Juan M Dominguez
Professor — Ph.D., The State University of New York at Buffalo

Contact
- E-mail: dominguez@utexas.edu
- Phone: (512) 232-8050
- Office: SEA 5.252
- Campus Mail Code: A8000
Interests
The neural-endocrine regulation of motivated behaviors and associated disorders like addiction; using mating behavior as a prototypic model to better understand motivation and associated disorders, especially the neuroendocrinological factors that regulate substance abuse disorders and depressive disorders; the neuroendocrinological underpinnings of gender differences in response to drugs of abuse.
Biography
Juan Dominguez received his Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience from the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. His postdoctoral fellowship was conducted with dual appointments in the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology at The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Following postdoctoral training, Dr. Dominguez joined the research faculty of the neuroscience program at Florida State University. Before joining the UT faculty, he was an assistant professor of psychology at American University in Washington, DC.
The goals of his laboratory are to elucidate the underlying neural and endocrine mechanisms regulating motivated behaviors, specifically, using the study of sexual behavior as a prototypic model for understanding motivation, its acquisition, and associated disorders like substance abuse disorder and depression.
Courses
PSY 308 • Biopsychology
42944 • Fall 2021
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM UTC 4.110
UGS 302 • Love, Mating, And The Brain
62305 • Fall 2021
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM UTC 1.116
Wr
ID
PSY 308 • Biopsychology-Wb
42700 • Spring 2021
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM
Internet; Synchronous
UGS 302 • Love, Mating, And The Brain
60280 • Fall 2020
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM GDC 4.302
Web Enhanced
Wr
ID
PSY 308 • Biopsychology
41860 • Spring 2020
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM
UGS 302 • Love, Mating, And The Brain
60545 • Fall 2019
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM SEA 4.242
Wr
ID
UGS 302 • Love, Mating, And The Brain
62125 • Fall 2018
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM SEA 4.242
Wr
ID
PSY 308 • Biopsychology
43045 • Fall 2017
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM NOA 1.126
UGS 302 • Love, Mating, And The Brain
62135 • Fall 2017
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM SEA 1.332
Wr
ID
PSY 308 • Biopsychology
43005 • Fall 2016
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM NOA 1.126
UGS 302 • Love, Mating And The Brain
62025 • Fall 2016
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM SEA 4.242
Wr
ID
PSY 308 • Biopsychology
42195 • Fall 2015
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM NOA 1.126
UGS 302 • Love, Mating & The Brain
61285 • Fall 2015
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM SEA 4.242
Wr
ID
PSY 308 • Biopsychology
43570 • Fall 2014
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM NOA 1.124
SB
PSY 394P • Curr Tpcs In Behav Neurosci
43900 • Fall 2014
Meets W 3:00PM-6:00PM SEA 4.244
PSY 308 • Biopsychology
43915 • Spring 2014
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM NOA 1.126
SB
PSY 308 • Biopsychology
43635 • Fall 2013
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM NOA 1.124
SB
PSY 394P • Curr Tpcs In Behav Neurosci
43930 • Fall 2013
Meets W 3:00PM-6:00PM SEA 4.244
PSY 308 • Biopsychology
43265 • Spring 2013
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM NOA 1.124
SB
PSY 308 • Biopsychology
43170 • Fall 2012
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM NOA 1.124
SB
PSY 341K • Neurosci Of Motivatn & Reward
43325 • Fall 2012
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM SEA 2.108
Wr
PSY 308 • Biopsychology
43125 • Spring 2012
Meets TTH 3:30PM-5:00PM WEL 3.502
SB
PSY 341K • Neurosci Of Motivatn & Reward
43265 • Spring 2012
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM SEA 2.108
Wr
PSY 308 • Biopsychology
43070 • Fall 2011
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM NOA 1.124
SB
PSY 301 • Introduction To Psychology
43595 • Spring 2011
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM NOA 1.124
SB
PSY 308 • Biopsychology
43025 • Fall 2010
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM NOA 1.124
SB
PSY 308 • Biopsychology
43789 • Spring 2010
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM NOA 1.124
SB
PSY 301 • Introduction To Psychology
43935 • Fall 2009
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM ART 1.120
SB
PSY 301 • Introduction To Psychology
42950 • Spring 2009
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM BUR 208
SB
PSY 301 • Introduction To Psychology
44023 • Fall 2008
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM ART 1.120
SB
Publications
For more details see CV (link in upper right-hand corner)
Articles in Refereed Journals
Dominguez, J.M. & Kippin, T.E. (in press). Introduction to Special Issue: Hormones, Sex Differences, and Drug Response. Physiology and Behavior. Guest-Editor for special issue on this topic.
