Countryman vita 2007

Visiting Assistant Professor Illinois Wesleyan University Research Interests
The formation and expression of long-term memory involves a dynamic interplay between gene products, synapses, cells, networks, systems, and behavior. How this interplay changes in aging or with stress is my primary research focus. The long-term goals of my research program are to provide a more complete understanding of: (i) how to prolong memory for aged rodents and humans using variations in training paradigms, and (ii) the interactions involved in encoding, storing, and retrieval of memory representations across the life span at the behavioral and cellular level. To achieve these goals, my research involves multiple disciplines including behavioral-, systems-, and molecular neuroscience. Education
Ph.D. in Physiological Psychology 2000-2004 Tulane University; New Orleans, LA Dissertation: Relationships Between c-Fos and CREB in Cortical and Subcortical Brain Regions During Acquisition and Recall of Socially Transmitted Food Preferences. Advisor: Paul J. Colombo M.S. in Experimental Psychology 1998-2000 Western Illinois University; Macomb, IL Thesis: Behavioral Effects of Prenatal Exposure to the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) Fluoxetine Hydrochloride (Prozac). Advisor: Russell E. Morgan B.S. in Psychology; Western Illinois University 1995-1997 A.S. in Psychology; Carl Sandburg College 1992-1994 Professional
Visiting Assistant Professor. Department of Psychology, Illinois Wesleyan
Experience
University, Bloomington, IL. Courses: General Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Stress, Brain, and Body, Cognitive Psychology, Motivation & Emotion, Psychopharmacology. 08/06-Present. Postdoctoral Research Associate. Department of Psychology, Neuroscience
Program; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Champaign, IL.
Mentor: Paul. E. Gold, Ph.D. 07/04 – 08/06.
Adjunct Professor. Department of Psychology; Illinois Wesleyan University,
Bloomington, IL. Courses: General Psychology. Spring 06’
Teaching Assistant/Instructor. Department of Psychology; Tulane
University; New Orleans, LA. Courses: Biopsychology Lab,
Psychopharmacology Lab, Brain & Behavior. Fall 03’, 02’, 01’ and Spring 02’
01’
Research Assistant. Department of Psychology; Tulane University; New
Orleans, LA. Mentor: Paul J. Colombo. Spring 04’, 03’ and Fall 00’.
Instructor. Carl Sandburg College; Carthage, IL. Courses: Introduction to
Psychology. Spring 00’ and Summer 00’.
Psychiatric Technician. U.S. Army Reserves, 75th CSH; Gulfport, MS 02-04;
Det. 1, 801st CSH, Bartonville, IL 94-00.
Graduate Assistant. Department of Psychology, Western Illinois University;
Macomb, IL. Mentor: Russell E. Morgan. 98-00
Psi Chi Co-Advisor. I volunteered to be the advisor for Illinois Wesleyan
Academic Service
University’s Psi Chi Society this year, and have been assigned as the co-advisor for both Psi Chi and Psychology Club Ad Hoc Reviewer. Neurobiology of Learning & Memory
Senior Thesis Advisor. Department of Psychology, Illinois Wesleyan University.
I currently advise two students at IWU (A. Tharp and J. Schnupp) and served as
the thesis advisor for M. Opal during the last academic year. Two research
projects have tested whether or not memory impairments from acetylcholine
manipulations can be reversed using pharmacological manipulations to the
norepinephrine transmitter system. A third project is examining brain region
activation following competitive behaviors in rodents. M. Opal is currently a
NIMH predoctoral fellow who intends on going to graduate school in
neuroscience following his fellowship.
Research Advisor. I also have three students (sophomores and juniors) that are
currently examining the role of pheromones on ratings of attractiveness and context-
dependent memory.
Senior Thesis Advisor. Department of Psychology; Department of Biology –
Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL. I
was the advisor for three senior thesis projects while at UI. One in the biology
department (A. G. Florek) and two in the psychology department (D. Dukala and
C. Kowalczk). All students have now gone on to medical programs or graduate
school programs.
Honor’s Thesis Advisor. Department of Psychology; Neuroscience Program;
Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, Tulane University; New Orleans, LA.
While at Tulane University, I advised four students on their senior thesis projects.
One in psychology (L. Sahuque), one in cellular and molecular biology (M.
Flournoy), and two in the neuroscience program (N. Kaban and C. Smith). All
students went on the either medical school or research science careers.
