Faculty Profile for Dr. Mar Huertas Pau
Biography Section
Biography and Education
My research interests during the last ten years were largely driven by my fascination for the pheromones and endocrine systems of fish. I focus on how external chemical signals drive reproductive output, which eventually lead to a study on the activation of endocrine axis after a pheromone detection event. I have become proficient in electrophysiology, and investigation of the morphology and physiology of elements of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gland axis by protein biochemistry, histology and molecular procedures.Research Interests
Neuroendocrinology of fish olfactionLink between olfaction and immune responses
Use of fish pheromones in fish management
Selected Scholarly/Creative Work
- Buchinger, T., Anne, S. M., Skye, F., Brant, C. O., Huertas Pau, M. del M., Li, K., … Li, W. (2020). A pheromone antagonist liberates female sea lamprey from a sensory trap to enable reliable communication. PNAS. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1921394117
- Sepahi, A., Kraus, A., Casadei, E., Johnston, C. A., Galindo-Villegas, J., Kelly, C., … Salinas, I. (2019). Olfactory sensory neurons mediate ultrarapid antiviral immune responses in a TrkA-dependent manner. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201900083. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1900083116
- Li, K., Brant, C., Huertas Pau, M. del M., Hessler, E., Mezei, G., Scott, A. M., … Li, W. (2018). Fatty-acid derivative acts as a sea lamprey migratory pheromone. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1803169115
- Huertas Pau, M. del M., & Billah, M. M. (2023). Pathogen odors elicit distinct neurosteroid and behavioral responses in Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Physiology, 38(S1).
- Franklin, A., Restrepo, N., Carlos-Shanley, C., & Huertas Pau, M. del M. (2023). Bacteria and nitrite change smelling ability of catfish.
Selected Awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Excellence in Scholarly/Creative activities, Texas State University. 2022
- Award / Honor Recipient: STEM Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) (Mentor), Texas State University. June 2018 - January 2021
- Award / Honor Recipient: Teaching Award Honor, Texas State University. 2020
- Award / Honor Recipient: Best student poster award, European Aquaculture Society. 2002
Selected Grants
- Huertas Pau, Maria del Mar. A portal into the brain: olfactory crypt neurons modulate brain viral immunity in teleost, National Science Fundation, Federal, $625000. (Submitted: 2017, Funded: August 20, 2018 - October 19, 2021). Grant.
- Huertas Pau, Maria del Mar. Run to R1 postdoctoral program, TXST, Texas State University, $100000. (Funded: 2023 - 2025). Grant.
- Huertas Pau, Maria del Mar. EAGER: Environmental nitrite is a nitric oxide donor that modulates fish olfactory function, National Science Fundation, Federal, $295000. (Submitted: August 2022, Funded: January 2023 - January 2025). Grant.
- Huertas Pau, Maria del Mar. SEED: Exploring novel fish cultures for small and midscale aquaponics system, USDA, Federal, $268217. (Submitted: August 2022, Funded: January 2023 - January 2025). Grant.
- Huertas Pau, Maria del Mar. REP: Spatial imaging of the olfactory-immune axis in vertebrates, Texas State University, Texas State University, $8000. (Submitted: 2022, Funded: January 2023 - May 2024). Grant.
Selected Service Activities
Graduate Advisor
STEMINITAS
2022-Present
Speaker
STEM sisters Speakers (NISD)
June 2022-Present
Chair
JEDI (Committee of, Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Biolog
2021-Present
Volunteer
Sigths and Sounds
2021-Present
University Mentor
U-Rise program
2020-Present