Resume

• 2019

  Jessica A.

  Hughes

  PhD

  Centre For Interpersonal Relationships - CFIR

  University of Toronto

  University of Delaware

  Earth House Treatment Center

  Princeton University

  University of Toronto

  University of Delaware

  Cambridge University Press

  Princeton

  NJ

  USA

  I worked as a Research Specialist at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute in the Neuroscience of Cognitive Control Lab. I was certified to conduct functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments. I worked with adolescents

  young and older adults. My duties included fMRI participant set-up and data acquisition

  ensuring safety protocols

  behavioural experimentation

  lab scheduling

  and data analysis (i.e.

  behavioural and fMRI). The projects I worked on included an fMRI project assessing how meditation in master meditators (i.e.

  Tibetan Buddhist monks) altered neural activation in a variety of cognitive and physiological assessments. I also worked on projects assessing how social feedback affects decision making

  and the role of reinforcement learning in decision-making in fMRI and behavioural experiments.\n\n\n

  Research Specialist (Cognitive Neuroscience)

  Princeton University

  Toronto

  Canada Area

  At CFIR

  I provide individual and couple's counselling to help people with the challenges of trauma

  anxiety

  depression

  identity formation

  and interpersonal conflict. Using evidence-based assessments and treatment plans

  I help my clients explore

  understand

  and manage their emotions and behaviour to find new ways of being that will allow them to reach their goals and strengthen their relationships. My therapeutic approach is individualized for each client using integrative modalities to best suit their needs and treatment goals. In my work

  I employ Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)

  Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

  Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

  as well as Mindfulness-based and Narrative Therapy interventions.

  Counsellor

  Centre For Interpersonal Relationships - CFIR

  Toronto

  Canada Area

  I conducted statistics tutorials

  assisted and mentored students in office hours with course material and assignments. I also proctored and marked exams and assignments. I was a teaching assistant for the following courses:\n\nTheories of Psychopathology and Psychotherapy \t(Winter 2017)\t\nPower of Economic Ideas \t\t\t\t (Fall 2015

  2016)\nCognitive Psychology\t \t\t\t\t (Fall 2012

  Winter 2016)\nCognitive Science \t\t\t\t\t (Fall 2015

  Winter 2016)\nCognition & Psychopathology \t\t\t (Fall 2015)\t\nPhysiology & Psychology of Emotion \t\t (Fall 2011

  Fall 2013

  Summer 2014)\nEnvironmental Psychology \t\t\t\t (Winter 2014)\nCognitive Neuroscience \t\t\t\t (Fall 2013

  Winter 2014)\nStatistics I \t\t\t\t\t\t (Fall 2010 – Summer 2013

  6 semesters)\nStatistics II \t\t\t\t\t \t(Summer 2012)\nIntroduction to Development \t\t\t\t (Fall 2011)\n

  Teaching Assistant

  University of Toronto

  East Millstone

  NJ

  Earth House is an alternative inpatient psychiatric-treatment facility in New Jersey. I worked there as an overnight weekend counsellor and was responsible for de-escalating conflicts

  crisis intervention

  administering medication

  completing daily case reports

  leading emotion regulation workshops

  ensuring chore completion

  engaging the residents in conversations between activities and during dinner

  and organizing off-premise activities like going to the movies and playing billiards.

  Counsellor

  Earth House Treatment Center

  Toronto

  Ontario

  At the University of Toronto

  I taught Psychological Statistics (PSY201

  Summer 2014). I taught psychology undergraduates descriptive and inferential statistics used in empirical research

  (e.g.

  probability

  hypothesis testing

  power

  etc). I also taught a course called The Physiology and Psychology of Emotion (PSY494) for 6 semesters. This course explored the historical

  philosophical

  and empirical perspectives that have shaped modern affective neuroscience research. I put a particular emphasis on the neurobiology of stress

  the epigenetic influences of early adversity

  and techniques for building enduring resiliency. Students also deepened their understanding of scientific inquiry in the area of emotion research as well as developed their writing skills with various writing assignments. Specifically

  they developed the ability to understand and communicate how theory informs research design to test predictions in the advancement of scientific knowledge.

  Course Instructor and University Lecturer

  University of Toronto

  Toronto

  Canada Area

  My research focused mainly on the role of emotion and motivation in goal success. I am interested in understanding why people experience and react to the world in different ways. Specifically

  my work showed that people have different motivational orientations that determine how they represent their goals. And that these representations matter more in predicting their daily emotions than whether or not they succeed in their goals. Emotions are vital for flexible and adaptive functioning as they are sources of motivational information. I am most interested in how emotion can be understood and contextualized in ways that inspire motivation

  change

  and human flourishing. My other work has focused on efficient perceptual and attentional control

  emotion and memory

  and the role of hope and optimism in emotional stability and wellbeing.

  Doctoral Researcher

  University of Toronto

  Toronto

  Canada Area

  I teach a course called the Physiology and Psychology of Emotion where we explore the theoretical and empirical foundations of emotion and affective neuroscience. I also teach Cognitive Neuroscience where we discuss how the processes of the brain

  from single neurons to neural networks

  give rise to basic cognitive functions such as memory

  vision

  emotion

  and decision making.

