RESUME
Professional
info
I am a Senior Research Associate in Dr. Warren Bickel's laboratory at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute. Being both a neuroscientist and dancer, I am fascinated by the brain's capacity for plasticity and the body's ability to change the brain. My research centers around understanding how physical activity affects the brain both functionally and morphologically. Having been an integral part of successfully starting up both a rodent and human exercise laboratory, I plan to one day run my own laboratory asking parallel questions in rodents and humans regarding the effects of exercise on the brain.
Education
Rutgers University
Newark, NJ
September 2007 - November 2012
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy, Behavioral and Neural Science
GPA: 3.75
Honors: Presidential Fellowship, Rutgers University
Doctoral Thesis: Investigation of the behavioral processes and neurobiological substrates involved in the motivation for voluntary wheel running in the rat
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
February 2001 - February 2005
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Double Major: Neuroscience and Dance
GPA: 3.75; Magna Cum Laude
Honors: College Scholar; Psychology National Honor Society; 2002 CRC Press Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award; 2000 George Washington University Excellence in Science and Math Award; 2000 Foundation for Educational Opportunity Scholarship; 2000 Haddonfield New Jersey Lions Club Achievement Award
Undergraduate thesis: The relationship of yoga and smoking to respiratory function and mood
Vibhuti Yoga School, Inc.
Newton, NJ
February 2011 - January 2012
Degree: Certified Yoga Teacher, 200 hour
Skills
Animals:
Stereotaxic surgery
Intracranial infusions
High performance liquid
chromatography
Brain slicing and punching
Conditioned place preference
Elevated plus maze
Open field
Animal handling and husbandry
Humans:
Neuropsychological assessment and
analysis
Electroencephalography
Exercise physiology testing
Creation of neuropsychological tasks
using Unity 3d, including rendering of
virtual environments
Subject recruitment
Work
experience
Senior Research Associate
Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute
August 2018 - present
Under the mentorship of Dr. Warren Bickel, I am examining how episodic future thinking affects health behaviors in patient populations with errors in decision making such as those with addiction disorders, obesity, and diabetes.
Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Neuroscience, Middlebury College
January 2018 - May 2018
During the January term, I taught a course I developed called, How Movement Affects Mind: The Effects of Physical Activity on Brain Physiology and Function. During the spring semester, I taught both the lecture and laboratory components of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience.
Post-doctoral Fellow
Center for Neural Science, New York University
December 2012 - December 2017
Under the mentorship of Dr. Wendy A. Suzuki, I investigated the effects of both acute and long-term aerobic exercise on mood, motivation, and cognitive functioning using neuropsychological testing and electroencephalography (EEG).
Science Writer
www.foreverfitscience.com
December 2014 - present
I write content for this online health science journal that focuses on how exercise supports health and wellness for adults and their families.
Statistical Consultant
Brain Thrive
August 2016 - present
Analyze large data sets for this start-up business, led by Dr. Wendy Suzuki, focused on how we can use exercise in our daily lives to influence our mood states and cognitive processes.
Graduate Fellow
Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University
September 2007 - December 2012
Under the mentorship of Dr. Joan I. Morrell, I investigated the motivation for physical activity in a rodent model using a behavioral, neurochemical and systems-level approach. We found that voluntary wheel running is rewarding for male and female rats both during the acquisition and habitual phases of this behavior. Additionally, we identified distinct brain regions within the reward circuitry of the brain that mediate the motivation for voluntary wheel running in the rat.
Clinical Research Specialist
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University
July 2005 - June 2007
Served as lab manager for Dr. Majorie E. Marenberg for her work regarding the relationship between vascular disease and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as well as for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI).
Counseling Staff
The Counseling Services of Addison County, Inc.
February 2005 - June 2005
Supervised individuals with developmental disabilities and various mental health issues in group homes and community settings.
Research Assistant
Central Nervous System Research Institute (CRI) Worldwide, Inc.
June 2000 - January 2001; Summer 2001
Served as research assistant on a variety of ongoing clinical trials.
Teaching &
mentoring
experience
Mentoring Experience:
As part of my post-doctoral experience, I enjoyed mentoring approximately 5 to 10 students per semester. I led this team of undergraduates in studying the effects of exercise on the brain. Under my lead, 5 of my undergraduate students have completed their thesis projects in the laboratory. Additionally, I have led 6 students through the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) at New York University. I have also mentored students in our laboratory from Harvard University, Duke University, Dartmouth College, Wesleyan University, Middlebury College, and the University of Vermont.
Teaching Experience:
Brain and Behavior
Undergraduate course at New York University
Spring 2017
Served as teaching assistant for this introductory neuroscience course examining topics ranging from cells and synapses, to perception and action, to learning, memory, emotion, and sleep. Responsibilities included teaching all lab sections, creating examinations, and conducting grading of all coursework.
Exercise and the Brain
Undergraduate course for Middlebury College
January 2015
Taught a month-long intensive on exercise and the brain for a Winter Term class for Middlebury College hosted at New York University. Course work included lectures and practical application of neuropsychological testing and electroencephalography as well as involvement in lectures around the NYU campus and outings to other laboratories and science outreach programs.
Science of Technology
Undergraduate course at New York University
Fall 2013
Taught a series of classes regarding electrical recordings of the central nervous system, and in particular electroencephalography (EEG) . This involved both lectures and practical in-classroom experiments with the students utilizing EEG devices.
Introduction to Clinical Psychology
Undergraduate course at Rutgers University
Spring 2012
Served as a teaching assistant for this course on clinical psychology, helping to answer any questions students had througout the course of the semester and administer and score all testing materials.
Neurobiology
Undergraduate course at Rutgers University
Fall 2011
Led students through a writing-intensive program for this semster-long class on neurobiology. I also taught a lecture on motivation, reward and addiction, highlighting my work on the motivated behavior of voluntary wheel running in the rat.
Critical Thinking
Graduate course at Rutgers University
Spring 2009
Edited and graded all essays for this graduate-level class on critical thinking in neuroscience.
Invited
talks
New York University
April 2016
Examining the effects of long-term exercise on hippocampal functioning
Learning and Memory Conference (Park City, UT)
January 2016
A single bout of exercise improves prefrontal but not hippocampal functioning
Middlebury College
December 2015
Exercise and the brain: a bi-directional relationship
New York University
April 2014
The effects of 8 weeks of aerobic exercise with affirmations on learning, memory, cognition and mood in individuals with traumatic brain injury