top of page
IMG_2619.jpg

Teaching

Since serving as a Teaching Assistant for Chemistry labs as an undergraduate at Providence College, I've had a passion for teaching. Throughout my graduate and postdoctoral training, I have sought opportunities to teach undergraduate classes. My goal when teaching or mentoring students is always the same: to foster a welcoming yet challenging environment in which each individual is able to progress as a thinker and communicator. Below are course descriptions and syllabi for the classes I have taught as instructor of record, as well as a list of my experience as a lab instructor and teaching assistant. A summary of my student evaluations can be downloaded here.

Courses

Advanced Topics in Neuroscience: Neuroscience of Mood Disorders, PSYC B316, Fall 2022, Bryn Mawr College

Syllabus. Approximately twenty percent of people will experience a mood disorder at some point in their lifetime, dealing with symptoms that can severely hinder their wellbeing. Despite the prevalence of mood disorders such as depression and the amount of research being done in this area, therapies remain somewhat limited, particularly for treatment-resistant depression. This seminar course will examine the neuroscience of these mood disorders with a particular focus on depression. The goal of this course is to explore the neurobiology underlying the development of mood disorders, pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for such disorders, and the animal models and conceptual frameworks that are being used to improve our understanding and treatment of mood disorders. We will investigate these topics using primary literature in both the clinical and basic science fields. The course format will blend journal club-style discussion, student presentations, and small group problem solving. Students will build the skills necessary to design experiments and critically evaluate scientific literature.

 

Behavioral Neuroscience, PSYC B218, Spring 2022, Bryn Mawr College

Syllabus. Have you ever wondered how certain emotions like fear and excitement can trigger reactions throughout your body and influence the decisions you make? Or how changing hormone levels can change an individual’s behavior during adolescence? In this class, we’ll answer these questions and many more, examining the biology of the brain from its individual cells up to its coordinated circuits—and how these biological underpinnings influence behavior. Additionally, this class will teach you how to think and communicate like a scientist by solving research-based problems with your classmates and analyze the primary literature in a field that interests you. We’ll learn how new tools are allowing researchers to ask more specific questions and reach more precise conclusions about the function of the brain and behavior.

 

First-year Writing Seminar: The Mind: Biological to Artificial, BIONB 1220, Fall 2018, Cornell University

Syllabus. When you think back on your favorite childhood family vacation, or the first time you took the field at your favorite sport, how accurate are your memories? Will artificially intelligent robots ever make it from the movie screen to the workplace, and if they do, just how much will they think like we do? Using popular science readings by authors like Robert Sapolsky, we will explore some of the peculiar ways in which our mind works and influences how we behave, and how scientists are using this information to build “artificial minds” in computer chips. Through writing informational and opinion pieces on topics like these, students will improve their ability to convey interesting and multifaceted ideas and develop cogent and convincing opinions in their writing.

 

Teaching Assistant, Laboratory Instructor, or Discussion Section Instructor

  • Introduction to Biology B, BIOL 102, Fall 2021, University of Pennsylvania - Teaching Assistant/Active Learning Facilitator

  • Introduction to Biology B, BIOL 102, Spring 2021, University of Pennsylvania - Laboratory Instructor

  • Introduction to Neuroscience, BIONB 2220, Summer 2020, Cornell University - Teaching Assistant/Discussion Section Instructor

  • Introduction to Neuroscience, BIONB 2220, Spring 2020, Cornell University - Head Teaching Assistant

  • Drugs and the Brain, BIONB 3920, Fall 2017, Cornell University - "Writing in the Majors" Teaching Assistant/Discussion Section Instructor

  • Introduction to Neuroscience, BIONB 2220, Spring 2016, Cornell University - "Writing in the Majors" Teaching Assistant/Discussion Section Instructor

  • Foundations of Biology, BIOL 1140, Fall 2015, Cornell University - Teaching Assistant/Discussion Section Instructor

Diversity and Inclusion in the Classroom

It's of the highest importance to me that every student in my class and working with me in lab feels welcome to participate, ask questions, and bring their personal experiences and concerns to the conversation. While I design class activities and assignments with these goals in mind, I consistently seek feedback to hear how I can make my classroom and lab environments more equitable, inclusive spaces.

​

For my full diversity statement and teaching philosophy, please contact me via email.

bottom of page