Recovery involves replacing drinking with more adaptive behavior. Once the more adaptive behaviorbecomes habitual, recovery is more resistant to relapse produced by stimuli previously occasioningdrinking. However, until this transition occurs, the new adaptive behavior is easily displaced. Thistransition requires cognitive flexibility in order to attend to the stimuli and contingencies associatedwith the new behavior. Unfortunately, heavy drinking reduces cognitive flexibility, especially infemales.

Aberrant intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) homeostasis has been implicated in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) which contributes to endothelial dysfunction. Ca2+ acts as a second messenger and is known to regulate several cell functions. Despite the available evidence of a link between Ca2+ signaling and endothelial dysfunction, mechanisms underlying the development of vascular disease remain incompletely understood. Besides Ca2+, reactive oxygen species have also been implicated in endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction.

Schizophrenia remains one of the most disabling conditions world-wide with an economic burden thatexceeded $155 billion dollars in fiscal year 2013 alone. Despite existing medication and community treatment,many individuals with this diagnosis continue to have poor outcomes and struggle toward recovery.

Apical periodontitis (AP) is a highly prevalent and debilitating pathological condition marked bybone resorption and pain as result of dental infections. Many elegant studies have revealed thefunctions of immune cells and inflammatory mediators in AP. Despite AP being denselyinnervated by trigeminal ganglia (TG) fibers, the participation of these afferents in this diseaseprocess is largely unknown. Our preliminary data demonstrate that TG neurons regulate APlesion development.

San Antonio, positioned at the gateway to South Texas, is the 7th largest US city and thelargest metropolitan area with a minority-majority population. Our 38-county region comprises an impoverished,rural, and largely Hispanic population with disproportionate rates of diabetes, obesity, and cancer, exacerbatedby lack of health insurance and poor access to care. The region is home to major US military facilities, includingthe world's largest military medical complex.