Resume

• 2009

  Spanish

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

  Graduate student in Dr. Helen Sable's Behavioral Toxicology lab I have also taught a number of classes as the instructor of record

  Experimental Psychology - Behavioral Neuroscience

  The University of Memphis

  Master of Science (MS)

  Experimental Psychology - Behavioral Neuroscience

  Graduate student in Dr. Helen Sable's Behavioral Toxicology lab\nI have also taught a number of classes as the instructor of record

  The University of Memphis

• 2004

  Bachelor of Science (BS)

  Psychology

  Phi Sigma Pi Honor Fraternity

  Fall 2005-present\n\nGolden Key Honor Society

  Fall 2006-present\n\nPsi Chi Honor Society in Psychology

  Fall 2006-present\n\nPsychology Club

  Spring 2005-Spring 2009\n\nBetter Things To Do – substance abuse prevention organization\n\t\t\nPeer Counseling Program at the College of Charleston\n\t\nAmerican Psychological Society

  College of Charleston

• 3

  Tiffany Rogers

  Jenna Fielding

  Toxicological Sciences

  Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) alters brain dopamine (DA) concentrations and DA receptor/transporter function

  suggesting the reinforcing properties of drugs of abuse acting on the DA system may be affected by PCB exposure. Female Long-Evans rats were orally exposed to 0

  or 6mg/kg/day PCBs from 4 weeks prior to breeding until litters were weaned on postnatal day 21. In vivo fixed potential amperometry (FPA) was used in adult anesthetized offspring to determine whether perinatal PCB exposure altered (1) presynaptic DA autoreceptor (DAR) sensitivity

  (2) electrically evoked nucleus accumbens (NAc) DA efflux following administration of cocaine

  and (3) the rate of depletion of presynaptic DA stores. One adult male and female littermate were tested using FPA following a single injection of cocaine (20mg/kg ip)

  whereas a second adult male and female littermate were tested following the last of seven daily cocaine injections of the same dose. The carbon fiber recording microelectrode was positioned in the NAc core

  and DA oxidation currents (i.e.

  DA release) evoked by brief stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) were quantified before and after administration of cocaine. PCB-exposed rats exhibited enhanced stimulation-evoked DA release (relative to baseline) following a single injection of cocaine. Although nonexposed controls exhibited typical DA sensitization following repeated cocaine administration

  this effect was attenuated in PCB-exposed rats. In addition

  DAR sensitivity was higher (males only)

  and the rate of depletion of presynaptic DA stores was greater in PCB-exposed animals relative to nonexposed controls. These results indicate that perinatal PCB exposure can modify DA synaptic transmission in the NAc in a manner previously shown to alter the reinforcing properties of cocaine.

  Stimulation-Evoked Dopamine Release in the Nucleus Accumbens Following Cocaine Administration in Rats Perinatally Exposed to Polychlorinated Biphenyls

  Lauren Levine

  Jenna Nelms Sprowles

  Mellessa Miller

  Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are very stable environmental contaminants whose exposure induces a number of health and cognitive concerns. Currently

  it is well known that PCB exposure leads to poor performance on inhibitory control tasks. It is also well known that dopamine (DA) depletion within medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) leads to poor performance on inhibitory control tasks. However

  what is not well established is whether or not the inhibitory control problems found following PCB exposure are mediated by DA depletion in mPFC. This study was an investigation into the link between perinatal exposure to PCBs

  the effect of this exposure on DA neurotransmission in the mPFC

  and inhibitory-control problems during adulthood using a rodent model. The current study served to determine if microinjections of different DA agonists (the presynaptic DA transporter inhibitor and vesicular monoamine transporter agonist bupropion

  the postsynaptic DA receptor 2 (DAD2) agonist quinpirole

  and the postsynaptic DA receptor 1 (DAD1) agonist SKF81297) directly into the mPFC would differentially improve performance on an inhibitory control task in rats perinatally exposed to an environmentally relevant PCB mixture. Findings suggest several significant sex-based differences on differential reinforcement of low rates (DRL) 15 performance as well as some evidence of differential effectiveness of the DA agonists based on PCB exposure group.

