Author

Samara J. Vilca

University of MiamiORCID 0000-0002-4973-8028Unclaimed ORCID profile · follow to get notified of new preprints

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Organism:mouse· 5 Research Focus:differential expression· 4 Approach:statistical model· 4 Assay:bulk RNA-seq· 3 Research Focus:cell type annotation· 2 Approach:experimental assay· 2 Research Focus:gene regulatory network inference· 2 Assay:ChIP-seq· 1

Frequent Co-Authors

Alexander V. MargettsiD· 4 shared Luis M. TuestaiD· 4 shared Florence Bourgain‐GuglielmettiiD· 2 shared Lauren L. BystromiD· 2 shared Tate A. PollockiD· 2 shared Benjamin R. WilliamsiD· 1 shared Claes WahlestedtiD· 1 shared Grace Guindon· 1 shared

Activity by Year

2024-2026 · peak 3/yr

Co-Author Collaboration Network

10 top collaborators · 29 mutual co-author links

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4 shared papersNeuroscience

Alexander V. MargettsORCID

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Author profile →

5 papers

Recent·Most cited

Xylazine Reshapes the Sleep and Respiratory Consequences of Chronic Fentanyl Exposure in a Sex-Dependent Manner

Mackenzie C. Gamble, Samara J. Vilca, Benjamin R. Williams, Grace Guindon, Vivian Dang, Ryan Wellington Logan

This study shows that chronic fentanyl-xylazine co-exposure causes sex-dependent changes in sleep, respiratory function, and molecular markers in mice.

bioRxiv · Sep 8, 2026 · PreprintNeuroscience

Morphine and methamphetamine trigger divergent post-transcriptional neuroimmune landscapes in the dorsal striatum

Alexander V. Margetts, Lauren L. Bystrom, Samara J. Vilca, Luis M. Tuesta

This study identifies divergent post-transcriptional neuroimmune responses in microglia following morphine and methamphetamine exposure, revealing persistent splicing changes in morphine that may contribute to opioid use disorder pathophysiology.

bioRxiv · Apr 5, 2026 · PreprintNeuroscience

Cocaine taking and craving produce distinct transcriptional profiles in dopamine neurons

Tate A. Pollock, Alexander V. Margetts, Samara J. Vilca, Luis M. Tuesta

The paper identifies distinct transcriptional changes in dopamine neurons during cocaine taking and craving using a mouse model and nuclear RNA-sequencing.

bioRxiv · Oct 11, 2024 · PreprintNeuroscience

Epigenetic heterogeneity shapes the transcriptional landscape of regional microglia

Alexander V. Margetts, Samara J. Vilca, Florence Bourgain‐Guglielmetti, Luis M. Tuesta

This study uses CUT&Tag-Direct to analyze histone modifications in microglia across brain regions, revealing region-specific transcriptional networks and epigenetic signatures.

bioRxiv · Aug 8, 2024 · PreprintGenetics

Microglia contribute to methamphetamine reinforcement and reflect persistent transcriptional and morphological adaptations to the drug

Samara J. Vilca, Alexander V. Margetts, Leon Höglund, Isabella Fleites, Lauren L. Bystrom, Tate A. Pollock, Florence Bourgain‐Guglielmetti, Claes Wahlestedt, Luis M. Tuesta

This study shows methamphetamine induces long-term transcriptional and morphological changes in microglia that contribute to drug-seeking behavior and may inform treatment strategies for methamphetamine use disorder.

Brain Behavior and Immunity · Jun 3, 2024Peer-reviewedNeuroscience