Leo Jimenez Chavez, PhD
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Postdoctoral FellowAbout
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Postdoctoral Fellow
Biography
Dr. Jimenez Chavez is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine. His research bridges insights from behavioral neuroscience and clinical behavioral pharmacology to investigate how biological sex and developmental factors contribute to addiction vulnerability and treatment outcomes.
He earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Behavior from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he trained in the laboratory of Dr. Karen Szumlinski. Supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, his doctoral work employed rodent models to examine how biological sex and age of binge-drinking onset influence the affective- and cognitive-related effects of early alcohol exposure.
Dr. Jimenez Chavez is broadly interested in how neuroscience, psychopharmacology, and public health intersect to advance addiction research and improve clinical care.
Last Updated on November 12, 2025.
Appointments
Education & Training
- PhD
- University of California, Santa Barbara , Behavioral Neuroscience (2024)
- MS
- Azusa Pacific University , Research Psychology & Data Analytics (2017)
Research
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Overview
Medical Research Interests
Health Care; Psychiatry and Psychology
Public Health Interests
Behavioral Health; Mental Health; Women's Health; Substance Use, Addiction
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Leo Jimenez Chavez's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Leo Jimenez Chavez's research output by year.
MacKenzie Peltier, PhD
Sherry McKee, PhD
Hang Zhou, PhD
Robert Kohler
Terril Luce, PhD
Yasmin Zakiniaeiz, PhD
14Publications
99Citations
Publications
2025
Empirical Derivation and Prediction of Treatment Trajectories in Harmonized AUD Clinical Trial Datasets
Kohler R, Zakiniaeiz Y, Verplaetse T, Chavez C, Peltier M, Zhou H, McKee S, Roberts W. Empirical Derivation and Prediction of Treatment Trajectories in Harmonized AUD Clinical Trial Datasets. Addiction Biology 2025, 30: e70069. PMID: 40700031, PMCID: PMC12285684, DOI: 10.1111/adb.70069.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAlcohol use disorderTreatment response phenotypesAlcohol use disorder treatmentTreatment response trajectoriesAUD-related phenotypesFollow-up analysisBaseline drinkingPhase of treatmentUse disorderAlcohol consumption patternsPhase 2 randomized clinical trialDrinking dataResponse trajectoriesAlcohol usePatient responsePhase 3 trialResponse phenotypesExploratory analysisAlcohol consumptionTreatment trajectoryDrinking ratesNIAAANo significant differenceMild drinkersPatient's clinical needsSex differences in the impact of social determinants of health on substance use disorder treatment outcomes
Chavez C, Peltier M, McKee S. Sex differences in the impact of social determinants of health on substance use disorder treatment outcomes. Biology Of Sex Differences 2025, 16: 56. PMID: 40696464, PMCID: PMC12281950, DOI: 10.1186/s13293-025-00734-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSubstance use disordersPredictors of substance useSubstance usePoor treatment outcomesSocial determinants of healthDeterminants of healthUse disorderTreatment outcomesHousing instabilityTreatment programsPolysubstance useSubstance use disorder treatment outcomesSeverity of substance useTreatment Episode Data Set-DischargesSocial determinantsSubstance use disorder treatment programsAssociated with poor treatment outcomesTreatment non-completionCriminal justice involvementSubstance use treatmentClinical severity indicatorsSex-specific effectsMental health conditionsClinical severity factorsNon-abstinenceExamination of age- and sex-related changes in protein expression within the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex during withdrawal from a subchronic history of binge-drinking in C57BL/6J mice
