# Master's Recipients

### Avelino Cardoso Amado

B.S. Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, May 2010

**Research Interests:** The Effects of Disrupted Posture on Bi-Manual Coordination. 

**Chair/Advisor:** Dr. Richard Van Emmerik

**Thesis Title:** Postural instabilities and the maintenance of bi-manual rhythmic movements 

**Position:**

aamado@cns.umass.edu

### Courtney Begnoche

B.S. Pre-Veterinary and Animal Sciences, UMass, May 2012

**Research Interests:** Primate Behavior and Cognition 

**Chair/Advisor:** Dr. Melinda Novak

**Thesis Title:** Behavioral effects of construction activity on... 

**Position:**

cbegnoch@student.umass.edu

### Christina Gagliardi

B.A. Studio Art, Mount Holyoke College (May 2002), B.S. Biology, University of Maine Orono (May 2010)

**Research Interests:** Modeling and assessing chronic stress in rodents 

**Chair/Advisor:** Dr. Jeffrey Blaustein

**Thesis Title:** Increased body weight in adulthood following a peripubertal stressor and proposed mechanism for effects of increased adiposity on estrogen-dependent behaviors 

**Position:**

cfgaglia@gmail.com

### Bethany Rappleyea

B.S. Biology; Secondary B.S. Psychology, University of Massachusetts-Amherst , May 2012

**Research Interests:** The enduring effects of stress during puberty on female mice 

**Chair/Advisor:** Dr. Jeffrey Blaustein

**Thesis Title:** The role of ER-Alpha and the ovaries in the enduring altered behavioral response to pubertal immune stress 

**Position:**

bethanyrappleyea@gmail.com

### 

2012 

### André Boulay

B.S. Psychology/Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, May 2007

**Research Interests:** Motor Control and Coordination, Motor Speech Disorder Apraxia 

**Chair/Advisor:** Dr. Richard Van Emmerik

**Thesis Title:** Motor Control and Coordination, Motor Speech Disorder Apraxia 

**Position:** Owner of YoYoExpert; Co-owner of YoYoNews 

AndreJBoulay@gmail.com

### Chrisanthi A. Karanikas

B.A. Psychology, Michigan State University, May 2009

**Research Interests:** Neurobiological and Behavioral Effects of Alcohol Addiction 

**Chair/Advisor:** Dr. Heather Richardson

**Thesis Title:**

**Position:** Senior Associate, Scientific Communications; Eli Lilly and Company 

cakarani@cns.umass.edu

### Emily D. Merchasin

B.S. Biology, San Francisco State University, January 2005  
M.S. Biology, San Francisco State University, May 2009

**Research Interests:** The Effects of Stress During Puberty on Adult Behavior 

**Chair/Advisor:** Dr. Jeffrey Blaustein

**Thesis Title:**

**Position:**

emerchas@cns.umass.edu

### 

2011 

### Sean W. Burton

B.A. Psychology, Kent State University, May 2006

**Research Interests:** Axon/Glial Interactions in Axon Guidance 

**Chair/Advisor:** Dr. Rolf Karlstrom and Dr. Michael Barresi

**Thesis Title:**

**Position:**

sburton@cns.umass.edu

### 

2010 

### Michael J. Cunningham

B.S. Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** Regulation of Trio Splice Variants by 17beta-Estradiol and 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin 

**Position:** First year medical student (class of 2015) University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT 

mcunning22@gmail.com

### 

2009 

### Jamie L. Berkowitz

B.S. Biology, minor Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:** Dr. Melinda Novak

**Thesis Title:** Sexually Differentiated Object Preference in Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca Mulatta) 

**Position:** Physician Assistant in Urgent Care 

jberky@gmail.com

### Christina S. Henderson

B.S. Biology,University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** MDMA and Methamphetamine: An Investigation of a Neurochemical and Behavioral Cross-Tolerance in the Rat 

**Position:** Research Associate, R&D, Seaside Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts 

chenders@nsm.umass.edu

### John C. Richiedei

B.S. Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** Event=Related Potential Indices of Attentional Gradients Across the Visual Field 

**Position:** First year medical student, UMass Medical School. 

### 

2007 

### Lauren R. Ditzian

B.S. Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** The Time-Course of Developmental Cell Death in the Spinal Nucleus of the Bulbocavernosus of Mice 

**Position:** Intern, Planned Parenthood International, Santiago, Chile 

lditzian@yahoo.com

### Lauren M. Gasbarro

B.S. Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:** Jeffrey D. Blaustein

