ANTHONY DUNN
Research Assistant
Berkeley,CA
Summary
Motivated and resourceful research assistant with a passionate interest in uncovering how the physical processes of the brain give rise to our phenomenal experience. As a transfer student and the first member of my family to pursue a university education, I have a diverse background of experience. However, my primary interest is driven by my insistent curiosity in the fields of behavioral, systems, and cognitive neuroscience.
Overview
2
2
years of post-secondary education
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Wilbrecht Lab
Berkeley, CA
10.2019 - Current
- Handling and training mice in behavioral experiments.
- Monitoring health and behavior of lab mice.
- Using fiber photometry neuroimaging to measure neural activity in freely-moving mice expressing genetically-encoded neurotransmitter receptors.
- Exploring, analyzing, and presenting fiber photometry data in MATLAB, R, and Python.
- Exploring, analyzing, and presenting behavioral data in MATLAB, R, and Python.
- Communicating and presenting scientific literature and preliminary data analysis.
- Exploring and organizing existing literature for the purpose of creating and testing new hypotheses in systems neuroscience.
- Preparing literature for reports and presentations.
- Performing statistical, qualitative and quantitative analysis in MATLAB, R, and Python.
- Designing and executing study approaches and literature reviews.
- Preparing histological slides of rodent brain slices
- Proposing new research in the investigation of dopaminergic modulation of cortico-striatal circuitry involved in learning, decision-making, and addiction.
- Relating animal (mouse) models of neural activity and behavior to human neural activity, behavior, and cognitive development.
Course Facilitator
Introduction To Psychedelic Science
Berkeley, CA
08.2020 - Current
- Co-designing a course syllabus.
- Co-creating an introductory survey course investigating the nature of the psychedelic experience, its effects on consciousness, its influence in western culture, its application in medicine, its history in indigenous societies, and its influence in science.
- Networking and establishing relationships with a diverse range of experts and influential figures in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, law, academic research, and education to lead class discussions and give guest lectures.
- Executing the process of establishing an official student-run undergraduate-level course at UC Berkeley.
- Creating assignments and projects.
- Grading assignments and projects.
- Facilitating course discussion.
- Providing guidance to students.
- Managing student concerns
Co-President
Psychedelic Science At Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
03.2020 - Current
- Co-organizing a registered student organization with the purpose of cultivating professional and academic relationships, curiosity, and community with the interest of exploring psychedelic science and medicine as tools for healing and responsible self-exploration.
- Establishing and maintaining relationships with professionals and academics in various fields relating to psychedelic therapy, science, and policy/law.
- Organizing various campus projects from journal clubs to speaker events.
- Co-creating a pipeline to preserve the structure of the club and ensure its legacy through future generations of students.
- Co-creating a space for discourse on a broad range of topics relating to psychedelic compounds and their place in society
- Co-creating a democratic system of self-governance
Business Owner/Operator
Son Of A Dunn Gutter Cleaning
Santa Rosa, CA
06.2015 - 08.2019
- Created and cultivated a loyal clientele base for over four years of business operation.
- Managed relationships with homeowners by communicating and solving problems related to roof and gutter system maintenance.
- Cleaned and maintained roof and rain gutter systems.
- Installed premium rain gutter screen.
- Assessed and repaired rain gutter systems.
- Managed company finances.
- Estimated work bids and drafted job proposals.
- Sold job proposals to clients and homeowners.
Estimator and Journeyman Installer
Dunn Seamless Gutters
Santa Rosa, CA
06.2013 - 08.2019
- Communicated directly with clients to solve problems related to rain gutter system installation and repair.
- Estimated job bids.
- Made key decisions in consultations with homeowners and clients regarding work implementation strategies.
- Installed rain gutter and metal roof systems in homes and buildings.
- Fabricated and installed custom sheet metal appliances for a variety of home improvement, maintenance, and repair projects, as well as for new home and commercial building construction.
Physiology Tutor
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, CA
08.2018 - 12.2018
- Communicated and interpreted concepts and material in human physiology courses to students in pre-nursing, radiology, and other health- and science-related programs.
- Collaborated with students to implement more effective study strategies
- Met with six students weekly to keep track of their academic progress and make necessary adjustments to facilitate improvement in test scores and overall class performance.