Dominguez, J.M. & Hull, E.M. Neuroendocrine regulation of male sexual behavior. Comprehensive Physiology. (peer-reviewed)
Robison, C.L., Martz, J.R., & Dominguez, J.M. (2018). Influence of preoptic estradiol on behavioral and neural response to cocaine in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Psychopharmacology, 235: 663-672.
Nutsch, V.L., Will, R.G., Tobiansky, D.J., Reilly, M.P., Gore, A.C., & Dominguez, J.M. (2017). Age-related changes in sexual function and steroid-hormone receptors in the medial preoptic area of male rats. Hormones and Behavior, 96: 4-12.
Nutsch, V.L., Bell, M.R., Will, R.G., Yin, W., Wolfe, A., Gillete, R., Dominguez, J.M., & Gore, A.C. (2017). Aging and estradiol effects on gene expression in the medial preoptic area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and posterodorsal medial amygdala of male rats. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, 442: 153-164.
Nutsch, V.L., Will, R.G., Robison, C.L., Martz, J.R., Tobiansky, D.J., & Dominguez, J.M. (2016). Colocalization of mating-induced Fos and D2-like dopamine receptors in the medial preoptic area: Influence of sexual experience. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, doi: 10.3389/ fnbeh.2016.00075.
Will, R.G., Martz, J.R., & Dominguez, J.M. (2016). The medial preoptic area modulates cocaine-induced locomotion in male rats. Behavioural Brain Research, 205: 218-222.
Tobiansky, D.J., Will, R.G., Lominac, K.D., Turner, J.M., Hattori, T., Krishnan, K., Martz, J.R., Nutsch, V.L., & Dominguez, J.M. (2016). Estradiol in the preoptic area regulates the dopaminergic response to cocaine in the nucleus accumbens. Neuropsychopharmacology, advance online publication.
Will, R.G., Nutsch, V.L., Turner, J.T., Hattori, T., & Dominguez, J.M. (2015). Astrocytes in the medial preoptic area modulate ejaculation latency in an experience-dependent fashion. Behavioral Neuroscience, 129: 68-73.
Nutsch, V.L., Will, R.G., Hattori, T., Tobiansky, D.J., & Dominguez, J.M. (2014). Sexual experience influences mating-induced activity in nitric oxide synthase-containing neurons in the medial preoptic area. Neuroscience Letters, 579: 92-96.
Will R.G., Hull, E.M., & Dominguez, J.M. (2014). Influences of dopamine and glutamate in the medial preoptic area on male sexual behavior. Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior, 121: 115-123.
Tobiansky, D.J., Roma, P.G., Hattori, T., Will, R.G., Nutsch, V.L., & Dominguez, J.M. (2013). The medial preoptic area modulates cocaine-induced activity in female rats. Behavioral Neuroscience, 127(2): 293-302.
Tobiansky, D.J., Hattori, T., Scott, J.M., Nutsch, V.L., Roma, P.G., and Dominguez, J.M. (2012). Sex-relevant olfactory stimuli activate the rat brain in an age-dependent manner. NeuroReport, 23: 1077-1083.
Kleitz-Nelson, H. K., Dominguez, J. M., & Ball, G. F. (2010). A comparative approach to the study of dopamine and male sexual behavior: What can Japanese quail teach us? A reply to Pfaus (2010) Behavioral Neuroscience, 124(6), 881-883.
Kleitz-Nelson, H. K., Dominguez, J. M., & Ball, G. F. (2010). Dopamine release in the medial preoptic area is related to hormonal action and sexual motivation. Behavioral Neuroscience, 124(6), 773-779.
Dominguez, J. M., & Hull, E. M. (2010). Serotonin impairs copulation and attenuates ejaculation-induced glutamate activity in the medial preoptic area. Behavioral Neuroscience, 124(4), 554-557.
Westerman, A. T., Roma, P. G., Price, R. C., & Dominguez, J. M. (2010). Assessing the role of the medial preoptic area in ethanol-induced hypothermia. Neuroscience Letters, 475(1), 25-28.
Kleitz-Nelson, H. K., Dominguez, J. M., Cornil, C. A., & Ball, G. F. (2010). Is sexual motivational state linked to dopamine release in the medial preoptic area? Behavioral Neuroscience, 124(2), 300-304.
Westerman, A. T., Roma, P. G., Creed, E. T., Hurwitz, Z. E., & Dominguez, J. M. (2009). The antiepileptic primidone impairs male rat sexual behavior. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior, 93(2), 160-164.
Dominguez, J. M. (2009). A role for preoptic glutamate in the regulation of male reproductive behavior. The Neuroscientist, 15(1), 11-19.
Kohut, S. J., Roma, P. G., Davis, C. M., Zernig, G., Saria, A., Dominguez, J. M., Rice, K. C., & Riley, A. L. (2009). The impact of early environmental rearing condition on the discriminative stimulus effects and Fos expression induced by cocaine in adult male and female rats. Psychopharmacology, 203(2), 383-397.