Chavez C, Madory L, Denning C, Lee E, Nguyen D, Scheldrup G, Szumlinski K. Examination of age- and sex-related changes in protein expression within the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex during withdrawal from a subchronic history of binge-drinking in C57BL/6J mice. Frontiers In Behavioral Neuroscience 2025, 19: 1619889. PMID: 40727321, PMCID: PMC12301339, DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1619889.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsHistory of binge-drinkingBinge-drinkingPrefrontal cortexCognitive consequencesConsequences of heavy drinkingGlutamate receptorsAlcohol-induced changesExpression of glutamate receptorsLong-term consequencesDevelopment of cognitive declineWorking memorySpatial recallSpatial memoryCognitive anomaliesDays withdrawalBrain regionsHeavy drinkingCognitive declineBiological sexPost-drinkingNeuropathological markersC57BL/6J miceHippocampusIndividual variabilityProtein expressionAlcohol use during pregnancy: the impact of social determinants of health on alcohol consumption among pregnant women
Peltier M, Verplaetse T, Bici V, Mokwuah A, Chavez C, Zakiniaeiz Y, Kohler R, Garcia-Rivas V, Banini B, Zhou H, Raval N, Pittman B, McKee S. Alcohol use during pregnancy: the impact of social determinants of health on alcohol consumption among pregnant women. Biology Of Sex Differences 2025, 16: 49. PMID: 40598644, PMCID: PMC12219128, DOI: 10.1186/s13293-025-00731-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSocial determinants of healthDeterminants of healthImpact of SDoHMonthly binge drinkingMonth alcohol useAlcohol useLikelihood of alcohol useSocial determinantsLikelihood of binge drinkingPregnant womenBinge drinkingImpact of social determinants of healthAlcohol consumptionNational Survey of Drug Use and HealthNational surveyMethodsCross-sectional dataDrug Use and HealthRates of prenatal alcohol exposureHigh school educationCriminal justice involvementPast-month alcohol useHealthcare providersSDOHTime of alcohol consumptionPrenatal alcohol exposure
2024
Biochemical changes precede affective and cognitive anomalies in aging adult C57BL/6J mice with a prior history of adolescent alcohol binge‐drinking
Chavez C, Scheldrup G, Madory L, Denning C, Lee E, Nguyen D, Castro M, Garcia A, Torres‐Gonzales J, Herbert J, Kotlyar D, Riazat N, Pakter W, Le W, Van Doren E, Galstian M, Szumlinski K. Biochemical changes precede affective and cognitive anomalies in aging adult C57BL/6J mice with a prior history of adolescent alcohol binge‐drinking. Addiction Biology 2024, 29: e70006. PMID: 39665499, PMCID: PMC11635696, DOI: 10.1111/adb.70006.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAlcohol binge-drinkingNegative affectBinge-drinkingPrefrontal cortexCognitive declineEntorhinal cortexAge-related changesHistory of binge-drinkingMeasures of negative affectRadial arm maze testBiological sexMorris water mazeAlcohol consumptionC57BL/6J miceExpression of glutamate receptorsAcceleration of cognitive declineFemale C57BL/6J miceAdult C57BL/6J miceSensorimotor gatingReversal learningExecutive functionAffective disturbancesGlutamate transmissionWater mazeSpatial learning/memoryModulation of marble-burying behavior in adult versus adolescent C57BL/6J mice of both sexes by ethologically relevant chemosensory stimuli
Chavez C, Szumlinski K. Modulation of marble-burying behavior in adult versus adolescent C57BL/6J mice of both sexes by ethologically relevant chemosensory stimuli. Oxford Open Neuroscience 2024, 3: kvae009. PMID: 38915792, PMCID: PMC11195632, DOI: 10.1093/oons/kvae009.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsMarble-burying behaviorAnxiety-like behaviorFemale-soiled beddingMarble-burying testWithdrawal-induced negative affectIndices of anxiety-like behaviourAdolescent C57BL/6J miceStudy anxiety-like behaviourNegative affective statesAge-related differencesIncreased buryingMarble-buryingAversive odorNegative affectAdolescent miceNeutral odorNonvolatile odorsAffective statesChemosensory stimuliBehavioral screeningChemosensory cuesAge interactionC57BL/6J miceOdorLaboratory rodents
2023
A subchronic history of binge-drinking elicits mild, age- and sex-selective, affective, and cognitive anomalies in C57BL/6J mice
