Javier Gonzalez-Maeso, Ph.D.
Professor
Department: Pharmacology and Toxicology
Email: javier.maeso@vcuhealth.org
Address/Location:
Molecular Medicine Research Building
1220 East Broad Street - Room 5-038
Box 980613
Richmond, VA 23298
Education
- BS in Biology - University of the Basque Country (Spain)
- BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology - University of the Basque Country (Spain)
- PhD in Pharmacology - University of the Basque Country (Spain)
- Postdoctoral training - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York)
Laboratory Website
http://www.gonzalez-maeso-lab.org
Research Interests
- G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and G proteins
- Psychedelics
- Molecular Psychiatry
- Preclinical models of psychiatric and substance use disorders
- Molecular Pharmacology
The overarching goal of my research program is to investigate the structure, function, and regulation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), their interacting proteins, and their roles in neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, depression, and substance use disorders. We also seek to understand how environmental factors and chronic drug exposure reshape behavior through molecular, cellular, and neural circuit mechanisms. Our research integrates a broad range of interdisciplinary approaches, including computational structural modeling, molecular pharmacology in cellular systems, neurochemistry, epigenetics, mouse behavioral assays relevant to psychiatric disorders, and functional analysis of postmortem human brain tissue samples. By combining these complementary approaches, we aim to elucidate the mechanisms by which GPCR signaling contributes to both normal brain function and disease pathology. Ultimately, our goal is to translate fundamental mechanistic discoveries into novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment and prevention of psychiatric disorders.
Selected Publications
Gaines-Smith MC, Silverman JM, Fiorillo M, Younkin J, Moore KN, Maltman JL, de la Fuente Revenga M, Wolstenholme JT, Glennon RA, Dukat M, González-Maeso J. Stereoselective, sex-dependent 5-HT2A receptor modulation of cortical plasticity by MDMA in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 51:1011-1022 (2026).
Jaster AM, Hadlock TM, Buzzi B, Maltman JL, Silva GM, Saha S, Koseli E, Ponkelick AM, Thakur N, Zhang X, Li G, Ledesma-Corvi S, Moore KN, Peterson HR, Fujita B, Zylko AL, Lewis MR, Poklis JL, Halquist MS, Wolstenholme JT, Selley DE, Hamilton PJ, Lu C*, Damaj MI*, González-Maeso J*. Sex-specific role for the 5-HT2A receptor in psychedelic-induced extinction of opioid reward. Nature Communications 16(1):10206 (2025) – *co-corresponding authors.
Saha S, González-Maeso J. Translation-independent association of mRNAs that encode protomers of the 5-HT2A-mGlu2 receptor complex. The Journal of Biological Chemistry 301:110427 (2025).
Zhu B, Ainsworth RI, Wang Z, Liu Z, Sierra S, Deng C, Callado LF, Meana JJ, Wang W*, Lu C*, González-Maeso J*. Antipsychotic-induced epigenomic reorganization in frontal cortex samples of individuals with schizophrenia. eLife 12: RP92393 (2024) – *co-corresponding authors.
Saunders JM, Muguruza C, Sierra S, Moreno JL, Callado LF, Meana JJ, Beardsley PM, González-Maeso J. Glucocorticoid receptor dysregulation underlies 5-HT2A receptor-dependent synaptic and behavioral deficits in a mouse neurodevelopmental disorder model. The Journal of Biological Chemistry 298:102481 (2022).
de la Fuente Revenga M, Zhu B, Guevara CA, Naler LB, Saunders JM, Zhou Z, Toneatti R, Sierra S, Wolstenholme JT, Beardsley PM, Huntley GW, Lu C*, González-Maeso J*. Prolonged epigenomic and synaptic plasticity alterations following single exposure to a psychedelic in mice. Cell Reports 37:109836 (2021).
Toneatti R, Jong JM, Shah UH, Mayer CR, Saunders JM, Fribourg M, Arsenovic PT, Janssen WG, Sealfon SC, Lopez-Gimenez JF, Benson DL, Conway DE, González-Maeso J. Interclass GPCR heteromerization affects localization and trafficking. Science Signaling 13(654):eaaw3122 (2020).
Urjita UH, Toneatti R, Gaitonde SA, Shin JM, González-Maeso J. Site-specific incorporation of genetically encoded photo-crosslinkers locates the heteromeric interface of a GPCR complex in living cells. Cell Chemical Biology 27:1308-1317 (2020).