Fay Guarraci
Associate Professor of Psychology
Areas of expertise
Drugs of Abuse, Sexual Motivation and Fertility
Education
PhD,University of Vermont 2000
BA,McGill University 1994
Positions
Visting Research Professor
The University of Texas at Ausitn
October 01, 2010 - present
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dartmouth College
June 01, 2000 - July 01, 2003
Courses: Fall 2013
Research in Behavioral Neuro
Research in Behavioral Neuro
Academic Internship
Human Sexuality
Research
During the past ten years, I have systematically investigated how drugs of abuse affect sexual motivation in the female rat. Consistent with the literature in humans, my laboratory has found that although most drugs of abuse increase dopamine release in the brain, some drugs of abuse disrupt female sexual behavior (e.g., d-amphetamine) whereas other drugs of abuse enhance sexual behavior (e.g., caffeine, methamphetamine).
Sexual behavior in the female rat is characterized by both receptive and solicitation behaviors. Receptive behavior is defined by the lordosis posture, which involves the dorsal flexion of the female rat's back in response to a mount by a male rat. Female rats also engage in solicitation behaviors, which include hopping, darting, ear wiggling, and pacing of sexual stimulation 6. These behaviors function to "solicit" the attention of potential mates. If given the opportunity, a sexually receptive female will approach and withdraw from a sexually vigorous male, thereby controlling the timing of the receipt of sexual stimulation (i.e., mounts, intromissions, and ejaculations). This pattern is known as paced mating behavior (PMB). The pacing of sexual stimulation by the female can be observed under natural conditions or studied in the laboratory using a paced mating arena. In a paced mating arena, a sexually receptive female can approach and withdraw from a sexually vigorous male through small holes that only she fits through to mimic how rats mate in their natural habitat.
Although not commonly used to study animals that are promiscuous, we have recently been able to use a mate choice paradigm to further our understanding of the reinforcing properties of mating behavior in female rats. We have also been able to investigate the potential benefits of sexual motivation on reproductive success (Lovell et al., 2007; Zewail-Foote et al., 2009). For example, female rats spend significantly more time with one male when they are given an opportunity to mate with multiple males simultaneously. In general, a female rat will spend more than twice as much time with a preferred mate than with a non-preferred mate, as well as return quicker to a preferred mate than a non-preferred mate following sexual stimulation. In addition, female rats make more visits to, and receive more sexual stimulations from a preferred mate than a non-preferred mate.
Publications
PUBLISHED MANUSCRIPTS since 2005 (* Denotes Student Co-Author)
Bolton, J.L.*,
Winland, C.*, Ford, B.*, Burbey, A., Zewail-Foote, M., Guarraci, F.A. (2012)
Kin discrimination in prepubescent and adult Long-Evans rats. Behavioral Process .
Winland, C.*,
Bolton, J.L.*, Ford, B.*, Jampana, J.*, Tinker, J.*, Frohardt, R.J., Guarraci,
F.A., Zewail-Foote, M. (2012) "Nice guys finish last": Influence of mate choice
on reproductive success in Long-Evans rats.
Physiology & Behavior 105: 868-876.
Meerts, S.H., Guarraci,
F.A. , Clark, A.S., (2011) An intact medial preoptic area is necessary for
zaprinast to modulate paced mating behavior in female rats. Physiology & Behavior 105: 289-293.
Winland, C.*,
Haycox, C.*, Bolton, J.L.*, Jampana, S.*, Oakley, B.J.*, Ford, B.*, Ornelas,
L.*, Burbey, A.*, Marquette, A.*, Frohardt, R.J.,F.A. Guarraci (2011)
Methamphetamine enhances sexual behavior in female rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 98: 575-582.
Guarraci, F.A.
(2010) "Sex, Drugs and the Brain": The interaction between drugs of abuse and
female sexual motivation in the female rat. Hormones
and Behavior 58: 138-148.
Clark, A.S.,
Meerts, S.H., Lang, K.E., Guarraci, F.A. (2009) Zaprinast, a phosphodiesterase
type-5 inhibitor, alters paced mating behavior in female rats. Physiology & Behavior 96: 289-293.
Zewail-Foote,
M., Diehl, A.*, Benson, A.*Lee, K. and Guarraci, F.A. (2009) Reproductive
success and mate choice in Long-Evans rats. Physiology
& Behavior 96: 98-103.
Guarraci, F.A., Frohardt, R.J., Hines, D.*, Navaira,
E.*, Smith, J.* and Wampler, L.* (2008) Intracranial
infusions of amphetamine into the medial preoptic area but not the nucleus
accumbens affect paced mating behavior in female rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 89: 253-262.
Stanzer, M.*,
Guarraci, F., Giuliano, T. and Sims, A. (2007) Paramedic or EMT-basic
partner: Study evaluates preferred partner types & the effect of partners
on work-related stress levels. Journal of
Emergency Medical Services 32: 72-74.
Guarraci,
F.A. and Clark, A.S. (2006) Ibotenic acid
lesions of the medial preoptic area disrupt the expression of partner
preference in sexually receptive female rats Brain Research 1076:163-170.
Guarraci,
F.A. and Benson, A.* (2005) "Coffee, Tea
and Me": Moderate doses of caffeine affect sexual behavior in female rats Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 82: 522-530.
Seminars & Presentations
Invited Presentations:
Texas Woman's University Biology Colloquium Series 2011
University of Texas, Austin Behavioral Neuroscience Series "The Neurobiology of Female Reproductive Behavior" 2005
University of Texas, Health Science Center San Antonio Pharmacology Seminar Series "Should I Stay or Should I Go: The Neurobiology of Paced Mating Behavior" 2004
Southwestern University, Biology Department "Everything you always wanted to know about sex, rat sex that is". 2009
Invited Panelist:
University of Texas, Austin Women in Science Journey to Academia Panel 2007
Honors & Awards
Sam Taylor Award 2012
Mellon Interdisciplinary Research Award
2009
ACS Faculty Renewal Award 2009
Robert S. Daniel Award, Society for the
Teaching of Psychology, Nomination 2008, 2009
Southwestern University Teaching Award
2007
Brown Junior Fellow, Southwestern
University 2006-2007
Frank A. Beach Award, Society for
Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Nomination 2006
Young Investigator Award, Southwestern
University 2005-2006
Journal of Emergency Medical Services
Research Award 2005 co-PI with student Melanie Stanzer $1,500
Society for
Neuroscience Lay Research Summary (press release) 2005
Southwestern University Teaching Award
Finalist 2005, 2006
Southwestern University Advising Award
Finalist 2005
National Science Foundation Major
Research Instrumentation 2004-2006 $ 173,000
National Institute of Mental Health
Pre-Doctoral Individual National Research Service Award 1996-1999
Ronald Suiter
Travel Award 1998
New York Academy of Sciences Junior
Investigator Travel Award 1998
University of Vermont Graduate Research
Award 1996
Teaching Fellow
of the Year 1996-1997, University of Vermont
First Class Honors, McGill University
1994
Specific subjects or issues you can knowledgeably discuss:
I am willing to talk to the media: yes
I am willing to talk to community groups about my area of expertise: no
Can you do interviews in Spanish? no
Other languages you are fluent in:
Experience with the news media (especially electronic media):
Contact Details:
(512) 863-1747(office)
Office: Olin 121
guarracf@southwestern.edu