• Robert E. Flowerree Fellowship, Tulane University, Summer 2003 Awards & Society
• Travel Award, Greater New Orleans Society for Neuroscience, Spring Memberships
• Robert E. Flowerree Fellowship, Tulane University, Summer 2001 • Midwestern Psychological Association, 2005 to current • Member - Society for Neuroscience, 2000 to current • Member - Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience, 2005 to current • Member – Chicago Society for Neuroscience, 2006 to current Countryman, R.A. & Gold P.E. (2007). Rapid forgetting of social transmission of Publications
food preferences in aged rats: Relationship to hippocampal CREB activation. Learning & Memory, 14, 350-358 . (Reverse Order)
Smith, C. A.; Countryman, R. A.; Sahuque, L. L.; & Colombo, P. J. (2007).
Time-course of Fos expression in rat hippocampus and neocortex following acquisition and recall of a socially transmitted food preference. indicated in Bold
Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, 88, 65-74. Countryman, R. A.; Kaban, N. L.; & Colombo, P. J. (2005). Hippocampal c-fos
is necessary for long-term memory of a socially transmitted food preference. Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, 84, 175-183. Countryman, R.A.; Orlowski, J. D.; Brightwell, J. J.; Oskowitz, A. Z.; &
Colombo, P.J.(2005). CREB phosphorylation and c-Fos expression in the hippocampus of rats during acquisition and recall of a socially transmitted food preference. Hippocampus, 15, 56-67. Brightwell, J. J.; Smith, C. A.; Countryman, R. A.; Neve, R. L.; & Colombo, P.
J.(2005). Hippocampal overexpression of mutant CREB blocks long-term, but not short-term memory for a socially transmitted food preference. Learning and Memory, 12, 12-17. Colombo, P.J.; Brightwell, J.J.; & Countryman, R.A. (2003). Cognitive Strategy- Specific Increases in Phosphorylated cAMP Response Element-Binding Protein and c-Fos in the Hippocampus and Dorsal Striatum. Journal of Neuroscience, 23, 3547-3554. Manuscripts in
Countryman, R. A.; Dukala, D.; Chang, Q.; & Gold, P. E. (in preparation).
Preparation
Increased acetylcholine release in rats during acquisition of a socially Countryman, R. A.; Mohler, E. & Gold, P. E. (in preparation). Strain differences indicated in Bold
in acquisition of place and response learning among DBA/2, SV/129, and C57/BL6 mice. Opal, M. & Countryman, R. A. (in preparation). Administration of the
norepinephrine agonist guanfacine following IgG-Saporin lesions to the medial septum reinstate memory for a socially transmitted food preference. Countryman, R. A.; Kowalczk, C.; Florek, A. G.; & Gold, P. E. (in preparation).
Differential expression of zif268, c-Jun, and c-Fos following acquisition of a socially transmitted food preference in aged and young adult rats. Conference
1. Opal, M. & Countryman, R. A. (2007). Guanfacine improves mnemonic
processing following lesion to rat medial septum: a novel treatment Presentations
approach to Alzheimer’s memory type deficits. Midwestern (Reverse Order)
Psychological Association, Chicago, IL. May 3-5, 2007. 2. Opal, M. & Countryman, R. A. (2007). Guanfacine improves mnemonic
processing following lesion to rat medial septum: a novel treatment indicated in Bold
approach to Alzheimer’s memory type deficits. Association for Psychological Science (APS), Washington D. C. May 26, 2007. 3. Countryman, R. A.; Dukala, D.; Chang, Q.; & Gold, P. E. (2006).
Acetylcholine release in the hippocampus during acquisition of a socially transmitted food preference. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., Program No 575.2. CD-ROM 2006. 4. Kowalczyk, C.; Countryman, R. A.; & Gold, P. E. (2006). Learning strategies
and brain pCREB levels in mice. Chicago Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, IL. March 3, 2006. 5. Dukala, D.; Countryman, R. A.; & Gold, P. E. (2006). Strain differences in
food preferences and eating. Chicago Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, IL. March 3, 2006. 6. Countryman, R. A. & Gold, P. E. (2006). Decreases in CREB and pCREB in aged rats. Chicago Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, IL. March 3, 2006. 7. Countryman, R.A.; Quisenberry, A.J. Campbell, J.M.; Morgan, R.E.; & Gold,
P.E. (2006). Not all strains are equal: differences in innate food preference and food eating behavior between rat strains. Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL May 4-6, 2006. 8. Countryman, R.A. & Gold, P.E. (2005). Region-Specific Decreases in CREB and pCREB in Hippocampus of Aged Rats after Learning a Socially Transmitted Food Preference. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., Program No 199.6. CD-ROM 2005. 9. Countryman, R.A.; Kaban, N.L.; & Colombo, P.J. (2004). Hippocampal c-
Fos is necessary for long-term memory of a socially transmitted food preference. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., Program No 896.2. CD-ROM 2004. 10. Pillai, S.; Countryman, R.A.; Brightwell, J.B.; & Colombo, P.J. (2004). Adoption of a response strategy in the cross maze is associated with increased hippocampal calcineurin levels. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., Program No 896.4. CD-ROM 2004. 11. Orlowski, J.D.; Countryman, R.A.; & Colombo, P.J. (2004). c-Fos and
pCREB expression in the dorsal striatum and hippocampus are associated with cue, but not place, learning in the water maze. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., Program No 896.1. CD-ROM 2004. 12. Countryman, R.A.; Sahuque, L.L.; Smith, C.A.; Shukla, S.J.; & Colombo,
