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AvinashRaoVaidya
ContactInformation
Address:
MetcalfResearchBuilding
190ThayerStreet
Providence,RI,USA
02912
Email:[email protected] Citizenship:USA
Employment
Postdoctoralresearchassociate,2016-present
DepartmentofCognitive,LinguisticandPsychologicalSciences
BrownUniversity
Providence,RI
Education
Graduate:
PhDinNeuroscience,2010-2016
McGillUniversity
Montreal,QC
DepartmentofNeurologyandNeurosurgery
Thesis:“FrontalLobeContributionstoAttentioninRewardLearningandDecisionMaking”
GPA:4.00outof4.00
Undergraduate:
BScinNeuroscienceandPsychology.Summacumlaude,2006-2010
UrsinusCollege.Collegeville,PA
MinorinBiology
GPA:
3.90outof4.00
ResearchExperience
November2016topresent
Postdoctoralresearchassociate
BrownUniversity
Providence,RhodeIsland
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Supervisor:Dr.DavidBadre
IamcurrentlyapostdoctoralresearchassociateworkingwithDr.DavidBadre.My
workwillfocusonhowvalueinformationisconstructedforcomplexstimuli.
September2011toAugust2016
Doctoralstudent,DepartmentofNeurologyandNeurosurgery
McGillUniversity
Montreal,Quebec
Supervisor:Dr.LesleyFellows
MydoctoralthesiswithDr.LesleyFellowsfocusedontheeffectsoffocalfrontallobe
damageinhumanpatientsonattentionalprocessesduringdecision-makingand
associativelearning.Inthiswork,Iusedbehavioraltesting,eye-trackingand
magnetoencephalographyinpatientsandhealthycontrolsubjects.
Outsideofmythesiswork,Ialsostudiedtheeffectsofprefrontaldamageon
explorationofemotionalfacesthrougheye-movements,andtheconcomitanteffects
onemotionrecognition.
January2014
VisitingScholar,DepartmentofPsychology
UniversityofPennsylvania
Philadelphia,Pennsylvania
Supervisor:Dr.JosephKable
IvisitedthelaboratoryofDr.JosephKabletocollectdataformythesisproject.I
testedpatientswithfrontallobedamagewhowerepartoftheUniversityof
PennsylvaniaCognitiveNeurosciencedatabase.
August2010toAugust2011
RotationStudent,IntegratedPrograminNeuroscience
McGillUniversity
Montreal,Quebec
IcompletedrotationswithDrs.LisaKoski,LesleyFellowsandMartinLepageduring
myrotationyearintheIntegratedPrograminNeurosciencerotationprogramfor
thefirstyearofmygraduatestudies.
August2008toMay2010
Honorsresearch,NeuroscienceProgramandDepartmentofPsychology
UrsinusCollege
Collegeville,Pennsylvania
Supervisor:Dr.JoelP.Bish
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Iconductedanindependent,distinguishedhonorsresearchprojectonaperceptual
phenomenonknownassynesthesia.Ialsotookontheresponsibilitiesoflab
supervisor,coordinatingotherresearchprojectsandhelpingtrainstudentsin
collectingandanalyzingdata.
MaytoAugust2008
Summerfellow,DepartmentofPharmacologyandPhysiology
DrexelUniversityCollegeofMedicine
Philadelphia,Pennsylvania
Supervisor:Dr.OlimpiaMeucci
IworkedasasummerfellowinthelaboratoryofDr.OlimpiaMeucci,investigating
theinvitrolocalizationofleucine-richacidicnucleicprotein(LANP)inratcortical
neuronsandcharacterizeitsroleinneuronsurvival.Thisresearchwasconducted
aspartoftheSummerUndergraduateResearchFellowshipprogramatDrexel
UniversityCollegeofMedicine.
JulytoAugust2007
Volunteer,DepartmentofBiologicalSciences
TataInstituteofFundamentalResearch
Mumbai,India
Supervisor:Dr.ViditaA.Vaidya
IworkedforthreeandahalfweeksinthelaboratoryofDr.ViditaA.Vaidya,
examiningchangesinhippocampalneurogenesisinmaternallydeprivedratsand
recombinantmice.
