Download Saunders [CV][10_2016] - Psychology

MEREDITH A. SAUNDERS
Curriculum Vitae
September 2016
University of Kentucky, Department of Psychology
BBSRB, rm. B0448D 741 S. Limestone St. Lexington, Kentucky, 40536-0509
Phone: 502.323.0575 email. [email protected]
EDUCATION
2016
M.S., Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky
2016
Biostatistics Certificate (in progress), University of Kentucky
2013
B.S., Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky
Psychology Department Honors
Magna Cum Laude
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
2013–present Neuropharmacology of drugs of abuse in vitro and in vivo (Dr. Mark Prendergast),
University of Kentucky, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center,
Department of Psychology, Lexington, Kentucky
2012–2013
Effects of ethanol and corticosterone on hippocampal cell death in vitro
(Undergraduate senior research project supervised under Dr. Mark Prendergast),
University of Kentucky, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center,
Department of Psychology, Lexington, Kentucky
2012
Effects of parental problem drinking on child physiological responses
(Undergraduate research supervised under Dr. Peggy Keller), Laboratory of
Development and Family Stress, Department of Psychology, Lexington,
Kentucky
FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
2016
Pre-doctoral Trainee: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) T32–DA16176,
University of Kentucky (Dr. Linda Dwoskin)
2016
Lipman Summer Research Award in Alcohol Dependence, Department of
Psychology, University of Kentucky (Dr. Mark Prendergast)
PUBLICATIONS
Reynolds, A.R., Saunders, M.A., & Prendergast, M.A. (2016). Ethanol stimulates endoplasmic
reticulum inositol triphosphate and sigma receptors to promote withdrawal- associated
loss of neuron specific nuclear protein/Fox-3. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental
Research, 40(7), 1454-61.
Berry, J.N., Saunders, M.A., Sharrett-Field, L.J, Reynolds, A.R., Bardo, M.T., Pauly, J.R., &
Prendergast, M.A. (2016). Corticosterone enhances N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor
signaling to promote ventral tegmental area neurotoxicity in the reconstituted mesolimbic
dopamine pathway. Brain Research Bulletin, 120, 159–165.
Reynolds, A.R., Williams, L.A., Saunders, M.A., & Prendergast, M.A. (2015). Group 1 mGlufamily proteins promote neuroadaptation to ethanol and withdrawal-associated
hippocampal damage. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 156, 213–220.
Reynolds, A.R., Saunders, M.A., Brewton, H.W., Winchester, S.R., Elgumati, I.E., &
Prendergast, M.A. (2015). Acute oral administration of the novel, competitive and
selective glucocorticoid receptor antagonist ORG 34517 reduces the severity of ethanol
withdrawal and related hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenal axis activation. Drug and
Alcohol Dependence, 154, 100–104.
Wang, X., Reynolds, A.R., Elshahawi, S.I., Shaaban, K.A., Ponomareva, L.V., Saunders, M.A.,
Elgumati, I.E., Zhang, Y., Copley, G.C., Hower, J.C., Sunkara, M., Morris, A.J., Kharel,
M.K., Van Lanen, S.G., Prendergast, M.A., Thorson, J.S. (2015). Terfestatins B and C,
new p-terphenyl glycosides produced by streptomyces sp. RM-5–8. Organics Letters,
17(11), 2796–9.
SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPTS
Shaaban, K.A., Saunders, M.A., Zhang, Y., Tran, T., Elshahawi, S.I., Ponomareva, L.V.,
Wang, X., Zhang, J., Copley, G.C., Sunkara, M., Kharel, M.K., Morris, A.J., Hower,
J.C., Tremblay, M.S., Prendergast, M.A., & Thorson, J.S. Spoxazomicin D and
Oxachelin C, potent neuroprotective carboxamides from the Appalachian coal fireassociated isolate Streptomyces sp. RM-14-6 (Submitted to Journal of Natural Products).
Zhang, J., Hughes, R.R., Saunders, M.A., Elshahawi, S.I., Ponomareva, L.V., Zhang, Y.,
Winchester, S.R., Scott, S.A., Sunkara, M., Morris, A.J., Prendergast, M.A., Shaaban,
K.A., & Thorson, J.S. Microbial natural product glycosyl-scanning as an enabling
platform for neuroprotective spoxazomicin and oxachelin glycoside discovery (Submitted
to Journal of Natural Products).
Reynolds A.R., Berry, J.N., Sharrett-Field, L.J., Saunders, M.A., & Prendergast, M.A. Broadspectrum protein kinase inhibition by the staurosporine analog KT-5720 reverses ethanol
withdrawal-associated loss of NeuN/Fox-3.
MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION
Saunders, M.A. & Prenderdast, M.A. Effects of cysteine protease inhibition on hippocampal
neurotoxicity in vitro.
Saunders, M.A., & Prendergast, M.A. Ethanol promotes isolated ventral tegmental area toxicity
in a reconstituted mesolimbic dopamine pathway.
Shaaban, K.A., Saunders, M.A., Zhang, Y., Tran, T., Elshahawi, S.I., Ponomareva, L.V.,
Wang, X., Copley, G.C., Sunkara, M., Kharel, M.K., Morris, A.J., Hower, J.C.,
Tremblay, M.S., Prendergast, M.A., and Thorson, J.S. Spoxazomicin D, a Potent
Neuroprotective Oxazole Carboxamide, and Oxachelin Analogues from an Appalachian
isolate Streptomyces sp. RM-14-6.
