Alexis B. Peterson 1

Alexis B. Peterson

Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral SciencesCell: 646-326-8766

University of VirginiaLab: 434-243-7071

1670 Discovery

Charlottesville, VA22911

Curriculum Vitae

Education

Ph.D. Neuroscience,University of Virginia November 2013

Dissertation: The efficacy of exercise to attenuate cocaine relapse is associated with changes in Bdnf and altered by sex and estrous cycle phase

B.A. Psychology, St. John’sUniversityMay 2009

Minor: Biology

Research Experience

Post-Doctoral researchNov. 2013-Present

University of Virginia, Cardiovascular Medicine Research Center

Advisor: Dr. Brian Annex

Graduate ResearchJuly 2009- Nov.2013University of Virginia, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences

Supervisor: Dr. Wendy Lynch

Project: Exercise as a Novel Intervention for Cocaine Addiction

Undergraduate Research AssistantAugust 2007-2009

St. John’sUniversity, Department of Psychology

Supervisor: Dr. Alice Powers

Project: Proposed Organization of the Turtle Amygdala: Hypothalamic Projections

Undergraduate Research AssistantMay 2008- Aug. 2008

CarnegieMellonUniversity, Department of Biological Sciences

Supervisor: Dr. Allison Barth

Project: Magnetic Field Bursts in the Stimulation of Selected Whiskers of Freely Moving Mice Traced with fos-GFP and junB

Service and Teaching Experience

Ad Hoc Reviewer Fall 2012-Present

Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine

Teaching Assistant, Neural Mechanisms of Behavior Fall 2012

University of Virginia, Department of Psychology

Graduate Student PanelistSpring 2011

Title of Discussion: “Graduate School: Getting in and Succeeding.”

University of Virginia, Summer Research Internship Program

Review Committee MemberSpring 2011-Present

University of Virginia, Summer Research Internship Program

University of Virginia ExhibitorFall 2010

Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students

Teaching Assistant, Mind Brain and Behavior CourseSpring 2011

University of Virginia, School of Medicine

Teaching Assistant, Astronomy CourseSpring 2010

SaturdayEnrichmentProgram-CurrySchool of Education,University of Virginia

Publications

Peterson AB., Hivick D., and Lynch WJ. (2013).Dose-Dependent Effectiveness of Wheel Running to Attenuate Cocaine-Seeking: Impact of Sex and Estrous Cycle.Psychopharmacology. Epub ahead of print

Peterson AB., Abel JM., and Lynch WJ. (2013). Dose-dependent Effectiveness of Wheel Running on Cocaine-seeking and Prefrontal Cortex Bdnfexon IV expression in rats.Psychopharmacology.Epub ahead of print

Lynch WJ.,Peterson AB., Sanchez V, Abel JM., Smith MA. (2013). “Exercise as a Novel Treatment for Drug Addiction: A Neurobiological Hypothesis.”NeurosciBiobehav Rev.37(8):1622-44

Lynch, W.J., Piehl K.B., Acosta G., Peterson A.B.,Hemby S.E. (2010). “Aerobic exercise attenuates reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior and associated neuroadaptations in the Prefrontal Cortex.” Biological Psychiatry,68(8):774-7.

Abstracts Accepted and Conference Presentations

Peterson AB., Abel JM., and Lynch WJ.“Dose dependent effects of exercise on cocaine-seeking and associated neuroadaptations in the prefrontal cortex.” 2013. Oral presentation at 75th Annual Meeting - College on Problems of Drug Dependence, San Diego, CA

Peterson, AB and Lynch, WJ.“Sex differences in the effects of exercise on subsequent cocaine craving in rats." 2012. Symposium presentation at 74th Annual Meeting - College on Problems of Drug Dependence, Palm Springs, CA

Peterson, AB and Lynch, WJ."Sex differences in the effects of exercise on subsequent cocaine craving in rats." 2011. Poster presentation at Society for Neuroscience 41st Annual Meeting Washington, DC.

Lynch W.J, Piehl K, Acosta G, Peterson A.B, Hemby S.E. “Aerobic exercise blocks incubation of cocaine-craving and its associated neuroadaptations.” 2010. Oral mini symposium at The College of Problems of Drug Dependence 72nd Annual Meeting Scottsdale, Arizona

Peterson, AB. “Magnetic field bursts in the stimulation of selected whiskers of freely moving mice traced with fos-GFP and junB.”2009. Oral presentation presented at National McNair Symposium University of Maryland, College Park.

Peterson, AB. "Connectionsoftheturtleamygdala:anevolutionarystudy." 2009.

Poster presentation at Diversifying Clinical Psychology Conference at Hotel Albuquerque Old TownAlbuquerque, New Mexico.

Peterson, AB.“Magnetic field bursts in the stimulation of selected whiskers of freely moving mice traced with fos-GFP and junB”.2008.Oral presentation presented at Final Symposium Carnegie Mellon University.

Peterson, AB. “Proposed organization of the turtle amygdala: hypothalamic projections”. 2008. Poster presentation at Women in Science Symposium St. John’s University.

Professional Memberships

Mentoring Institute for Graduate Education2009-Present

University of Virginia

Woman in Mathematics and ScienceSpring 2010-Present

University of Virginia

Academic Grant Programs

McNair Scholar2007-2009

St. John’sUniversity

Initiative to Maximize Student Diversity (IMSD), Scholar2007-January 2009

St. John’sUniversity

Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, Scholar 2006-May 2009

St. John’sUniversity

Distinctions

Travel AwardMarch 2012

Primm-Singleton Minority Travel Awards Program for 2012 College on Problems of Drug Dependence Conference

Travel Award March 2012

NIDA Women & Sex/Gender Junior Investigat​or Travel Award for 2012 College on Problems of Drug Dependence Conference

Honorable Mention,Ford Pre-doctoral FellowshipApril 2011

2011 Ford Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowship Competition

Keynote SpeakerOctober 2010

Ronald E. McNair Induction Ceremony, St. John’s University

Journal Club Co-PresidentAug. 2010-May 2011

Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Virginia

Travel AwardAugust 2010

Leadership Development and Grant Writing Seminar Program Participant- Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program

Neuroscience Graduate Training Grant Appointment May 2010 to May 2011

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

Membership2007 to May 2009

Psi Chi (National Honor Society for Psychology)

Travel AwardJanuary 2008

NationalAcademy of Neuropsychology Seminar Participant

Women in Science Certificate of Participation Poster Presentation- St. John’s

University 2008.

Dean’s List Recipient, 2007- 2008 Academic Year

Dean’s List Recipient, 2006 -2007 Academic Year

References

Wendy Lynch, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia.434-243-0580 (Office)

Alev Erisir, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia.434-243-3549 (Office)