Trinity University (Texas) Undergraduate Researcher Advances Addiction Science with Oxytocin Study
Hands-on, cutting-edge research opportunities available to undergrad students
San Antonio, TX, Aug. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trinity University (Texas) junior Filippo Gambacorta, a Neuroscience major, is conducting cutting-edge research on the brain’s dopamine system that could transform how scientists approach addiction.
Working with Trinity Biology Professor Gerard Beaudoin, Ph.D., Gambacorta’s project explores how oxytocin affects dopamine neuron activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the brain. Early results suggest oxytocin may shift dopamine release, which could be important for understanding habit formation and drug response.
"We want to understand how oxytocin modulates dopamine neuron activity,” Gambacorta says. “Our early results suggest OXT may raise background release of dopamine while lowering input-directed release, and that’s influencing reward-related behaviors.”
He credits Beaudoin’s mentorship and Trinity’s advanced research facilities for giving undergraduates the chance to make real scientific contributions.
“The beautiful thing about Trinity is that our research facilities are out of this world,” Gambacorta says. “The opportunities I have here, the research I can do here—you can’t really do at many other undergraduate schools in the world."
As he begins his senior year and begins applying to graduate programs, Gambacorta reflects on how Trinity has shaped his academic path.
“You don’t see many people getting published until maybe they’re 25,” he says. “But I’m still 21, and I’ll end up having a publication under my belt. This experience has been life-changing and has made my chances of getting into a more competitive Ph.D. program a lot higher.”
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Carla Sierra Trinity University 210-999-8445 csierra@trinity.edu
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