Head Coach
North Bay Youth Football And Cheer
Sebastopol, CA
06.2016 - 11.2016
- Volunteered to lead a youth football team of children between the ages of six and nine.
- Created and implemented game strategies.
- Managed and delegated tasks of other coaches on the team.
- Communicated and managed concerns with parents and coaches of other teams.
- Designed practice schedules.
- Modeled good virtues and behavior for children at an impressionable and critical period of development.
Education
Associate of Arts - Psychology
01.2021 - 12.2021
Psychology
08.2019 - Current
Skills
Data Analysis
Literature reviews
Meeting participation
Research reporting
Experiment development
Research design
Database searches
Running experiments
Fiber photometry data analysis
Behavioral data analysis
Data collection and organization
Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)
Teaching/tutoring expertise in undergraduate-level human physiology
Clear and insightful communication of complex concepts in biological and psychological sciences
Leadership skills
Expansion and cultivation of support networks through careful execution of interpersonal communication techniques
Team management and delegating
Team cooperation and compromise
Creative writing
Deepening the understanding of "big picture" concepts with detailed empirical information by cohesively integrating quantitative data with a broader theoretical framework
Professional writing
Critical thinking
Creative problem solving and strategy development
Establishing and maintaining relationships in professional industries and academia
Creative thinking within rule-based projects and systems in service industries and in science
Client assessment and analysis
Strong verbal communication
Strong interpersonal skills
Exploratory data analysis in MATLAB, R, and Python
Strong presentation skills
Insatiable curiosity
Self-motivated
Application of philosophical reasoning in science
Connecting detailed information to abstract concepts in science and in everyday life
Curriculum Development
Experiential learning
Classroom management
Lesson Planning
Accomplishments
- Graduated on Dean's List Highest Honors from Santa Rosa Junior College
- Term Honor: Dean's List-College Of Letters & Science at UC Berkeley
- Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow at UC Berkeley
Affiliations
- Member, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
Additional Information
Cumulative GPA: 4.00
Hobbies
Outside my academic pursuits, I enjoy a wide variety of outdoor activities that include hiking, fishing, archery, hunting, camping, off-road motorcycling, and snowboarding. I seek adventure and am always open to new ideas, activities, and experiences. Despite my eclectic interests in recreational activities however, most of my time outside academia is spent practicing the martial art of Muay Thai. Thai boxing, as its also known, is a striking art similar to kickboxing in which practitioners have the freedom to use their entire body as a weapon, utilizing punches, kicks, knees, elbows, clinch-work, and certain types of throws to neutralize an opponent. My experience with this sacred art and with the Thai Buddhist culture imbedded in it has done more to deepen my sense of self-knowledge than any activity I've engaged with over the course of my life, barring academics. To push the limits of my own mind and body to the extremes necessary to engage in unarmed combat with another individual has dramatically reshaped my sense of who I am. Through this sport, I have learned the truth about self-imposed limitations and the complexity of the most intense human emotions, forcing myself to expand far beyond what I thought I was capable of. I take this heart, tenacity, patience, and mindfulness that I've cultivated in my gym with my team, and bring it into my work in the lab, in the classroom, in my relationships, and into my everyday experience. Muay Thai is much more than a sport to me. It is a sacred practice. It is meditation, discipline, and character development. Muay Thai is an exercise in humility, honesty, self-awareness, respect, confidence, and self-compassion. It strengthens my capacity to bring passion into everything else I do.
Timeline
Santa Rosa Junior College - Associate of Arts, Psychology
01.2021 - 12.2021
Course Facilitator - Introduction To Psychedelic Science
08.2020 - Current
Co-President - Psychedelic Science At Berkeley
03.2020 - Current
Undergraduate Research Assistant - Wilbrecht Lab
10.2019 - Current
University Of California, Berkeley - , Psychology
08.2019 - Current
Physiology Tutor - Santa Rosa Junior College
08.2018 - 12.2018
Head Coach - North Bay Youth Football And Cheer
06.2016 - 11.2016
Business Owner/Operator - Son Of A Dunn Gutter Cleaning
06.2015 - 08.2019
Estimator and Journeyman Installer - Dunn Seamless Gutters
06.2013 - 08.2019