Rainey Courtnea CV 2014
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COURTNEA A. RAINEY CONTACT INFORMATION Duke University Box 90999 Durham, NC 27708 Email: [email protected] Website: www.courtnea.com EDUCATION Doctor of Philosophy, Psychology & Neuroscience, Expected May 2015 Duke University, Durham, NC Advisors: Dr. Alison Adcock (Psychiatry) & Dr. Brian Hare (Evolutionary Anthropology) Certificate in College Teaching, Expected May 2015 Duke University, Durham, NC Certificate in Cognitive Neuroscience, Expected May 2015 Duke University, Durham, NC Master of Arts, Psychology, December 2012 Duke University, Durham, NC Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry Spelman College, Atlanta, GA Magnum Cum Laude, Departmental and College Honors TEACHING EXPERIENCE Summer 2014: Online Apprentice (Bass Instructional Fellow) Duke University, Center for Instructional Technology • Supported the “Brain and Space” MOOC during its inaugural offering • Created weekly quizzes in the Coursera platform. • Supervised 3 undergraduate teaching assistants, providing feedback on their forum responses and quiz questions. • Edited online lecture videos in Screenflow for the “Foundational Neuroscience for Perception and Action” course. • Successfully completed the course: Online Teaching during Spring 2014. Spring 2013: Teaching Assistant Duke University, Psychology & Neuroscience Department Developmental Psychology (Undergraduate Course) • Taught 2 discussion sections using democratic discussion techniques to encourage active learning and critical thinking. • Provided written and audio feedback to students on weekly critiques of the assigned reading. • Grading student exams and other assignments. Spring 2012: Teaching Assistant Duke University, Psychology & Neuroscience Department Developmental Psychology (Undergraduate Course) • Created and maintained lecture and discussion course site in Sakai (course materials, calendar, grades, announcements, course mail). • Co-designed discussion curriculum. • Created and implemented lesson plans for discussion classes. • Co-taught 3 discussion sections of approximately 25 students each • Graded written assignments and exams. Fall 2011: Teaching Assistant Duke University, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences Functional Neuroanatomy (Undergraduate Course) • Prepared laboratory supplies (whole human brains and human brain sections), assisted students with lab exercises, and graded assignments for this flipped, team- based learning seminar course. • Managed grading in Blackboard. 2006 – 2007: ESL Volunteer Instructor Language ETC (Washington, DC) • Team-taught Introductory and Intermediate Adult Immersion English courses. • Designed interactive activities for students to practice spoken and written English. • Recognized as “Volunteer of the Month.” 2 Summer 2000: Instructor LearningWorks (Minneapolis, MN) • Designed and executed curriculum for math and neuroscience courses for rising seventh-graders in this summer enrichment program. GUEST LECTURES: Fall 2013: Pathways to Biomedical Research Lesson/Discussion: Scientific Misconduct Spring 2013: Developmental Psychology Lecture: Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood Spring 2011: NC State Companion Animal Club Presentation: Motivation and Learning in Animals MENTORING EXPERIENCE: Fall 2013 – Spring 2014: Graduate Research Mentor Research Project: Effects of Arousal, Anxiety, and Interoceptive Awareness on Memory for Primary Rewards Student: Sonal Gagrani (Duke University) Summer 2013: Graduate Research Mentor Research Project: Interoceptive Encoding Student: Obioma Ekeledo (Summer Research Opportunity Program, Duke University) • Student presented work at the 2013 NC Biosciences Collaborative Symposium. September 2012- March 2013: Graduate Research Mentor Research Project: Intrinsically Motivated Object Encoding Student: Brandi Lawrence (NC School of Science and Mathematics) September 2011 – May 2012: Graduate Research Mentor Research Project: Heterospecific Conformity Student: Zoey Best (Duke University) 3 Summer 2011: Graduate Research Mentor Research Project: Motivation, Attention, and Learning in Canis familiaris Student: Cathy Wang (HHMI Summer Institute, Duke University) • Student presented work at the 2011 HHMI Undergraduate Research Symposium. • Student presented work at the 2011 State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium. September 2010 – May 2011: Science Coach BOOST – Duke School of Medicine (Durham, NC) • Designed monthly science and social activities for a team of 6 eighth-graders • Provided guidance in the development, execution, and presentation of their group science project. (The project was presented at the BOOST poster session.) 