Overview
His research focuses on the reward mechanism of feeding behavior and drug addiction. While studying both behaviors he found that feeding could become pathological (addiction) if the right conditions were present. Other lines of research are linked to his medical background and incorporate the study of basic mechanisms in diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy and depression.
He is author of several book chapters and his research articles have appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, and Frontiers in Psychiatry.
He has an M.D. and neurology specialty from Universidad de los Andes, Venezuela, and a Ph.D. in medical sciences neuroscience mention from Universidad del Zulia, Venezuela. He worked for five years as a postdoc and 15 years as a visiting researcher and visiting professor at Princeton University. Before joining Duke Kunshan, he was professor of physiology in the School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes.