BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Martinez received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. He worked as a research assistant in the laboratory of Randy Strong where he began researching animal behavior, aging, and Parkinson’s disease using a variety of mouse models. Continuing in Dr. Strong’s lab, he entered the Integrated Biomedical Sciences graduate program at UT Health San Antonio to pursue his PhD in Pharmacology. He investigated the interaction toxic alpha-synuclein oligomers with biogenic aldehydes and the effects on nigral dopamine metabolism and animal behavior related to Parkinson’s disease in genetic mouse models. He also examined the use of aldehyde trapping compounds as possible therapeutic agents in Parkinson’s disease. After attaining his PhD, Dr. Martinez continued research in Randy Strong’s laboratory. He continued studies examining the use of scavenging agents to reduce motor impairment in mouse models of Parkinson’s disease. In a separate project, he also evaluated the effects of the pesticide, dieldrin, on the accumulation of biogenic aldehydes, neurotoxicity, and motor impairment in genetic mouse models.

 

PUBLICATIONS

Martinez PA, Martinez VE, Rani CSS, Murrell, M, Javors M, Gelfond, J, Doorn, JA, Fernandez E, Strong R (2023)Impaired aldehyde detoxification exacerbates motor deficits in an alpha-synuclein mouse model of Parkinson's disease. Brain and Behavior . PMID37452461.

Masato A, Plotegher N, Terrin F, Sandre M, Faustini G, Thor A, Adams S, Berti G, Cogo S, De Lazzari F, Fontana CM,Martinez PA, Strong R, Bandopadhyay R, Bisaglia M, Bellucci A, Greggio E, Valle LD, Boassa D, Bubacco L (2023) DOPAL initiates αSynuclein-dependent impaired proteostasis and degeneration of neuronal projections in Parkinson's disease.. NPJ Parkinsons Disease . PMID36966140.

Strong R, Miller RA, Bogue M, Fernandez E, Javors MA, Libert S, Martinez PA, Murphy MP, Musi, N, Nelson JF, Petrascheck M, Reifsnyder M, Richardson A, Salmon AB, Macchiarini F, Harrison DE (2020) Rapamycin‐mediated mouse lifespan extension: Late‐life dosage regimes with sex‐specific effects. Aging Cell . PMID33145977

Song C, Zhang J, Qi S, Liu Z, Zhang X, Zheng Y, Andersen JP, Zhang W, Strong R, Martinez PAMusi N, Nie J, Shi Y (2019). Cardiolipin remodeling by ALCAT1 links mitochondrial dysfunction to Parkinson’s disease. . Aging Cell . PMID30838774.

Bai X, Wey MC, Martinez PA, Shi C, Fernandez E, Strong R (2017) Neurochemical and motor changes in mice with combined mutations linked to Parkinson’s disease. Pathobiology of Aging & Age-related Diseases . PMID28326165.

Strong R, Miller RA, Antebi A, Astle CM, Bogue M, Denzel MS, Fernandez E, Flurkey K, Hamilton KL, Lamming DW, Javors MA, Pedro de Magalhaes J, Martinez PA, McCord JM, Miller BF, Muller M, Nelson JF, Ndukum J, Rainger GE, Richardson A, Sabatini DM, Salmon AB, Simpkins JW, Steegenga WT, Nadon NL, Harrison DE (2016) Longer lifespan in male mice treated with a weakly-estrogenic agonist, an antioxidant, an -glucosidase inhibitor or a Nrf2-inducer. Aging Cell . PMID27312235.

Xiuhua L, Redus L, Chen C, Martinez PA, Strong R, Li S, O’Connor JC (2013) Cognitive dysfunction precedes the onset of motor symptoms in the Mitopark mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. PLoS One . PMID23977020.

Wey MC, Fernandez E, Martinez PA, Sullivan P, Goldstein DS, Strong R (2012)Neurodegeneration and motor dysfunction in mice lacking cytosolic and mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenases: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease. PLoS One . PMID22384032.

Green MK, Rani SS, Joshi A, Soto-Pina AE, Martinez PA, Frazer A, Strong R, Morilak DA (2011)Prenatal stress induces long term stress vulnerability, compromising stress response systems in the brain and impairing extinction of conditioned fear after adult stress. Neuroscience . PMID21723377.