves as a research assistant in Dr. Muniz’s Criminal Justice Lab, where she contributes to a project examining adverse childhood experiences, PTSD, and substance use. She plans to continue developing her research experience in both labs while working toward her goal of pursuing a PhD in behavioral neuroscience.

Postbaccalaureate Trainees & Research Technicians

Adrian Perez
Postbaccalaureate Research Assistant

Adrian is a postbacc trainee who joined the lab in summer 2024 as an undergraduate. Adrian completed his B.S. in psychology with a biology minor in December 2025. Adrian has been assisting with ongoing research projects. Adrian hopes to attend graduate school to continue research in psychology.

Angelica Romero
Postbaccalaureate Research Assistant ​

Angelica started in the lab in November 2024, and graduated with a B.S. in Neuroscience from UTEP in May 2025, magna cum laude. Angelica also works in Dr. Travis Moschak's lab in the Department of Biological Sciences as a laboratory technician (and previously volunteered in that lab since Fall 2023). Angelica is considering both graduate school and medical school as she continues to work in both laboratories. 

Fernanda Villa-Ortiz
Research Technician/Postbaccalaureate Research Assistant
​SMARTMIND Summer Student 2025

Fernanda joined the lab in summer 2024 as an undergraduate research volunteer. Fernanda graduated with a B.A. in psychology with a minor in drawing in December 2025. After assisting with several ongoing research projects, Fernanda was selected for the SURPASS summer research program and SMARTMIND program in 2025. Fernanda's projects were focused on exploring the impact of dietary manipulation on sensitivity of rats to stimulant drugs. In Spring 2026, Fernanda became a Research Technician in the Serafine Lab helping with ongoing grant-funded projects and lab management. Fernanda hopes to continue engaging in psychology research by attending graduate school.​

We're looking for students like you!

​For more details on applying for graduate studies at UTEP please click the below link! For more info on how to join the lab as an undergraduate, recent collage graduate or high school student, please click visit the "join the lab" tab on our website.