Data Software

Sarah Berg

Director of Neuroscience at Neuronetrix

****.******@*****.***

Summary

I am interested in a systems neuroscience approach towards understanding the pathophysiology of psychiatric

and neurodegerative disorders. Studying the emergent properties of genetic and molecular abnormalities on

neural networks and behavioral deficits can provide great insight into these disorders. Towards this end, I am

currently studying network dysfunction associated with Alzheimer's disease via electroencephalography and

event related potentials. Additionally, my PhD thesis work focused on molecular and behavioral abnormalities

observed in a neurodevelopmental animal model of schizophrenia.

Experience

Director of Neuroscience at Neuronetrix, Inc.

April 2012 - Present (1 year 7 months)

• Prepare and edit study proposals, clinical procedures, and marketing literature (white papers) ensuring

scientific accuracy and incorporating current research publications

• Communicate the company’s technology capabilities to TPO’s for clinical and pharmaceutical research

• Design clinical studies using the COGNISION EEG/ERP System

• Analyze, interpret, and present data obtained from clinical studies

• Collaborate with IT to enhance and develop software for EEG/ERP data analysis and presentation

In Vivo Study Coordinator at Advanced Testing Laboratory

December 2010 - April 2012 (1 year 5 months)

• Trained all scientists at a large pharmaceutical company based in Indianapolis who were actively generating

non-GLP in vivo data to utilize in- house software to publish data to a database.

• Managed storage and retrieval of non-GLP in vivo data generated internally and externally for multiple

DHT’s.

• Collaborated with IT to resolve software bugs and develop program enhancements.

• Maintained metrics and updated the sharepoint site and infopath form used to request study data publication.

Biological Science Aid at USDA-ARS

May 2002 - August 2005 (3 years 4 months)

Assisted the PI in laboratory, greenhouse, and field research. Laboratory research included, but not limited

to, determination of soil microbial biomass, particular organic matter estimation, soil particle size

determination by sieving and sedimentation, and ELISA assays.

Courses

Doctor of Philosophy, Medical Neuroscience

Page1

Indiana University

Electrical Signaling and Ion Channel Biology MNEU-N 613

Neuropharmacology- Synaptic Transmission MNEU-N 615

Intracellular Signal Transduction MNEU-N 617

Neurotransmission, Dynamics, and Synaptic Plasticity MNEU-N 612

Integrative Neurophysiology MNEU-N 614

Developmental Biology of Neurons MNEU-N 616

Neuroanatomy ANAT-D 527

Neuropharmacology PHAR-F 809

Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience PSY 590

Psychopharmacology PSY-I 545

Projects

PhD Thesis: “Nicotine Use in Schizophrenia: a Part of the Cure or the Disease”

August 2007 to June 2011

Members:Sarah Berg

Assessed nicotine’s effect on cognition (radial arm maze), addiction liability (locomotor sensitization, IV

self-administration), and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression (receptor binding) in an animal model of

schizophrenia during two developmental time points (adolescence and adulthood).

PET Imaging Data Analysis

January 2006 to May 2006

Members:Sarah Berg

Created a GUI using Matlab to calculate binding potential from PET imaging data files using Logan Plot

analysis

Publications

Alcohol seeking and consumption in the NVHL neurodevelopmental rat model of schizophrenia.

Behavioural Brain Research April 15, 2011

Authors: Sarah Berg,, R Andrew Chambers

Alcohol abuse in schizophrenia exceeds rates in the general population and worsens illness outcomes.

Neonatal ventral hippocampal lesion (NVHL) rats model multiple schizophrenia dimensions including

addiction vulnerability. This study compared NVHL vs. SHAM-controls in operant alcohol seeking and

consumption. NVHLs enhanced consumption of combined ethanol/sucrose solution but neither ethanol or

sucrose only solutions, consistent with increased vulnerability specific to carbohydrate-laden alcohol

beverages typically consumed in early stages of human alcoholism.

