Jean M. DiPirro, Ph.D.

Dr. Jean DiPirro received her Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University at Buffalo. She has been a faculty member at Buffalo State since 2001.

Recent Students Mentored

Caitlin McEntarfer

• Conference presentation: McEntarfer, C. K. M., DiPirro, J. M., & Paige, D. A. (2003, April). The effects of gender & age on pain perception. Southwestern Psychological Association, New Orleans, LA.
• Paper submission: McEntarfer, C. K. M., DiPirro, J. M., & Paige, D. A. (submitted). The effects of gender and aging on pain perception. Psi Chi Journal.
• Grad school: Ph.D. program in Clinical Gerontology at the University of Kentucky

Allison Conradi

• Study: The effect of antioxidant ingestion on spatial learning in the young rat [Spring 03]
• Grad school: M.A. program in social work at the University at Buffalo

Representative Publications

Kristal, M. B., DiPirro, J. M., & Thompson, A. C. (2012). Placentophagia in humans and nonhuman mammals: Causes and consequences. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 51(3), 177-197.

DiPirro, J. M., Thompson, A. C., Suarez, M., & Leo, R. J. (2011). Low doses of risperidone and morphine interact to produce more analgesia and greater extrapyramidal effects in rats. Neuroscience Letters, 490(1), 21-26.

Curtin, L. I., Grakowsky, J. A., Suarez, M., Thompson, A. C., DiPirro, J. M., Martin, L. B., & Kristal, M. B. (2009). Evaluation of buprenorphine in a postoperative pain model in rats. Comparative Medicine, 59(1), 60.

Thompson, A. C., DiPirro, J. M., Sylvester, A. R., Martin, L. B., & Kristal, M. B. (2006). Lack of analgesic efficacy in female rats of the commonly recommended oral dose of buprenorphine. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, 45(6), 13-16.

DiPirro, J. M., & Kristal, M. B. (2004). Placenta ingestion by rats enhances d- and k-opioid antinociception, but suppresses m-opioid antinociception. Brain Research, 1014, 22-33.

Horowitz, J. M., Dipirro, J. M., Kristal, M. B., & Torres, G. (1997). Dopaminergic and glutamatergic mechanisms mediate the induction of FOS-like protein by cocaethylene. Brain Research Bulletin, 42(5), 393-398.

Robinson-Vanderwerf, T. M., Di Pirro, J. M., Caggiula, A. R., & Kristal, M. B. (1997). The analgesia-enhancing component of ingested amniotic fluid does not affect nicotine-induced antinociception in naltrexone-treated rats. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 58(1), 147-151.

Di Pirro, J. M., Thompson, A. C., & Kristal, M. B. (1991). Amniotic-fluid ingestion enhances the central analgesic effect of morphine. Brain Research Bulletin, 26(6), 851-855.

Kristal, M. B., Thompson, A. C., Abbott, P., Di Pirro, J. M., Ferguson, E. J., & Doerr, J. C. (1990). Amniotic-fluid ingestion by parturient rats enhances pregnancy-mediated analgesia. Life Sciences, 46(10), 693-698.

Selected Presentations

Doldan, K., Kristal, M. B., DiPirro, J. M., & Thompson, A. C. (2003). Intra-accumbal microinjection of Neuropeptide Y increases locomotor behavior in the rat. Program No. 757.19. 2003 Abstract Viewer/Itinerary Planner. Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience. Online

Courses Usually Taught

• Introduction to Psychology (PSY 101)
• Health Psychology (PSY 376)
• Abnormal Psychology (PSY 411)
• Physiological Psychology (PSY 421)
• Introduction to Neuropsychology (PSY 441)
• Senior Seminar (PSY 472)

Research Interests

• psychostimulant-induced neural adaptations in neuropeptide neurotransmission in the forebrain and their role in behavioral adaptations associated with psychostimulant use and abuse,
• experience-induced adaptations in defensive and affiliative behaviors and the underlying neural and hormonal mechanisms mediating these adaptations,
• peptide and monoaminergic regulation of somatosensory (touch and pain) perception

Awards

President's Award for Excellence in Teaching