  Course Instructor

  University of Toronto

  University College Dublin & Queen’s College in Belfast

  I was a research assistant for the Psychology of Terrorism study abroad program in Ireland. I worked at University of College Dublin conducting literature reviews. I also worked at Queen's College in Belfast where I gave presentations on our research and administered and edited questionnaires.

  Research Assistant

  University of Delaware

  Newark

  Delaware

  I was a researcher in the Depression and Wellness Lab at the University of Toronto. My duties included data coding for qualitative data as well as telephone interviews for potential patient participants. I was clinically trained to give psychological assessments through diagnostic interviews (i.e.

  SCID) and intelligence assessments for adults and children (i.e.

  WAIS and WISC). I was also a teaching assistant and created and gave tutorials

  held office hours to help students with course material as well as proctored exams and marked materials.\n\nBrain & Behavior\t\t\t\t\t (Winter 2010)\nDevelopmental Psychology \t\t\t\t (Winter 2010)\nResearch Participation Requirement \t\t\t(Fall 2009

  Winter 2009)\nPsychopathology \t\t\t\t \t(Fall 2009)\n

  Doctoral Researcher and Teaching Assistant

  University of Delaware

  I developed test bank questions for the textbook Cognitive Neuroscience 4th Ed. (Banich & Compton

  2018).

  Cambridge University Press

  E.F. Burton and F.W. Burton Graduate Scholarship

  University of Toronto

  Psychology Faculty Award

  Award for the highest GPA ranked by difficulty of classes taken. Assessed and awarded by the psychology department faculty.

  University of Delaware

  Phi Beta Kappa

  Member of the National Academic Honors Society

  Dissertation Completion Award (2015 & 2016)

  University of Toronto

  Psi Chi – National Psychology Honors Society

  National Honors Society for psychology students with excellent GPAs.

  Psi Chi – National Psychology Honors Society

  Dean’s List with Distinction (2005-2007)

  GPA (3.92)

  University of Delaware

  International Studies Travel Scholarship (Ireland)

  Awarded $3000 to study the psychology of terrorism in Ireland.

  University of Delaware

  International Studies Travel Scholarship (Paris)

  Awarded $3000 to study French in Paris.

  University of Delaware

• 2018

  Master of Education - MEd

  Counseling Psychology

  Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto

• 2011

  Ph.D

  My PhD thesis explored the dynamics of emotion and motivation in daily life. Using an experience sampling paradigm

  I assessed how the motivational frameworks people adopt affect their emotional experience over the course of a month in the context of goal success. My other research included electroencephalography (EEG) assessing how neural dynamics shift in a decision-making paradigm and how motivational frameworks influence these dynamics. I have also researched the role of various genotypes in emotional memory. I focused on childhood maltreatment and the role of specific polymorphisms (e.g.

  5-HTTLPR

  COMT

  ADRA2B) that could influence emotional memory. I have also conducted research on the role of hope and optimism in people's motivational and emotional dispositions.\n\n

  Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience

  University of Toronto

• 2010

  Master of Arts - MA

  For my Master's thesis

  I explored the decline in selective visual attention in normal aging and the role of acetylcholine in this decline. I worked with healthy older adults (i.e.

  65-80 years old) where I administered basic psychometric tests for cognitive ability. I also assessed basic visual acuity and sensitivity before the participants completed a visual attention computer task.

  Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience

  University of Toronto

  MRI Safety and Administration Level II

  Princeton University

  MRI Safety and Administration Level I

  Princeton University

  Teaching in Higher Education

  University of Toronto

• 2005

  Bachelor of Arts (magna cum laude)

  During my studies

  I worked as an independent study student in the Spatial Cognition Lab conducting scientific experiments. I was also a teaching assistant for Introduction to Neuroscience (Winter 2006).\n\n

  Psychology

  University of Delaware

• 2003

  General Academia

  President’s List – Delaware Technical and Community College (2001-2002)

  Delaware Technical and Community College-Stanton-Wilmington

• I volunteered as a math tutor for a client receiving services at CCVT. She needed basic math tutoring for a course she wanted to take that required math. I gave her lessons on basic arithmetic and provided home exercises for her to complete. I also volunteered in the after-school tutoring program helping adolescents from local Toronto high schools whose parents were also clients of CCTV. The subjects ranged from writing

  math

  physics

  and English.

  Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture

  Volunteer

  VOICE was a mental health advocacy group concerned with the support of people living with debilitating mental illnesses. My volunteer work involved providing emotional and socialization support of long-term psychiatric inpatients by initializing conversations

  games

  and art creations as well as holiday-themed parties.

  VOICE Mental Health Advocay Group

  One-on-one social support

  I had social meetings with an outpatient client of CAMH who lived in the community. We would meet for coffee and discuss various topics. This type of social interaction was an important part of her treatment as it provided novel

  outside contact in a dynamic social setting and allowed for the building of social skills and emotional support.

  Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

  Neuroscience

  Scientific Writing

  Matlab

  Professional Mentoring

  Research Design

  Experimental Design

  Psychology

  SPSS

  Teaching

  Public Speaking

  Cognitive Science

  Cognitive Neuroscience

  fMRI

  Cognition

  Data Analysis

  Statistics

  Research

  EEG

  Neuropsychopharmacology

  Hughes

  PhD