Relatedworkexperience
Winter2013,Fall2014,2015
Teachingassistant(2013),Headteachingassistant(2014-2015)
DepartmentofNeurologyandNeurosurgery
McGillUniversity
Montreal,Quebec
Asateachingassistant,Iinstructedmedicalstudentsduringdissectionofthecranial
cavityandbrainsinhumancadavers.Ialsohelpedleadreviewsessionsoutsideof
regularclasshoursforstudentsstudyingfortheirexams.Asheadteachingassistant,
Iwasalsoresponsibleforreviewinganatomyandthedissectionprocesswiththe
otherteachingassistants,andleadingtheclassthroughthedissection.
August2009toMay2010
NeuroscienceTeachingAssistant
UrsinusCollege
Collegeville,Pennsylvania
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Iworkedasateachingassistantinanintroductoryneurosciencelaboratorycourse
(NEUR120)forthespringsemesterof2010andthefallsemesterof2009.Myduties
includedhelpingstudentsinthelaboratory,facilitatingdiscussions,evaluating
studentpresentationsandgradingexams.
September2008toMay2010
BiologyTutor
UrsinusCollege
Collegeville,Pennsylvania
Iworkedasanon-campustutorforundergraduatebiologystudentsatUrsinus
College.ItutoredsevenstudentsinGeneticsandBiologyoftheCell(BIO-201),Cell
BiologyandGeneticsofHealthandDisease(BIO-102),andIssuesinEcologyand
Evolution(BIO-101)overtwoacademicyears.
July2007,January2009
Illustrator
DrexelUniversityCollegeofMedicine
Philadelphia,Pennsylvania
TataInstituteofFundamentalResearch
Mumbai,India
IproducedseveralfiguresforareviewarticleinAnnualReviewofMicrobiology,
VaidyaAB,MatherMW(2009)MitochondrialEvolutionandFunctionsinMalaria
Parasites.AnnualReviewofMicrobiologyandinCNSandNeurologicalDisorders:
DrugTargets,VaidyaVA,VadodariaKC,JhaS(2007)Neurotransmitterregulationof
adultneurogenesis:Putativetherapeutictargets.CNSandNeurologicaldisorders:
DrugTargets6(5):358-374).
HonorsandAwards
TomGevasStudentTravelAwardfromtheMontrealNeurologicalInstitutefor
attendanceoftheFourthquadrennialmeetingonOFCfunction,2015($1500)
McGillUniversityIntegratedPrograminNeuroscienceExcellenceAward,2015
($2000)
JeanneTimminsCostelloFellowshipawardedbytheMontrealNeurologicalInstitute
(Sept2015-August2016)($10,000)
GraduateResearchEnhancementandTravelAwardfromMcGillUniversityfor
attendanceoftheannualmeetingoftheSocietyforNeuroeconomics,2015($500)
KenelmM.WinslowStudentTravelAwardfortraveltotheAnnualMeetingofthe
SocietyforNeuroscience,2014($1500)
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DesjardinsOutstandingStudentAward,IntegratedPrograminNeuroscience,McGill
University(Sept2014-August2015)($20,000)
2013MEGStudyCompetitionatMcGillUniversity(selectedfromover20other
proposedstudiesintheMontrealarea)–Awarded10freeMEGrecordingsandMRIs
attheBrainImagingCenter(Approx.$9000invalue).
FacultyofMedicineInternalStudentshipfromMcGillUniversity(Sept2012-August
2013)($12,000)
FacultyofMedicineInternalStudentshipfromMcGillUniversity(Sept2011-August
2012)($12,000)
GraduateResearchEnhancementandTravelAwardfromMcGillUniversityfor
attendanceofthe40thannualSocietyforNeuroscienceConference,2010($500)
RecruitmentawardfromtheIntegratedPrograminNeuroscienceatMcGill
University,2010($10,000)
InductedintothePhiBetaKappanationalhonorssociety,2010
Individualposteraward,1stAnnualLehighValleySocietyforNeuroscience
Conference,2010
AwardedfundingfromtheWorkingGroupforUndergraduateResearchatUrsinus
Collegeforresearchonthecognitiveanddevelopmentalaspectsofsynesthesiafor
thefallsemesterof2009($150)
InductedintoNuRhoPsi,theNationalHonorSocietyinNeuroscience,2009
AwardedSummerUndergraduateResearchFellowshipatDrexelUniversityCollege
ofMedicine,2008($3000)
Dean’sHonorList(UrsinusCollege),eachsemesterfromFall2006toSpring2010
Publications
VaidyaA.R.,Sefranek,M.,andFellowsL.K.Artjudgmentsafterventromedialfrontal
lobedamagerevealdissociablecomponentsofsubjectivevalue.Inpreparation.