  A comparison of presynaptic and postsynaptic dopaminergic agonists on inhibitory control performance in rats perinatally exposed to PCBs

  I am a life-long learner and have spent most of my life dedicated to the pursuit of research and education. My goal is to succeed in academia by attaining tenure at the University of North Georgia

  where I can teach and inspire my students while also conducting research.

  Abby

  Meyer

  Univesity of North Georgia

  College of Charleston

  Memphis College of Art

  Medical University of South Carolina

  University of Memphis

  Performed animal husbandry techniques according to IACUC protocols. Duties included daily water

  food

  census

  and room condition checks as well as weekly cage change-outs and cage washing. \tHandling/gentling new animals

  setting pairs up for breeding

  caring for injured animals

  and properly disposing of deceased animals were also included.

  College of Charleston

  Graduate Research Assistant

  I entered the combined MS/PhD program at the University of Memphis in 2009 under the mentoring of Dr

  Helen Sable and have since received my Master's degree and am currently working towards the Doctorate. I have worked with Dr. Sable on a number of research projects in Behavioral Toxicology

  whereby we have studies the effects of exposure to environmental toxins (such as PCBs and BPA) during perinatal development of adult measures of learning

  memory

  depression

  anxiety

  and physical health.

  University of Memphis

  Research Assistant

  I conducted and assisted with research projects in the field of Behavioral Neuroscience. My mentor was specifically interested in the neurological mechanisms of time approximations as well as the effects on learning and memory in a radial arm maze task for CHL1 knockout mice. I assisted with these experiments by conducting the behavioral tests

  preparing solutions

  conducting PCR amplification procedures to genotype the mice

  performing transcardial perfusions

  and slicing brain tissue for analysis.

  Medical University of South Carolina

  Univesity of North Georgia

  Dahlonega

  GA

  My work as an assistant professor at UNG involves a combination of teaching

  scholarship

  and service. I am very dedicated to teaching

  and I absolutely love my position! I am excited to begin my research as the lab gets up and going

  and I have several research ideas that I want to finally see through. I am also serving as the faculty mentor for the women's softball team and a faculty adviser for Psi Chi and Psychology Club.

  Assistant Professor

  Liberal Arts Department

  I began working at the Memphis College of Art in the Fall of 2012 when I taught an Intro to Psychology class for their Liberal Arts Department. I maintained my position at MCA and have since taught a Learning and Memory course in the Fall of 2013 that I created for their department

  an Abnormal Psychology class in the Spring of 2014

  and another section of Intro which I am currently teaching. In the Spring of 2015 I again taught the Learning and Memory course that I created for MCA. In the Summer of 2015

  I taught an expedited course in Intro to Psychology for MCA.

  Adjunct Professor

  Memphis College of Art

  I have taught an Introduction to Psychology class (Fall 2013) as well as the online Animal Behavior class (2014-2015) for the University of Memphis. In addition to being the Instructor of Record for these classes

  I also served as a TA for my mentor's Research Methods and Statistics classes from the Fall of 2012 through Fall 2015 and have presented a number of guest lectures for my colleagues' courses in that time.

  University of Memphis

  Animal Care Technician

  Performed animal husbandry techniques according to IACUC protocols. Duties included daily water

  food

  census

  and room condition checks as well as weekly cage change-outs and cage washing. \tHandling/gentling new animals

  setting pairs up for breeding

  caring for injured animals

  and properly disposing of deceased animals were also included.

  University of Memphis

  DNTS

  Society for Neuroscience

• Habitat for Humanity

  Public Speaking

  SPSS

  Research

  University Teaching

  Training

  Microsoft Word

  Microsoft Excel

  Tissue Culture

  Leadership

  Microsoft Office

  Behavioral Testing

  PowerPoint

  Psychology

  Stimulation-Evoked Dopamine Release in the Nucleus Accumbens Following Cocaine Administration in Rats Perinatally Exposed to Polychlorinated Biphenyls

  Helen Sable

  Charles Blaha

  Guy Mittleman

  Jenna Nelms

  Mellessa MillerJenna