2008 – 2009: Big Sister Big Brothers Big Sisters (Washington, DC) • Met with Little Sister at least biweekly to engage in cultural, educational, and social activities to promote personal and professional development 2003 – 2004: Mentor/Tutor Friendship Baptist Church Afterschool Program (Atlanta, GA) • Mentored 2 elementary school students, and provided tutoring and homework assistance. 2002 – 2003: Resident Assistant Spelman College (Atlanta, GA) • Developed and led social and educational programming to build community in a first year dormitory. • Received and applied conflict resolution training to promote healthy relationships between residents. • Supervised work-study students employed at the dormitory’s front desk. • Provided first response to resident inquiries, submitted work orders on behalf of the dormitory. 4 RESEARCH EXPERIENCE: NEUROSCIENCE 2009 – present (Ph.D. Candidate): Duke University (Principal Investigator: Alison Adcock) Neural substrates mediating interactions between interoceptive awareness, motivation, and learning • Biological drives (such as hunger, thirst, and sexual reproduction) are potent motivators of behavior. Extrinsic rewards in the environment (i.e. food, drink, money) are also important behavioral and cognitive motivators. In addition to the relevance of an extrinsic reward in meeting the needs of biological drives, an individual’s sensitivity to the physiological state of their body (interoceptive awareness) would also be expected to mediate motivation for these extrinsic primary rewards (i.e. food, drink). My present research examines how individual differences in interoceptive awareness mediate the interaction between physiological states and motivation for extrinsic rewards as assessed by a motivated encoding paradigm (Adcock et al. 2006). These functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral experiments also investigate potential relationships between neural activity supporting interoceptive awareness and those supporting reward processing and memory. Importantly, a better characterization of the predicted behavioral and neural interactions between interoception, motivation, and memory systems can elucidate novel targets for interventions to facilitate motivation and memory for adaptive behaviors and/or impede motivation and memory for maladaptive behaviors (i.e. addiction, relapse, overeating). 2005 – 2007 (Postbaccalaureate Research Assistant): National Institutes of Health (Principal Investigator: Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg) Facial sex hormone expression and social cognition • Executed behavioral testing, fMRI and structural MRI data collection, data preprocessing and analysis for social cognition (i.e. neural processing of facial cues of gonadal steroid status in humans) and genetic imaging experiment data. Summer 2004 (Undergraduate Research Assistant): Advisor: Dr. John Desmond Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA) Cerebellar contributions to verbal working memory • Conducted pilot behavioral study for a neuroimaging experiment examining the contribution of the inferior cerebellum to internally guided articulatory rehearsal during verbal working memory. 5 RESEARCH EXPERIENCE: COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2009 – 2012 (Graduate Research Assistant): Duke University (Principal Investigator: Brian Hare) Duke Canine Cognition Center • Designed experimental methods and implemented research studies investigating spatial learning, memory, and conformity in domestic (pet) dogs. • Developed custom experimental apparatus for behavioral research in dogs. • Conducted behavioral research on lemurs at the Duke Lemur Center. • In a team collaboration, designed and executed a battery of tasks to test cognitive function (i.e. working memory, social cueing, inhibitory control) in dogs training to become service and hearing animals at Canine Companions for Independence (Santa Rosa, CA). RESEARCH EXPERIENCE: BIOCHEMISTRY & PHARMACOLOGY 2004 – 2005 (Honors Thesis Research): Spelman College (Principal Investigator: Jean-Marie Dimandja) Characterization of estrogen metabolites via 2D-gas chromatography 2003 – 2005 (NIMH-COR Scholar): Morehouse School of Medicine (Principal Investigator: Joseph Whittaker) Characterization of basal cAMP levels in the substantia nigra Summer 2002 (NIEHS Undergraduate Summer Training in Environmental Toxicology): University of California, Davis (Principal Investigator: Isaac Pessah) Characterizing calcium release in skeletal ryanodine receptor SERVICE: 2014-2015: Duke University Judicial Board • Nominated by the Dean of the Graduate School to serve as a member of the Judicial Board in the event a case goes before the board. 6 November 13-16, 2013: Recruiter for Duke Graduate School and Duke School of Medicine Ph.D. Programs • Recruited undergraduate students and recent college graduates attending the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) to apply to biomedical graduate