VaidyaA.R,.FellowsL.K..TheNeuropsychologyofDecision-Making:AViewFrom
theFrontalLobes,inDecisionNeuroscience.1stedition.DreherJ.,TremblayL.,ed.
London,UK:Elsevier.(2016).Chapter22,;p.277-289.
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VaidyaA.R.,andFellowsL.K.(2016).Necessarycontributionsofhumanfrontal
lobesub-regionstorewardlearninginadynamic,multidimensionalenvironment.
JournalofNeuroscience.36(38):9843-9858.PMID:27656023.
VaidyaA.R.,andFellowsL.K.2015.Testingnecessaryregionalfrontal
contributionstovalueassessmentandfixation-basedupdating.Nature
Communications,6:10120.PMID:26658289.
VaidyaA.R.,andFellowsL.K.(2015).Ventromedialfrontaldamageinhumans
reducesattentionalprimingofrewardedvisualfeatures.TheJournalof
Neuroscience,35(37).PMID:26377468.
VaidyaA.R.Neuralmechanismsforundoingthe“curseofdimensionality.”(2015).
TheJournalofNeuroscience,35(35).PMID:26338319.
VaidyaA.R.,Jin,C.,andFellowsL.K.(2014).Eyespy:Thepredictivevalueof
fixationpatternsindetectingsubtleandextremeemotionsfromfaces.Cognition,
133(2).PMID:25151253.
HochmanE.Y.,*VaidyaA.R.,*andFellowsL.K.(2014).Evidenceofaroleforthe
dorsalanteriorcingulatecortexindisengagingfromanincorrectresponse.PLoS
One,9(6).PMID:24968256.
*Theseauthorscontributedequallytothisstudy
Khan,MZ.,Vaidya,A.,andMeucci,O.(2011).CXCL12-mediatedregulationof
ANP32A/Lanp,acomponentofINHATcomplex,incorticalneurons.Journalof
NeuroimmunePharmacology,6(1).PMID:20617464.
Kaas,B.VaidyaA.R.,LeathermanA.,SchleidtS.andKohnR.E.(2010).Technical
Report:Exploringthebasisofcongenitalmyasthenicsyndromesinan
undergraduatecourse,usingthemodelorganism,Caenorhabditiselegans.
InvertebrateNeuroscience,10(1).PMID:20431904.
VaidyaA.R.,GurenlianL.,BradyL.,ErinRomeroN.andKohnR.(2009).
CardioactiveeffectsofdiphenhydramineandcurcumininDaphniamagna.IMPULSE.
(E-Pub).
InvitedPresentations
Accountingfortaste:effectsofhumanfrontallobedamageonvaluationanddecisionmaking.TataInstituteforFundamentalResearch,2016.
Preferenceisboughtbyjudgmentoftheeye:Frontallobecontributionstovalue
judgmentandupdating.NorthwesternUniversity,2016.
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Effectsoffrontallobedamageonattentioninreward-learninganddecision-making.
ColumbiaUniversity,2016.
Effectsoffrontallobedamageonattentioninreward-learninganddecision-making.
BrownUniversity,2016.
Frontallobecontributionstoattentioninrewardlearninganddecision-making.Moss
RehabilitationResearchInstitute,2016.
Frontallobecontributionstoattentioninlearninganddecision-making.Universityof
Pennsylvania,2015.
Effectsofprefrontaldamageonvalueupdating.McGillUniversityIntegrated
PrograminNeuroscienceRetreat,2015.
Testingeffectsofrewardprimingonattention.MEG@McGillTrainingSession,
MontrealNeurologicalInstitute,2015.
PlatformPresentations
*PresentingAuthor
VaidyaA.R.*FellowsL.K.Followthemoney!Ventromedialfrontaldamageaffects
attentionalprimingofrewardedfeaturesduringvisualsearch.Presentedatthe
MontrealNeurologicalInstituteNeuropsychologyDay,2015.
VaidyaA.R.*FellowsL.K.Likethelookofit?Dorsomedialprefrontaldamage
increasestheinfluenceofvisualfixationsinvalue-basedchoice.CognitionandCircuits
lectureseries,MontrealNeurologicalInstitute,2015.
