Bodnar, Richard J., Ph.D.

Professor and Department Chair

Education: Ph.D. City University of New York (Experimental Cognition)
Post-Doctoral Fellowship: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and NYS Psychiatric Institute

Email: richard.bodnar@qc.cuny.edu
Office: Razran Hall, Room 240
Telephone: 718-997-3543

Lab: Razran 253 & 270
Telephone: 718-997-3546

Ph.D. Program Courses:
PSYCH 70801 Basic Neuroscience: Neuroanatomy

Recent Selected Publications:
Bernal, S., Dostova, I., Kest, A., Abayev, E., Kandova, E., Touzani, K., Sclafani, A., and Bodnar, R.J. Role of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens shell on the acquisition and expression of fructose-conditioned flavor-flavor preferences in rats. Behav Brain Res., in press, 2008.

Touzani K., Bodnar, R.J., and Sclafani, A. Activation of dopamine D1 receptors in nucleus accumbens is critical for the acquisition, but not the expression, of glucose-conditioned flavor preference in rats. Eur J Neurosci, in press, 2008.

Dym, C.T., Pinhas, A., Ginzberg, M., Kest, B., and Bodnar, R.J. (2007). Genetic variance contributes to naltrexone-induced inhibition of sucrose intake in inbred and outbred mouse strains. Brain Research, 1135, 136-145.

Lewis, S.R., Dym, C., Chai, C., Singh, A., Kest, B. and Bodnar, R.J. (2007). Genetic variance contributes to ingestive processes: a survey of eleven inbred mouse strains for fat (Intralipid) intake. Physiology and Behavior, 90, 82-94.

Research Summary:
Since its inception in 1979, our Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory has been pursuing research examining the underlying pharmacology and neuroanatomical sites of action of two major neurobehavioral homeostatic systems: a) Neurobehavioral Mechanisms of Food Intake, and b) Neurobehavioral Mechanisms of Pain Inhibition. These studies involved different evolving themes over the years that can be summarized into the following major categories with peer-reviewed publications. In the study of Neurobehavioral Mechanisms of Food Intake, the following themes have been examined: i) Pharmacology and Neuroanatomy of Conditioned Flavor Preferences, ii) Genetic Variance in Ingestive Responses, iii) Molecular Opioid Manipulations and Ingestive Behavior, iv) Neuroanatomical Mapping Studies of Opioid-induced Feeding, and v) Opioid Receptor Subtypes and Ingestive Behavior. In the study of [Neurobehavioral Mechanisms of Pain Inhibition], the following themes have been examined: i) Sex Differences in Opioid-Induced Analgesia, ii) Neuroanatomical Mapping Studies of Opioid-Induced Analgesia, iii) Stress-induced Analgesia, and iv) Non-Opioid Analgesic Responses. Since 2002, I have written the Endogenous Opioids and Behavior Annual Reviews which covers all of the peer-reviewed articles in the field for the previous year as well as providing Other Invited Reviews and Book Chapters.

To accomplish all of this work, I have been fortunate to have had a great number of talented doctoral, masters and undergraduate students working with me. My current group of students include:

Ph.D. Students:
Sonia Bernal
Giuseppe Cataldo
Cheryl Dym
Sarah Lewis
Danielle Malkusz
Patricia Miner

Undergraduate Students:
Yana Abayev, Veronica Bae, Theo Banakos, Spiridoula Dimopoulos, Meri Gerges, Simon Gurgov, Mike Israel, Ester Kandova, Mike Koen, Tammy Kraft, Alex Pinhas and Rachel Wapniak

Former students in the Bodnar laboratory can be found in the following sections: Former Ph.D. Students of the Bodnar Laboratory, Former Post-Doctoral Fellows of the Bodnar Laboratory, Former Masters Students of the Bodnar Laboratory, Former Undergraduate Students of the Bodnar Laboratory, and Former High School Students of the Bodnar Laboratory.