Chavez C, Van Doren E, Scheldrup G, Rivera E, Torres-Gonzalez J, Herbert J, Denning C, Khorsandi S, Garcia A, Castro M, Szumlinski K. A subchronic history of binge-drinking elicits mild, age- and sex-selective, affective, and cognitive anomalies in C57BL/6J mice. Frontiers In Behavioral Neuroscience 2023, 17: 1192076. PMID: 37600758, PMCID: PMC10435755, DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1192076.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsWorking memoryNegative affectAlcohol withdrawalCognitive consequencesDrinking-in-the-dark procedureDrinking-in-the-darkHistory of binge-drinkingRadial arm maze trainingAlcohol abuseTreatment of alcohol abuseForced Swim TestImpaired working memoryAnxiety-like behaviorSpatial memory recallEarly alcohol withdrawalAlcohol use disorderMorris water mazeDays of drinkingConsequences of excessive alcohol consumptionMaze trainingSwim testShuttle-boxEmotion regulationWithdrawal-inducedWater mazeEvidence for Phosphorylation-Dependent, Dynamic, Regulation of mGlu5 and Homer2 in Expression of Cocaine Aversion in Mice
Szumlinski K, Beltran J, van Doren E, Chavez C, Domingo-Gonzalez R, Reyes C, Ary A, Lang A, Guo W, Worley P, Huber K. Evidence for Phosphorylation-Dependent, Dynamic, Regulation of mGlu5 and Homer2 in Expression of Cocaine Aversion in Mice. ENeuro 2023, 10: eneuro.0423-22.2023. PMID: 36973011, PMCID: PMC10131536, DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0423-22.2023.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCocaine-induced changesHigh-dose cocaineCocaine aversionAversive propertiesActivity-dependent phosphorylationBehavioral sensitization to cocaineCocaine-induced locomotionSensitization to cocaineMorris maze performanceAddiction vulnerabilityConditioned rewardPlace conditioningAcoustic startleMaze performanceMotor hyperactivityAcute injectionCocaineSensorimotor phenotypeHomer2Response to neuronal activityNeuronal activityPhenotype of transgenic miceStriatal lysatesDeficitsAlanine point mutations
2022
Alcohol-Drinking Under Limited-Access Procedures During Mature Adulthood Accelerates the Onset of Cognitive Impairment in Mice
Chavez C, Van Doren E, Matalon J, Ogele N, Kharwa A, Madory L, Kazerani I, Herbert J, Torres-Gonzalez J, Rivera E, Szumlinski K. Alcohol-Drinking Under Limited-Access Procedures During Mature Adulthood Accelerates the Onset of Cognitive Impairment in Mice. Frontiers In Behavioral Neuroscience 2022, 16: 732375. PMID: 35685271, PMCID: PMC9171112, DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.732375.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsMorris water maze performanceCognitive-impairing effectsNegative affective statesBinge drinking historyBlood ethanol concentrationBinge drinkingCognitive impairmentWorking memoryMature adulthoodAffective statesAlcohol withdrawal-induced anxietyRadial arm maze performanceSex differencesDrinking historyHeavy drinkingAlcohol-induced cognitive impairmentBinge-like drinkingWithdrawal-induced anxietyVoluntary alcohol consumptionArm maze performanceLimited-access procedureAge of drinking onsetBehavioral test batteryEffects of binge drinkingAlcohol use disorder
2021
Preclinical evidence to support repurposing everolimus for craving reduction during protracted drug withdrawal.
Chiu AS, Kang MC, Huerta Sanchez LL, Fabella AM, Holder KN, Barger BD, Elias KN, Shin CB, Jimenez Chavez CL, Kippin TE, Szumlinski KK. Preclinical evidence to support repurposing everolimus for craving reduction during protracted drug withdrawal. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021, 46: 2090-2100. PMID: 34188183, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01064-9.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Activities
activity Frontiers in Pharmacology
2024 - PresentJournal ServiceRevieweractivity Biology of Sex Differences
2025 - PresentJournal ServiceRevieweractivity American Journal on Addictions
2025 - PresentJournal ServiceRevieweractivity Organization for the Study of Sex Differences
2024 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsMemberactivity Research Society on Alcohol
2017 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsMember
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Temple Medical Center
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40 Temple Street
New Haven, CT 06510