McGuireJ.T.,Mukherjee,D.,Kazinka,R.VaidyaA.R.,andKableJ.W.Altered
willingnesstowaitfordelayedrewardsinthecontextofpsychopathologyorfocal
braininjury.AcceptedattheannualmeetingoftheSocietyforNeuroeconomics,
2014.
VaidyaA.R.*Testingthecontributionsoforbitofrontalcortextoattentivedecisionmaking.PresentedattheMontrealNeurologicalInstituteNeuropsychologyDay,
2014.
VaidyaA.R.*Seeing‘T’s’ofGreen,Red‘O’s’Too,‘I’and‘C’areBlue,samefor‘E’and
‘U’:theWonderfulWorldofSynesthesia.PresentedattheFifthAnnualCelebrationof
StudentAchievement,UrsinusCollege,Collegeville,Pennsylvania,2010.
VaidyaA.R.*IlluminatingLANPanditsroleitratcorticalneuronsurvival.Presented
attheDrexelUniversityCollegeofMedicineSummerUndergraduateResearch
FellowshipSeminar,Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,2008.
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PosterPresentations
*PresentingAuthor
VaidyaA.R.*,SefranekM.andFellows,L.K.Deconstructingtheaestheticbrain:
Effectsofprefrontaldamageontheweightingofartattributesduringvaluejudgment.
Acceptedatthe46thannualCognitiveNeuroscienceSocietyMeeting,2016.
VaidyaA.R.*andFellows,L.K.Effectsofdamagetohumanprefrontalcortexon
learninginadynamic,multidimensionalenvironment.PresentedattheFourth
quadrennialmeetingonOFCfunction,2015.
VaidyaA.R.*andFellows,L.K.Choiceisboughtbyjudgmentoftheeye:Necessary
prefrontalcontributionstovalueupdatingduringdecision-making.Presentedatthe
SocietyforNeuroeconomicsAnnualMeeting2015.
VaidyaA.R.,*andFellows,LK.Testingorbitofrontalcontributionstoformationofa
value-basedattentionalsetinatwodimensionprobabilisticreversal-learningtask.
Presentedatthe44thannualmeetingoftheSocietyforNeuroscience,2014.
VaidyaA.R.,*andFellowsL.K.Lookmeintheeye:Anin-depthinvestigationof
fixationpatternstoemotionalfacesinpatientswithprefrontaldamage.Presentedat
the21stannualCognitiveNeuroscienceSocietyMeeting,2014.
VaidyaA.R.,*HochmanE.Y.,YuL.Q.andFellowsL.K.Measuringinhibitionbylocking
event-relatedpotentialstounexecutedresponses:estimatingknownunknownsusing
knownknownsinthebrain.Presentedatthe20thannualCognitiveNeuroscience
SocietyMeeting,2013.
VaidyaA.R.,*HochmanE.Y.andFellowsL.K.AbutterflyinBrazil:errorinhibitionisa
localprocesswithglobaleffects.Presentedatthe42ndannualSocietyfor
NeuroscienceConference,2012.
YuL.Q.,VaidyaA.R.,HochmanE.Y.andFellowsL.K.ANovelApproachtoStudying
EndogenouslyTriggeredResponseInhibition.PresentedattheMontrealNeurological
InstituteNeuropsychologyDay,2012.
VaidyaA.R.,*HochmanE.Y.andFellowsL.K.Within-trialdissociationoferror
inhibitionandvolitionalresponseinhibitioninapatientwithdamagetotheright
inferiorfrontalgyrus.Presentedatthe19thannualCognitiveNeuroscienceSociety
Meeting,2012.
VaidyaA.R.,*HochmanE.Y.andFellowsL.K.Challengingtheerror-correctmismatch
hypothesisoftheERN:Preliminaryevidencethattheerror-relatednegativityismore
sensitivetotherepresentationoftheerrorthantothecorrectresponse.Presentedat
the41stannualSocietyforNeuroscienceConference,2011.
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VaidyaA.R.,*HochmanE.Y.andFellowsL.K.Theerror-relatednegativityreflects
behavioraladjustment,nottheevaluationofresponseoutcome.Presentedatthe
McGillUniversityIntegratedPrograminNeuroscienceRetreat,2011.
