Recent Publications
Active coping mitigates the effects of stress on glucocorticoid levels in the prefrontal cortex
Frank MG, Levy ES, Bonnici GN, Maier SF, Baratta MV (2025). Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2025.106096
Interpeduncular GABAergic neuron function controls threat processing and innate defensive adaptive learning
Williams EW, Snively L, O’Meara BR, Jacobs HL, Kolb M, Zhao-Shea R, Pavchinskiy RG, Keppler E, Baratta MV, Tapper AR & Molas S (2025). Molecular Psychiatry.
doi: 10.1038/s41380-025-03131-9
Dr. Steven F. Maier: A fearless scientist, a rigorous mentor, and a legacy of excellence
RM Barrientos, MV Baratta & MG Frank (2025). Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2025.04.021
Salience Signaling and Stimulus Scaling of Ventral Tegmental Area Glutamate Neuron Subtypes
McGovern DJ, Phillips A, Ly A, Prévost ED, Ward L, Siletti K, Kim YS, Fenno LE, Ramakrishnan C, Deisseroth K, Baratta MV, Ford CP & Root DH (2025). Journal of Neuroscience.
doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1073-24.2025
Modulation of dorsal raphe nucleus connectivity and serotonergic signalling to the insular cortex in the prosocial effects of chronic fluoxetine
Payet MJ, Baratta MV, Christianson JP, Lowry CA & Hale MW (2025). Neuropharmacology.
doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2025.110406
Response of parvalbumin interneurons and perineuronal nets in rat medial prefrontal cortex and lateral amygdala to stressor controllability
Wallsten B, Gligor AH, Gonzalez AE, Ramos JD, Baratta MV & Sorg BA (2025). Brain Research.
doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149351
Multiple sex- and circuit-specific mechanisms underlie exercise-induced stress resistance
Tanner MK, Mellert SM, Fallon IP, Baratta MV & Greenwood BN (2024). Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences.
doi: 10.1007/7854_2024_490
Use of an immunocapture device to detect cytokine release in discrete brain regions
Frank MG & Baratta MV (2024). Neural Regeneration Research.
doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.382237
Prior experience with behavioral control over stress facilitates social dominance
Coleman PT, Costanza-Chavez GW, Martin HN, Amat J, Frank MG, Sanchez RJ, Potter GJ, Mellert SM, Carter RK, Bonnici GN, Maier SF & Baratta MV (2024). Neurobiology of Stress.
doi: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100597
From helplessness to controllability: Toward a neuroscience of resilience
Baratta MV, Seligman MEP, & Maier SF (2023). Frontiers in Psychiatry.
doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04507-5
Elevated prefrontal dopamine interferes with the stress-buffering properties of behavioral control in female rats
McNulty CJ, Fallon IP, Amat J, Sanchez RJ, Leslie NR, Root DH, Maier SF & Baratta MV (2023). Neuropsychopharmacology.
doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04507-5
Ventral tegmental area glutamate neurons mediate nonassociative consequences of stress
McGovern DJ, Ly A, Ecton KL, Huynh DT, Prévost ED, Gonzalez SC, McNulty CJ, Rau AR, Hentges ST, Daigle TL, Tasic B, Baratta MV & Root DH (2022). Molecular Psychiatry.
doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01858-3
SARS-CoV-2 spike S1 subunit induces neuroinflammatory, microglial and behavioral sickness responses: Evidence of PAMP-like properties
Frank MG, Nguyen KH, Ball JB, Hopkins S, Kelley T, Baratta MV, Fleshner M & Maier SF (2022). Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.12.007
Environmental certainty influences the neural systems regulating responses to threat and stress
Meyer HC, Sangha S, Radley JJ, LaLumiere RT & Baratta MV (2021). Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews.
doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.014
Sex differences in resilience: Experiential factors and their mechanisms
Fallon IP, Tanner MK, Greenwood BN & Baratta MV (2020). The European Journal of Neuroscience.
doi: 10.1111/ejn.14639
Conference Presentations
Active coping elicits distinct corticostriatal response profiles in male and female rats
McNulty C, Bonnici G, Farrell L, Maier S, Root D, Rozeske R, Baratta M. (January, 2026). American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Paradise Island, The Bahamas.
Active coping provokes distinct corticostriatal response profiles in male and female rats
McNulty CJ, Bonnici GN, Farrell LB, Maier SF, Root DH, Rozeske RR, Baratta MV. (October, 2025). CU NeuroTechnology Center Symposium, Denver, CO.
Sex-specific effects of exercise on serotonin dynamics during stress: Potential role of GABAergic inhibition in the dorsal raphe
Mellert SM, Amat J, Levy ES, Solomos NJ, Greenwood BN, Baratta MV. (July, 2025). International Society for Serotonin Research, Vienna, Austria.
The bidirectional relationship between controllable stress and social dominance may rely on thalamocortical regulation of instrumental effort
Costanza-Chavez G, Lafehr V, Ahrens S, Maier S, Baratta M. (June, 2024). Stress Neurobiology Workshop, Boston, MA.
Deconstructing the coping experience
McNulty CJ, Bonnici GN, Root DH, Rozeske RR, Baratta MV. (June, 2024). Stress Neurobiology Workshop, Boston, MA.
Effect of stressor controllability on glucocorticoids levels in brain: Implications for neuroinflammatory priming
Levy ES, Frank MG, McNulty CJ, Maier SF, Baratta MV. (June, 2024). Stress Neurobiology Workshop, Boston, MA.
Voluntary exercise prevents stress-induced dorsal raphe serotonergic activity in female rats
Mellert SM, Levy ES, Amat J, Baratta MV, Greenwood BN. (May, 2024). Organization for the Study of Sex Differences, Bergen, Norway.
Sex-specific circuitry underlying the impact of behavioral control
Bonnici GN, McNulty CJ, Amat J, Baratta MV. (April, 2024). CU Boulder Undergraduate Research Day, Boulder, CO.
Dominance status buffers against neurochemical and behavioral responses to nonsocial stressors
Costanza-Chavez G, Coleman P, Amat J, Frank M, Bonnici G, Levy E, Ahrens S, Baratta M. (December, 2023). American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Tampa, FL.
Exercise hormone irisin enables stress resistance
Mellert SM, Levy ES, Fernandes de Rocha J, Wrann CD, Spiegelman BM, Baratta MV, Greenwood BN. (November, 2023). Society for Neuroscience, Washington D.C.
Prefrontal dopamine recruits a distinct circuit during behavioral control in females
McNulty CJ, Bonnici GN, Fallon IP, Amat J, Root DH, Baratta MV. (September, 2023). Leibniz International Symposium on Resilience Research, Mainz, Germany.
Mesocortical dopamine disrupts the stress-buffering effects of behavioral control in females
McNulty CJ, Bonnici GN, Amat J, Root DH, Baratta MV. (August, 2023). European Brain and Behaviour Society, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Controllable stress increases performance in both the social and non-social tube test
Costanza-Chavez G, Lafehr V, Ziegler J, Ahrens S, Maier S, Baratta M. (August, 2023). European Brain and Behaviour Society, Amsterdam, Netherlands.