Accentuated behavioral sensitization to nicotine in the neonatal ventral hippocampal lesion model of

schizophrenia.

Page2

Neuropharmacology June 2008

Authors: Sarah Berg, R Andrew Chambers

The prevalence of smoking in schizophrenia patients far exceeds that in the general population. Increased

vulnerability to nicotine and other drug addictions in schizophrenia may reflect the impact of developmental

limbic abnormalities on cortical-striatal mediation of behavioral changes associated with drug use. Rats with

neonatal ventral hippocampal lesions (NVHL), a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia, have

previously been shown to exhibit altered patterns of behavioral sensitization to both cocaine and ethanol. This

study explored nicotine sensitization in NVHLs by testing locomotor activity of NVHL versus

SHAM-operated controls over three weeks in response to nicotine (0.5 mg/kg) or saline injections (s.c.)

followed by a nicotine challenge delivered to all rats two weeks later. At the beginning of the initial injection

series, post-injection locomotor activation was indistinguishable among all treatment groups. However,

nicotine but not saline injections produced a progressive sensitization effect that was greater in NVHL rats

compared to SHAMs. In the challenge session, rats with previous nicotine history showed enhanced

locomotor activation to nicotine when compared to drug naïve rats, with NVHL-nicotine rats showing the

greatest degree of activity overall. These results demonstrate that NVHLs exhibit altered short-and long-term

sensitization profiles to nicotine, similar to altered long-term sensitization profiles produced by cocaine and

ethanol. Collectively, these findings suggest the neurodevelopmental underpinnings of schizophrenia produce

enhanced behavioral sensitization to addictive drugs as an involuntary and progressive neurobehavioral

process, independent of the acute psychoactive properties uniquely attributed to nicotine, cocaine, or alcohol.

“Effect of chronic nicotine on cognition and cortical-striatal nicotine receptor densities in the NVHL rat

model of schizophrenia.” (In preparation)

Authors: Sarah Berg, Alena Sentir, Cooley, B.S., Chambers, R.A.

“Potentiation of addiction vulnerability in rats with neonatal ventral hippocampal lesions

self-administering nicotine.” (In preparation).

Authors: Sarah Berg, Alena Sentir, Cooley, B.S., Chambers, R.A.

“Cortical-striatal gene expression in neonatal hippocampal lesion-amplified cocaine sensitization.” (In

preparation).

Genes, Brain, and Behavior

Authors: Sarah Berg, Alena Sentir, Chambers, R.A.

Skills & Expertise

Neuroscience

Neuropharmacology

Biomedical Engineering

Pharmacology

Data Analysis

Schizophrenia

Behavioral Science

Page3

Teaching Experience

Microsoft Excel

SharePoint

SPSS

GraphPad Prism

Matlab

Cognitive Neuroscience

EEG

Signal Processing

Addictions

Technical Writing

Alzheimer's disease

Software Project Management

Scientific Writing

Animal Models

In Vivo

Immunohistochemistry

Biochemistry

Lifesciences

PCR

Immunofluorescence

Cell Biology

Cell Culture

Molecular Biology

RT-PCR

Assay Development

Laboratory

Gel Electrophoresis

Clinical Trials

Western Blotting

Microbiology

Clinical Research

ELISA

Experimental Design

Histology

Science

Education

Indiana University

Doctor of Philosophy, Medical Neuroscience, 2005 - 2011

Grade: 3.8 on a 4.0 scale

Activities and Societies: • Association for Women in Science, 2006-08

• Mentor for incoming graduate students, 2007-09

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Bachelor of Science, Biological Systems Engineering, 2000 - 2005

Grade: 3.4 on a 4.0 scale

Activities and Societies: • Biomedical Engineering Society (2000-2005)

Page4

• Society of Women Engineers (2002-2005)

Page5

Sarah Berg

Director of Neuroscience at Neuronetrix

****.******@*****.***

Contact Sarah on LinkedIn

Page6

Contact this candidate