YusufA,SussexR,WhatleyB,VaidyaA,KoskiL.CorticalInhibitionandCognitive
FatigueinMultipleSclerosis.17thAnnualMeetingoftheOrganizationforHuman
BrainMapping,2011.
BishJ.P.,DoughertyK.A.,MeeleyL.E.,BrennerS.,PowersC.andVaidyaA.R.*An
ElectroencephalographicInvestigationofAutomaticityinGrapheme-color
Synesthesia.PresentedattheAssociationforPsychologicalScience23rdAnnual
Convention,2011.
BishJ.P.,VaidyaA.R.,*DoughertyK.andMeeleyL.Seeing‘T’s’ofGreen,Red‘O’s’Too,
‘I’and‘C’areBlue,samefor‘E’and‘U’:theWonderfulWorldofSynesthesia.Presented
atthe40thannualSocietyforNeuroscienceConference,2010.(Selectedforpress
conferenceatevent).
VaidyaA.R.,*DoughertyK.A.andBishJ.P.Seeing‘T’s’ofGreen,Red‘O’s’Too,‘I’and
‘C’areBlue,samefor‘E’and‘U’:theWonderfulWorldofSynesthesia.Presentedatthe
1stAnnualLehighValleySocietyforNeuroscienceConference,2010.
VaidyaA.R.,*MeeleyL.E.,Pall,M.J.,Ramsey,S.J.andBish,J.P.OzcomestoKansas:
behavioraleffectsofgrapheme-colorassociationsamongnon-synesthetes.Presented
atthe1stAnnualLehighValleySocietyforNeuroscienceConference,2010.
VaidyaA.R.,*HartlA.,PallM.andBishJ.Inhibition,Maturation,Memoryand
Synesthesia.PresentedatDrexelUniversityCollegeofMedicine:DiscoveryDay
2009.
HartlA.,VaidyaA.,PallM.andBishJ.NeurocognitiveCorrelatesoftheDevelopment
ofObsessiveCompulsiveDisorderandAttentionDeficit/HyperactivityDisorder.Drexel
UniversityCollegeofMedicine:DiscoveryDay2009.
KhanM.Z.,VaidyaA.andMeucciO.RegulationofLANP/ANP32Abythechemokine
CXCL12anditsroleinneuronalsurvival.DrexelUniversityCollegeofMedicine:
DiscoveryDay2009.
Adhocreviewer
SocialCognitiveandAffectiveNeuroscience
HumanBrainMapping
PLoSOne
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Mentoringexperience
Student
GrayJin,Neuroscience
independentresearch
project
DavidBenrimoh,McGill
FacultyofMedicine,
Summerresearchproject
AlexandraTighe,
Psychologyhonorsproject
AndrasLenart,Cognitive
sciencesresearchproject
Dates
Winter2012
Project
Facescanningpatternsof
healthyindividuals
Summer2013
Monitoringattention
duringdecision-making
Fall2013-Winter2014
Effectsoffeatureprimingin
decision-making
Behavioralmeasuresof
post-errorcontrol
Attributesunderlyingvalue
judgmentfollowing
prefrontaldamage
Roleofpartisanshipin
politicaldecision-making
Winter2014
MarcusSefranek,Summer
researchstudent
May-August2015
MatthewSatterthwaite
Fall2015-Winter2016
Popularscience
Anewsstoryaboutthepublication“Testingnecessaryregionalfrontalcontributions
tovalueassessmentandfixation-basedupdating”waspickedupbymultiplenews
outlets,includingScienceDailyandLaPresse.
Igaveapresentationtitled“SeeingT’sofGreen,RedO’sToo,‘I’and‘C’AreBlue,
Samefor‘E’And‘U’:TheWonderfulWorldofSynesthesia”aspartofanews
conferenceheadlinedHearingColors,SeeingSounds:NewResearchExploresSensory
OverlapintheBrainatthe40thannualSocietyforNeuroscienceConference,2010.
IcontributedaninterviewforanarticleonsynesthesiainTheCharlton,Carleton
University’sstudentnewspaper(2010).
Volunteerwork
Winter2012
BrainReachVolunteer
McGillUniverisity
Montreal,Quebec
Spring2011
BrainAwarenessDayVolunteer
MontrealNeurologicalInstitute
Montreal,Quebec
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SeptembertoNovember2008
VolunteerfortheBarackObamapresidentialcampaign
May2006
VolunteeratFairHillCemetery