P.J. (2003). C-Fos is expressed in cortical brain regions of rats differentially after acquisition and recall of a socially transmitted food preference. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., Program No 88.1. CD-ROM 2003. 13. Orlowski, J.D.; Countryman, R.A.; & Colombo, P.J. (2003). Cue, but not
place, learning induces c-Fos expression in the dorsal striatum and hippocampus of rats. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., Program No 88.2. CD-ROM 2003. 14. Colombo, P.J.; Brightwell, J.J.; & Countryman, R.A. (2003). CREB phosphorylation is increased in the ventral hippocampus during acquisition and recall of socially transmitted food preferences. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., Program No 88.3. CD-ROM 2003. 15. Brightwell, J.J.; Countryman, R.A.; & Colombo, P.J. (2003). Cognitive strategy-specific increases in phosphorylated CREB and c-Fos in the hippocampus and neostriatum. Poster presentation at the annual conference on Learning and Memory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY. 16. Countryman, R.A.; Sahuque, L.L.; & Colombo, P.J. (2003). Increased
expression of c-Fos in the orbitofrontal cortex and hippocampus during acquisition and recall of the social transmission of food preference task. Oral Presentation at the 27th annual Winter Conference on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Park City, UT. 17. Countryman, R.A. & Colombo, P.J. (2002). Hippocampal c-Fos is expressed in rats during both acquisition and recall of the social transmission of a food preference. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., Program No 479.2. CD-ROM 2002. 18. Colombo, P.J.; Brightwell, J.J.; & Countryman, R.A. (2002). Hippocampal CREB phosphorylation is increased in rats that acquire a food preference socially. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., Program No. 479.1. CD-ROM 2002. 19. Brightwell, J.J.; Countryman, R.A.; & Colombo, P.J. (2002). Cognitive strategy-specific increases in phosphorylated CREB and c-Fos in the hippocampus and neostriatum. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., Program No 479.4. CD-ROM 2002. 20. Johnson, L.N.; Brightwell, J.J.; Countryman, R.A.; & Colombo, P.J. (2002). Choice of place or response learning strategy is related to the levels of CaMKIV and pCREB in the dorsolateral striatum. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., Program No 479.3. CD-ROM 2002. 21. Morgan, R.E.; Countryman, R.A.; Morrell, D.J.; Crowley, J.; Dopheide, M.;
& Kliesewicz, R. (2002). Prenatal fluoxetine (Prozac) exposure: an
emerging cognitive profile. Poster presentation at the seventy-fourth
annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago,
IL.
22. Colombo, P.J.; Brightwell, J.J.; & Countryman, R.A. Department of Psychology; Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA. Levels of phosphorylated CREB in the dorsolateral striatum distinguish place and response learners. Poster presentation at the Seventh Conference on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Irvine, CA., November, 2001. 23. Countryman, R.A.; Orlowski, J. D.; & Colombo, P.J. Psychology
Department, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA. Hippocampal c-Fos expression is increased in rats that acquire a food preference socially. Poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA., November, 2001. 24. Morrell, D.J.; Countryman, R.A. & Morgan, R.E. Psychology Department, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL. Enduring effects of pre- and post-natal fluoxetine exposure on sustained attention. Poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Neurobehavioral Teratology Society, Montreal, Canada, June, 2001. 25. Crowley, J.M.; Dopheide, M.; Countryman, R.A.; Morrell, D.J.; & Morgan,
R.E. Psychology Department, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL. Early developmental exposure to fluoxetine (Prozac): enduring effects on learning, memory, and aggression. Poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Neurobehavioral Teratology Society, Montreal, Canada, June, 2001. 26. Countryman, R.A.; Harris, M.A.; Morrell, D.J.; & Morgan, R.E. Effects of
fluoxetine exposure initiated prior to gestation on developmental and behavioral measures. Poster presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Neurobehavioral Teratology Society, West Palm Beach, FL, June, 24-29, 2000. 27. Countryman, R.A.; Harris, M.A.; & Morgan, R.E. Effects of oxybutynin
hydrochloride on working memory in the radial-arm maze. Oral presentation at the seventy-second Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL May 4-6, 2000. 28. Countryman, R.A. & Piasecki, R. Predicting stress reactivity in U.S. Army reservists: an examination of coping mechanisms, personality variables, and unit cohesion. Poster presentation at the seventy-second Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL May 4-6, 2000. 29. Lifka, A.M. & Countryman, R.A. Effects of self-relevant feedback on reaction to rejection. Poster presentation at the seventy-second Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL May 4-6, 2000. 30. Morgan, R.E. & Countryman, R.A. Anti-cholinergics used to treat incontinence influence working memory capacity: dose-dependent impairment and reversal following glucose administration. Poster presentation at the 10th Annual Meeting of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society, Denver, CO., April 6-9, 2000. 31. Countryman, R.A.; Piasecki, R.; & Butler, D.A. Effects of unit cohesion on
perceived stress in Army reservists. Poster presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, New Orleans, LA April, 2000.