Zhang, J., Saunders, M.A., Hughes, R.R., Shaaban, K.A., Elshahawi, S.I., Ponomareva, L.V.,
Zhang, Y., Sunkara, M., Morris, A.J., Winchester, S.R., Scott, S.A., Prendergast, M.A.,
and Thorson, J.S. The impact of spoxazomicin glucosylation upon neuroprotective
activity.
Berry, J.N., Butler, T.R., Sharrett-Field, L.J., Reynolds, A.R., Saunders, M.A., & Prendergast,
M.A. Exposure to corticosterone during ethanol exposure and withdrawal augments the
loss of synaptophysin immunoreactivity in a GluN2B-dependent manner.
Sharrett-Field, L.J., Saunders, M.A., Reynolds A.R., Berry J.N., Williams, L., Prendergast,
M.A. Plasma corticosterone levels are correlated with subsequent voluntary intake of
ethanol using a chronic, intermittent access paradigm.
Reynolds A.R., Williams, L.A., Sharrett-Field, L.J., Saunders, M.A., & Prendergast, M.A.
Sigma-1 receptor activation promotes age-related loss of neuron specific nuclear protein
in vitro.
Prendergast, M.A., Butler, T.R., Smith, K.J., Reynolds, A.R., Saunders, M.A., Little, H.J. The
novel, competitive glucocorticoid receptor antagonist PT 150 reduces the severity of
withdrawal from repeated binge-like ethanol administration.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Saunders, M.A., Maggio, S.E., Shaaban, K.A., Zhang, Y., Zhang, J., Watt, D., Frasinyuk, M.,
Yuan, Y., Zhan, C.-G., Nixon, K., Thorson, J.S., Bardo, M.T., & Prendergast, M.A. (Sept.
2016). Novel synthetic isoflavonoid for the treatment of alcohol and nicotine co-use.
Abstract submitted for poster presentation, 2016 Clinical-Translational Research
Symposium, Lexington, Kentucky.
Saunders, M.A., Shaaban, K.A., Zhang, Y., Zhang, J., Thorson, J.S., Yuan, Y., Zhan, C.-G.,
Nixon, K., & Prendergast, M.A. (June, 2016). Novel spoxazomixicins derived from
Streptomyces sp. RM-14−6 attenuate ethanol induced cytotoxicity in vitro. Abstract
submitted for poster presentation, Research Society on Alcoholism, New Orleans,
Louisiana.
Saunders, M.A., Maggio, S.E., Shaaban, K.A., Zhang, Y., Zhang, J., Watt, D., Frasinyuk, M.,
Yuan, Y., Zhan, C.-G., Nixon, K., Thorson, J.S., Bardo, M.T., & Prendergast, M.A.
(April, 2016). Novel synthetic isoflavone for the treatment of AUD: An examination in
vitro and in vivo. Abstract submitted for poster presentation, 32nd Annual BGSFN
Spring Neuroscience Day, Lexington, Kentucky.
*Received Outstanding Graduate Student Poster Award
Saunders, M.A., Maggio, S.E., Van Skike, C.E., Shaaban, K.A., Zhang, Y., Zhang, J.,
Thorson, J.S., Yuan, Y., Zhan, C.-G., Dwoskin, L.P., Prendergast, M.A., Bardo, M., &
Nixon, K. (2015). Novel natural products derived from Streptomyces sp. RM-14–6 for
the treatment of alcohol and nicotine co-dependence. Abstract submitted for poster
presentation, Symposium on Drug Discovery & Development, Lexington, Kentucky.
*Received 2nd Place Outstanding Poster Presentation Award
Saunders, M.A., Maggio, S.E., Van Skike, C.E., Zhang, Y., Shaaban, K.A., Zhang, J.,
Thorson, J.S., Yuan, Y., Zhan, C.-G., Dwoskin, L.P., Prendergast, M.A., Bardo, M., &
Nixon, K. (2015). Screening CPRI repository for treating alcohol and nicotine codependence. Abstract submitted for poster presentation, 4th Annual-University of
Kentucky Natural Products Consortium Symposium, Lexington, Kentucky.
Reynolds, A.R., Berry, J.N., Sharrett-Field, L.J., Saunders, M.A., & Prendergast, M.A. (2014).
Ethanol exposure stimulates the mGluR5 receptor prior to withdrawal to promote
cytotoxicity of chronic, intermittent ethanol. Abstract submitted for poster presentation,
Research Society on Alcoholism, Bellevue, Washington.
Saunders, M.A. & Prendergast, M.A. (2013). Co-exposure to corticosterone and ethanol causes
increased neurotoxicity: An examination in vitro. University of Kentucky Honors Day,
Department of Psychology, Lexington, Kentucky.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2016
Co-Instructure: Psychopharmacology
2016
Teaching Assistant: Experimental Psychology
2014-2016
Grader: Psychopharmacology
2015
Grader: Brain and Behavior
2014–2015
Teaching Assistant: Brain and Behavior
2014–2015
Teaching Assistant: Introduction to Statistics
2013
Teaching Assistant: Introduction to Psychology
LEADERSHIP AND UNIVERSITY SERVICE
2013-present Student Research Mentor, Summer Training in Alcohol Research, University of
Kentucky; Undergraduate Student Research Mentor for Psychology and Biology
Majors, University of Kentucky
2000-present PATH Coalition of Nelson County (focused on informing members of the
community, especially youth, on the risks of drug use and abuse), Bardstown,
KY
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
2015-present Research Society on Alcoholism
2013–present Bluegrass Chapter of Society for Neuroscience
2015–present Society for Neuroscience
2015–present Psi Chi