**Thesis Title:** Female Sexual Receptivity: The Effect of Stress at Puberty on Sexual Receptivity in Female Mice 

**Position:** Pharmacovigilance Associate, Genzyme, Cambridge, Mass. 

laurengasbarro@gmail.com

### Christine A. Major

B.S. Animal Science (minor Psychology), University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** Seeing and Knowing Ability of Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca Mulatta) 

**Position:** Research Technician II, Division of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Behavioral Biology at Harvard Medical School's New England Regional Primate Research Center, Southborough, Massachusetts 

major.christine@gmail.com

### David M. Whitehead

B.S. Biochemistry & Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** What Mediates the Interaction Between Semaphorin and Rac at the Developing Synapse? 

**Position:** Surgery residency program, Albert Einstein College of Medicine - Montefiore, Bronx, New York. 

### 

2006 

### Scott Baver

B.S. Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
Colorado State University, September 2009

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** Melanopsin-Immunoreactive Retinal Ganglion Cells in the Mongolian Gerbil Retina 

**Position:** Postdoctoral Fellow, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Division of Endocrinology 

sbaver@bidmc.harvard.edu

### Maria Furman

B.S. Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** The Role of Ghrelin in Estrous Behavior Interactions with Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone 

**Position:** Clinical Development Associate, US Exploratory Implementation, Eli Lilly & Company, Indianapolis, Indiana 

maria.furman@gmail.com

### Arthur W. Seelig

B.S. Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** Neurochemical Identity of c-Fos Expressing Neurons in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus 

**Position:** Instructor & Laboratory Manager Science Department, Sierra Nevada College 

aseelig@sierranevada.edu

### 

2003 

### Mohammed Reza

B.S. Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** Role of Cell Death in Respect to Sexual Differentiation of the Vasopressin Neurotransmitter System 

**Position:** Medical student at SABA University of Medicine 

### Patricia L. Seymour

B.S. Biology (minor Psychology), University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** The Role of Corticotropin Releasing Factor Receptors in the Suppression of Estrous Behavior 

**Position:** Second year primary care/family practice resident, Worcester Program for Family Medicine and Community Health 

Patricia.Seymour3@umassmemorial.org

### Christina M. Veino

B.S. Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** A Systematic Exploration of Tool Use in Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta) 

**Position:**

### 

2002 

### Shaun Gaipo

B.S. Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** Do the Vasopressin Cells of the Mouse Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis and Medial Amygdala Contain Androgen and Progesterone Receptors: An Immunocytochemical Study 

**Position:**

### Ernie Pedapati

B.S. Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** The Effect of Endogenous Neurotrophic Factors on the Development of the Rat Perineal Muscles 

**Position:** Medical Student, University of Massachusetts Medical School 

Ernest.Pedapati@umassmed.edu

### Peter S. Wu

B.S. Psychology (minor Biology), University of Massachusetts Amherst, May 2001  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** The Effects of Flashing Light on c-Fos Expression in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus of the Mongolian Gerbil 

**Position:** Baystate Surgical Residency Program, Baystate Medical Center 

peterwu.md@gmail.com

### 

2001 

### Hanna M. King

B.A. Psychology, Loyola University, December 2007  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst, September 2010

**Research Interests:** The Influence of Peripubertal Stress on Altered Adult Response to Estradiol 

**Chair/Advisor:** Dr. Jeffrey Blaustein and Dr. Agnes Lacreuse

**Thesis Title:**

**Position:** Medical Student, SUNY Downstate College of Medicine 

hmking@cns.umass.edu

### Maria Peroulakis

B.A. Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** Characterization of Perineal Muscles and Motoneurons in the Nakes Mole-Rat (Heterocephalus Glaber) 

**Position:** Consultant, Global Enrollment Optimization, Clinical Development Organization, Eli Lilly & Company, Indianapolis, Indiana 

mariaep@lilly.com

### John Ribadeneyra

B.S. Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** Effects of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin on Estradiol Induction of Progesterone Receptor Gene Expression in the Hypothalamus and Preoptic Area of the Rat Brain 

**Position:** Cell Biology Department (Lab of Gary Stein), UMass Medical School, Worcester 

### 

1999 

### Kathryn Larsen

B.S. Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst  
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts Amherst

**Chair/Advisor:**

**Thesis Title:** Sensory Axon Growth During Drosophila Metamorphosis 

**Position:** Admission Committee Interviewer, Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, Connecticut 

## Alumns

  * Doctoral Recipients
  * Master's Recipients



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