Tharp, A. & Countryman, R.A. Reversing memory impairments induced by
Current Research
selective cytochemical lesions of the MS/VDB following administration Projects
Countryman, R. A. Pheromones and attraction. The effect of pheromone presentation on rating of attractiveness and context-dependent memory. Countryman, R. A. Context-dependent memory in an odorous environment: emotionally charged images versus neutral images. Do context similar cues enhance just neutral stimulus memory or does it also enhance emotionally charged stimuli. Western Illinois University, Macomb IL. Psychology Department, Colloquium Presenter. Spring 2007. Invited Talks and
Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL. Psychology Club Invited Speaker. Colloquiums
Fall 2006 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL. Brain & Cognition Seminar Invited Speaker. Fall 2005. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL. Initiative on Aging Invited Speaker. Spring 2005. • Introduction to Psychology: I love teaching general psychology!
Teaching Interests
What a great way to impact young students and possibly inspire some to become psychology majors. I have taught this course each semester since I have been at IWU. • Biopsychology/Behavioral Neuroscience: I taught this course at
IWU in the Fall of 2006 and had experience with this course at Tulane. My research is within the field of Behavioral Neuroscience and Biopsychology so this course is one of my strengths. • Statistics and/or Research Methods: I tutored statistics throughout
my undergraduate and graduate school tenure, and taught segments of statistics to students in my biopsychology laboratory. My background as a researcher gives me the knowledge to teach both statistics and research methods. • Stress, Brain, and Body Seminar. I developed this course at IWU. It
looks at the effects of stress on all aspects of the individual: from cellular changes in the brain to behavioral changes in the individual. The course focuses on historic and current empirical research as the source of knowledge in addition to a pop psychology book ‘Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers’ by Robert M. Sapolsky. • Drugs of Abuse. I taught a course for May term that I developed titled
‘College Drugs of Abuse’. In this course students learned the pharmacology and psychological effects of some drugs commonly abused during the college years (alcohol, marijuana, adderall, and valium). This course was taught as a lab/lecture course in which students also tested the effects of these drugs on basic rodent behaviors such as pain tolerance, anxiety, coordination, depression, memory, and inhibitions. • Psychology or Neurobiology of Aging: One of my research
specializations is the neurobiology/psychology of aging. I have guest lectured in this course, and feel that this would be an exciting and interesting course to instruct. Teaching either of these courses would also strengthen my overall working knowledge of aging. • Learning & Memory: My primary research specialization is learning
and memory, and I have sufficient knowledge of the course material to teach this course. • Abnormal Psychology: I was a psychiatric technician for 10 years
with the Army Reserves. That job training and my knowledge of neuropharmacology would give me experience and desire to teach this class. • Motivation and Emotion: I will be teaching this course in the Spring
of 2008 at IWU. I am excited to learn more about the subject, and I feel that once I have prepped this course it will become a class to teach more in the future. • Learning and/or Animal Behavior: The behavioral paradigm I use in
research is a form of basic learning and has kept me abreast of the general concepts surrounding basic learning which would make me well suited to teach this course. • History and Systems of Psychology. One day I would like to teach
the history of psychology. I would like to teach it as a seminar style course in which the focus of the class is reading original empirical articles by early psychologists and philosophers. I believe students will learn more and retain more knowledge if they delve into to original writings rather than just a text. References
Doran French, Ph.D. Department of Psychology Illinois Wesleyan University 201 Beecher St. Bloomington, IL 61702 [email protected] Joe Williams Department of Psychology Illinois Wesleyan University 201 Beecher St. Bloomington, IL 61702 [email protected] Paul E. Gold, Ph.D. Department of Psychology University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 603 E. Daniel St. Champaign, IL 61820 [email protected] Russell E. Morgan, Ph.D. Department of Psychology Western Illinois University 109 Waggoner Hall Macomb, IL 61455 [email protected]

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