Women's Job List: The Job Board for Women

Posted on: 2010-07-21

Vibhati Gauri Vijay Kulkarny

EDUCATION

2004-2010 Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program: Neuroscience, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. Neuroscience Specialization: Fundamentals in Neuroscience, Neuroanatomy/Neurophysiology, Developmental Neurotoxicology, Neurobiology of Alcoholism, Neuro-genomics, Neurobiology of Disease, Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience

Dissertation: Genetic Contributions to Brain Fiber Architecture and Neuroanatomical Alterations in Alcohol Dependent Individuals: A Correlation Study

1999-2003 Bachelor of Science, Psychobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA. Neuroscience Specialization: Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience; Systems and Integrative Neuroscience; Molecular, Cell and Developmental Neuroscience; Fundamentals of Learning; Neuropsychopharmacology; Human Neurophysiology; Cognitive Neuroscience; Mapping the Mind through Molecules; Neuroscience of Aging

EMPLOYMENT AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

2009-present Research Associate II Mind Research Network Testing whether a functional SNP (A118G) in the OPRM1 influences the effects of an acute infusion of alcohol, as compared to a saline infusion, on physiological and subjective measures of stimulation, sedation, and mood. This research allows the examination of whether or not the effect of genetic variants in the OPRM1 and CNR1 have an immediate effect on responses to alcohol or whether these variants interact with repeated exposure to alcohol to produce an enhanced sensitivity to the effects of alcohol (i.e., a gene by environment interaction) that is more evident in alcohol dependent individuals. Acquired Skills: Administration of Alcohol Dependence Diagnosis from Structured Clinical interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV), Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS), Alcohol Urge Questionnaire (AUQ); Whole-genome Genotyping on Illumina® Infinium® Assay, BeadStudio, Golden Helix (SNP & Variation Suite)

2007-2009 Graduate Assistant/Research Associate II Mind Research Network Supervisor: Kent Hutchison, Ph.D., Director, Chief Science Officer: Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM. Dissertation focused on genetic contributions (candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms) to brain fiber architecture and neuroanatomical damage in alcohol dependent young adults. Acquired Skills: MRI/DTI imaging, DTIStudio/IDL, FSL, FreeSurfer, Haploview, Whole-genome Genotyping & CNV analysis on Illumina® Infinium® Assay Platform using the Human1M-duo V3 BeadChip, BeadStudio

2004-2008 Graduate Assistant Univ. of New Mexico-School of Medicine Department of Neuroscience: Dr. Nora Perrone-Bizzozero University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. Project consisted of analysis of cerebellar granules cells and dentate gyrus hippocampal cells in adolescent rats and their survival under alcohol exposure. Restructuring was measured via growth associated protein-43 (GAP-43) and brain derived growth factor (BDNF). For the characterization of acute, chronic and withdrawal states of alcohol intoxication we used a novel vapor chamber paradigm. Acquired Skills: RNA Isolation, cDNA synthesis, primer construction, RT-PCR, protein isolation, Immunohistochemistry, Western Blot, In-situ hybridization

2003-2004 Research Assistant II: Department of Neonatology, LABioMed, Full time research under Virender Rehan, M.D., Asst. Prof. of Pediatrics, Department of Neonatology Research included perinatal lung development and oxygen sensing by pulmonary type II cells and surfactant Part time research under Dr. Jayaraman Lakshmanan, Ph.D. Lead researcher on Neuronal Growth Factor (NGF) and prohormone during fetal development and ontogeny. Part time research under Ravin Kumar, M.D., Chief, Colon and Rectal Surgery, Asst. Prof. Of Surgery Reviewed 300 colo-rectal surgery medical files, documented remission cases of colo-rectal cancer in depth to extract and extrapolate trends. Acquired Skills: Western Blot, Protein Isolatin, Protein Assay, Beta-galactosidase Assay, Triolene Incorporation, Cell Culture, RNA Extraction and Isolation, Rat Dissection (fetal lung extraction and explants)

2002-2003 Physician’s Administrative Assistant UCLA, Dept. of Hematology and Oncology, Part time work for Dr. Peter J. Rosen, M.D., Prof. of Clinical Medicine, Director of Oncology Program, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine

1999-2000 Research Assistant I UCLA, Dept. of MIMG, Conducted research on the regulation of cellular respiratory functions in micro organisms by elucidation of mechanisms for aerobic/anaerobic gene regulation in E. coli under Robert P. Gunsalus, Ph.D. Acquired Skills: Protocols for amplification, sequencing, digestion, purification of plasmid DNA, and PCR.

