Graduate Research Experience 2006 - Present

• Graduate Thesis: The Behavioral and Neurobiological Effects of Choline Supplementation on Cholinergic System Development in Rats: Typical Development and Exposed to Alcohol During the Brain Growth Spurt

• Collaborator: Diffusion Tensor Imaging Analysis of White Matter Tracts in Rats Exposed to Alcohol Neonatally

• Collaborator: TLC Analysis of Phospholipid Composition in the Rat Cortex

• Collaborator: Insulin Growth Factor: Effects on White Matter Tracts in Rats Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol

Undergraduate Research Experience 2003 - 2006

• Honors Thesis: Plant Polyphenols Attenuate Motor Deficits by Saving Cerebellar Purkinje Cells: Optical Fractionation

• Research Assistant: Bimodal Facilitation in Reaction Time: An fMRI Study in Autistic Children

• Research Assistant: Withdrawal vs. Sustained Ethanol Exposure

• Research Assistant: Methamphetamine exposure consequences in a rodent model

• Honors Statistics Thesis: Personality Type and Susceptibility to Suggestion: an EMG analysis

Positions Held

Center for Behavioral Neurobiology G.A. 2004 - Present

Masters Thesis Lab. Principle Investigator: Jennifer Thomas, Ph.D.

Brain Development Imaging Lab R.A. 2006 - 2006

Research Assistant in fMRI based imaging lab. Principle Investigator: Axel Mueller, Ph.D.

SDSU Psychology Department T.A. 2004 & 2006

Teaching Assistant for Principles of Learning and Cognition.

Scientific Contributions

Talks & Lectures

• “Can Pomegranate Antioxidants Protect Against Motor Coordination Deficits Associated With FASD?” (2006) P.P. Lecture, at the FASDSG Symposium; Research Society on Alcoholism Conference in Baltimore.

• “Pomegranate Juice: Can its Antioxidant Properties Reduce Fetal Alcohol Effects?” (2006) P.P. Lecture, at Stanford University Research Symposium

• “Pomegranate Juice: Can it Protect Against Fetal Alcohol Effects?” (2006) P.P. Lecture, at the San Diego State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

• “Using Biofeedback to Measure Susceptibility to Suggestion” (2003) P.P. Lecture, at Cal Poly Pomona’s annual science symposium.

• Invited for seminar lecture at the USCD pharmacology and psychopharmacology medical school Posters

• “Choline Supplementation Attenuates Ethanol’s Developmental Pathology Effects in Rats” (2008) Multidisciplinary Workshop on Epigenetics, Nutrition, and Aging. Kinnapolis, NC

• “Choline Supplementation During Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Attenuates Ethanol’s Teratogenic Effects in Rats” (2007) Research Society on Alcoholism. Chicago, IL

Publications

• Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Conference Report

• Stanford URS Annual for Sciences

• SDSU URS Annual

• 3 Articles in queue for submission

Techniques & Experience

Behavioral Neurobiology

• autoradiography • in situ hybridization • chromatography • histology • electrophysiology • electromyography • perfusion • rodent surgery • chemicals prep • behavioral testing • optical fractionation • electron microscopy • experimental design • SPSS & Excel • intubation/injection

Brain Imaging

• Cert. Scan Tech. • fMRI & DTI • Psyscope • Presentation • AFNI • X11 • Java programming •RSF-Gen • Cygwin • Unix

Awards

• San Diego State University Psychology Student of the Year nomination 2006 • Invited by Giaccomo Rizzolatti to Parma, Italy to study mirror neurons through a Fulbright Scholarship • Received travel award to the Multidisciplinary Workshop on Epigenetics, Nutrition and Aging. Kinnapolis, NC • Developed a website for the Research Society on Alcoholism 2006 Lecture Series • Graduated Cum Laude (SDSU GPA 3.93) • Highest Score at the 2006 Annual California Sciences Symposium hosted at SDSU • Illinois Leadership Counsel Award • Volunteer youth soccer coach