Vander Weele, C.V.

September 2011
CAITLIN M. VANDER WEELE
530 Church Street caitvw@umich.edu
University of Michigan 989-xxx-xxxx
Ann Arbor Michigan, 48109

Education
Dates Institution Degree
2007-2011 University of Michigan (Univ. Mich.) B.S. with High Distinction
Ann Arbor, Michigan Brain and Cognitive Sciences,
Highest Honors, GPA: 3.9 / 4.0
2003-2007 Frankenmuth High School GPA: 3.8
Frankenmuth, Michigan

Research Experience
Period Institution Position
2009 – present University of Michigan Laboratory Technician and Manager
Ann Arbor, Michigan Supervisor: Dr. Brandon J. Aragona

Summary: I started in Dr. Brandon J. Aragona's Lab as an undergraduate summer research assistant in
2009. During this time, I learned to conduct in vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry experiments. I collaborated
with graduate students and post-doctoral fellows on several projects before starting my own. My
independent honors thesis project recorded dopamine in response to opioid drugs of abuse and is in
preparation for journal submission. Now following graduation, I am a lab manager and I supervise a small
team of undergraduate researchers, conduct independent research, and manage laboratory supplies and
paperwork. I’m interested in pursuing a PhD in a laboratory studying the role of dopamine in various
motivated behaviors.

Grants, Awards, and Honors

Award Institution Period
Undergraduate Travel Award Faculty Undergraduate Neuroscience 2011

W.B. Pillsbury Award, Distinguished Thesis Department of Psychology, Univ. Mich. 2011

Best Poster Presentation (Biopsychology) Department of Psychology 2011

Honors Thesis Research Symposium Univ. Mich.
Albert Cain Honors Travel Award Department of Psychology, Univ. Mich. 2010

Martha Muenzer Memorial Award ($2,000 USD) Department of Psychology, Univ. Mich. 2010
Honors Program University of Michigan 2010 – 2011
James B. Angell Scholar University of Michigan 2010

University Honors University of Michigan 2007 – 2009

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September 2011

Research Articles
Porter-Stransky, K.A., Wescott, S.A., Hershman, M., Badrinarayan, A., Vander Weele, C.M., Lovic, V., &
Aragona, B.J. (2011). Cocaine must enter the brain to evoke unconditioned dopamine release within
the nucleus accumbens shell. Neuroscience Letters, 504, 13-17. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2011.08.028.

Abstracts

Vander Weele, C.M., Lovic, V., & Aragona, B.J. (2011). Rapid dopamine signaling in response to a shortacting
opiate, remifentanil. Society for Neuroscience. (41st Annual Meeting, Washington, District of Columbia).
Vander Weele, C.M., Lovic, V., & Aragona, B.J. (2011). Rapid dopamine release following administration of
short-acting opiate, remifentanil. University of Michigan Substance Abuse Research Center Member
Symposium. (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor).

Vander Weele, C.M., & Aragona, B.J. (2011). Real-time dopamine transmission within the nucleus accumbens
following opiate administration. Department of Psychology Honors Research Symposium. (University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor).

Vander Weele, C.M., Wescott, S.A., Badrinarayan A., & Khabbaz, R., Lovic, V., & Aragona, B.J. (2010). Real-
time dopamine transmission within nucleus accumbens core and shell following morphine delivery.
Society for Neuroscience. (40th Annual Meeting, San Diego, California).

Wescott, S.A., Badrinarayan, A., Vander Weele, C.M., Lovic, V., & Aragona, B.J. (2010). Dopaminereleasing
effect of cocaine is due to a central, not peripheral, action. Society for Neuroscience. (40th Annual
Meeting, San Diego, California).

Lovic, V., Vander Weele, C.M., Wescott, S.A., Aragona, B.J., & Robinson, T.E. (2010). Dopamine and
attraction to reward-related cues. Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Abstracts. (14th Annual
Meeting, Toronto, Ontario).

Skills
Surgical Procedures (rat): Stereotaxic surgery
Cranial cannulae implantation
Electrical stimulation electrode implantation (VTA)
Jugular vein catheter surgery

Technical Procedures (rat): Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV)

Carbon-fiber microelectrode fabrication
Intracranial mircoinjections / drug preparation

Histological Procedures: Brain extraction

Tissue sectioning – cryostat
Cresyl violet staining
Light microscopy

Software: Abobe Illustrator

GraphPad Prism & SPSS
MiniAnalysis
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)

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September 2011

References
Brandon J. Aragona, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
4040 East Hall, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104
aragona@umich.edu
(734) xxx-xxxx

Terry E. Robinson, Ph.D. - Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychology

4024 East Hall, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104
ter@umich.edu
(734) xxx-xxxx

Wayne Aldridge, Ph.D. - Professor of Biopsychology

4443 East Hall, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104
jwaynea@umich.edu
(734) xxx-xxxx