COMPUTER SKILLS

ImageJ, Adobe Photoshop, GraphPad Prism 4, SPSS, Endnote8, DTIStudio with IDL, FSL, Haploview, GenomeStudio, Golden Helix (SNP & Variation Suite), and Tract Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS)/TFCE

HONORS & AWARDS

Feb 2008 3rd Place in Poster Presentation, Student Research Day, April 2007 Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program Travel Award, March 2007 Research Society on Alcoholism (RSoA) Student Merit Travel Award, June 2005 National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): Alcohol Training Grant, 1999 Winner Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Category Award, 1997-1999 Winner 1st Place Los Angeles County Science Fair, EarthWatchÓ Scholarship

PUBLICATIONS

Distinct effects of acute ethanol binge exposure on GAP-43 gene expression in the cerebellum versus hippocampus of juvenile rats. Vibhati V. Kulkarny; C.P. Marquez; N.E. Weist; S. Nixon; C.F. Valenzuela; N.I. Perrone-Bizzozero (submitted)

Alterations in brain anatomy and fiber architecture in alcohol dependent young adults. Vibhati V. Kulkarny; R. Chavez; F. Soto-Endicott; M. Morgan; E. Claus; and K. Hutchison (submitted) ABSTRACTS/POSTERS Research Society on Alcoholism annual meeting in Chicago, IL – July 2007. Poster Presentation: Chronic ethanol exposure alters GAP-43 protein levels in the rat cerebellum. Vibhati V Kulkarny, C. Marquez; M. Rosenberg; C.R. Wolf; C.F. Valenzuela; D.D. Savage; and N.I. Perrone-Bizzozero. Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego, CA – Nov 2007. Poster Presentation: Alterations in GAP-43 gene expression in the rat cerebellum in a model of acute and chronic binge alcohol exposure. Vibhati V. Kulkarny; C. Marquez; M. Rosenberg; C.F. Valenzuela; and N.I. Perrone-Bizzozero Research Society on Alcoholism annual meeting in Washington, DC – June 2008. Poster Presentation: Distinct effects of acute ethanol binge exposure on GAP-43 gene expression in the cerebellum versus hippocampus of juvenile rats. Vibhati V. Kulkarny; C.P. Marquez; S. Nixon; M. Rosenberg; C.F. Valenzuela; and N.I. Perrone-Bizzozero Society for Gynecologic Investigation 52nd Annual Meeting – Feb 2005. Poster: Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) exists as unprocessed glycosylated pro-NGF in mouse and rat placenta and brain. E. Bornshtein; J. Lakshmanan; M.H. Beall; Vibhati V. Kulkarny; and M.G. Ross

MEMBERSHIPS

2005-2010 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

2006-2008 Society for Neuroscience (SfN)

2006-2008 Research Society of Alcoholism (RSA)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2009 Teaching Assistant for 1st year Biomedical Sciences graduate students: BIOM 509 – Introduction to Neurobiology; 2008 Teaching Assistant for 1st year medical students, during Neuroscience Section; 2007 Teaching Assistant for 1st year medical students, during Neuroscience Section.

LEADERSHIP & COMMUNITY SERVICE

Dec 2007 Youth Leader for Soka Gakkai International; Apr 2006-09 Category Judge for Student Research Expo (SRE), New Mexico Regional ISEF; March 2006-09 Northwest Regional Science Fair: Department of Neuroscience Special Award Judge, Junior/Senior Science Projects; Mar 2008 Judge, Native American Indian Science and Engineering Science Fair; May 2007 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) Grand Awards Judge in Medicine and Health Category; Mar 2005-06 Ronald McDonald House; 2005-06 Committee Member for UNM Biomedical Science Graduate Program Student Retreat Day; 2004 Judge, Honeywell Science Fair Southern Los Angeles Regional Science Fair, Rolling Hills Estates, CA; 2001-2003 South Asian Studies Task Force, SAS Minor obtained in Fall 2003 at UCLA, Co-founder (2001), Publicity Director (2002-2003); 2001-2003 UCLA Sangam: UCLA’s South Asian Progressive Student Organization, Facilitator and Publicity Director for South Asian Youth Conference, Media, Arts and Culture Director (2001-2002), Director of the annual South Asian Heritage Week, 2003, Director of the annual South Asian Heritage Week, 2002, Creator/Director of the annual South Asian Heritage Week, 2001, Graphic Design Director (2000-2001).