Dominguez, J. M., Balfour, M. E., Lee, H. S., Brown, J. L., Davis, B. A., & Coolen, L. M. (2007). Mating activates NMDA receptors in the medial preoptic area of male rats. Behavioral Neuroscience, 121(5), 1023-1031.
Hull, E. M., & Dominguez, J. M. (2007). Sexual behavior in male rodents. Hormones and Behavior, 52(1), 45-55.
Muschamp, J. W., Dominguez, J. M., Sato, S., Shen, R. Y., & Hull, E. M. (2007). A role for hypocretin (orexin) in male sexual behavior. The Journal of Neuroscience, 27(11), 2837-2845.
Davis, C. M., Roma, P. G., Dominguez, J. M., & Riley, A. L. (2007). Morphine-induced place conditioning in Fischer and Lewis rats: Acquisition and dose-response in a fully biased procedure. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior, 86(3), 516-523.
Dominguez, J. M., Brann, J. H., Gil, M., & Hull, E. M. (2006). Sexual experience increases nitric oxide synthase in the medial preoptic area of male rats. Behavioral Neuroscience, 120(6), 1389-1394.
Hull, E. M., & Dominguez, J. M. (2006). Getting his act together: Roles of glutamate, nitric oxide, and dopamine in the medial preoptic area. Brain Research, 1126(1), 66-75.
Dominguez, J. M., Gil, M., & Hull, E. M. (2006). Preoptic glutamate facilitates male sexual behavior. The Journal of Neuroscience, 26(6), 1699-1703.
Dominguez, J. M., & Hull, E. M. (2005). Dopamine, the medial preoptic area, and male sexual behavior. Physiology & Behavior, 86(3), 356-368.
Dominguez, J. M., Muschamp, J. W., Schmich, J. M., & Hull, E. M. (2004). Nitric oxide mediates glutamate-evoked dopamine release in the medial preoptic area. Neuroscience, 125(1), 203-210.
Powell, W. S., Dominguez, J. M., & Hull, E. M. (2003). An NMDA antagonist impairs copulation and the experience-induced enhancement of male sexual behavior in the rat. Behavioral Neuroscience, 117(1), 69-75.
Dominguez, J. M., & Hull, E. M. (2003). Medial amygdala regulates mating-induced dopamine release in medial preoptic area. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 985(1), 515-518.
Lonstein, J. S., Dominguez, J. M., Putnam, S. K., De Vries, G. J., & Hull, E. M. (2003). Intracellular preoptic and striatal monoamines in pregnant and lactating rats: Possible role in maternal behavior. Brain Research, 970(1-2), 149-158.
Dominguez, J. M., & Hull, E. M. (2001). Stimulation of the medial amygdala enhances medial preoptic dopamine release: Implications for male rat sexual behavior. Brain Research, 917(2), 225-229.
Dominguez, J. M., Riolo, J. V., Xu, Z., & Hull, E. M. (2001). Regulation by the medial amygdala of copulation and medial preoptic dopamine release. The Journal of Neuroscience, 21(1), 349-355.
Matuszewich, L., Lorrain, D. S., Trujillo, R., Dominguez, J. M., Putnam, S. K., & Hull, E. M. (1999). Partial antagonism of 8-OH-DPAT’s effects on male rat sexual behavior with a D2, but not a 5-HT1A, antagonist. Brain Research, 820(1-2), 55-62.
Hull, E. M., Lumley, L. A., Matuszewich, L., Dominguez, J. M., Moses, J., & Lorrain, D. S. (1994). The roles of nitric oxide in sexual function of male rats. Neuropharmacology, 33(11), 1499-1504.
Book Chapters
Male sexual behavior. By EM Hull & JM Dominguez (2014). In McCarthy, M. (Ed.), Knobil and Neill’s: Physiology of Reproduction (pp. 2211-2285). Academic Press.
Sexual behavior. By EM Hull & JM Dominguez (2012). In R.J. Nelson and S. Mizumori (Eds.), Handbook of Psychology, 2nd edition, Vol. 3, Behavioral Neuroscience (pp. 331-364). Wiley & Sons.
Neurochemistry of male sexual behavior. By EM Hull, JM Dominguez, & JW Muschamp (2006). In Abel Lajtha & Jeffrey Blaustein (Eds.). Handbook of Neurochemistry and Molecular Neurobiology 3rd Edition (pp. 37-94). New York, NY: Springer Publishers.
Sex behavior. By EM Hull, & JM Dominguez (2003). In M. Gallagher, R.J. Nelson, & I.B. Weiner (Eds.), Handbook of Psychology, Volume 3, Biological Psychology (pp. 321-353). Wiley & Sons.