1. Arielle Farrah Herman
Objective
A long-term goal of mine in neuroscience research is to investigate the clinical translatability of
synaptic function and neuroplasticity to the talking therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy
setting. The goal would be to gain insight on the neural mechanisms of affective and personality
developmental deficiencies, and to devise non-pharmaceutical therapeutic interventions based on
these insights. This would involve investigating the synaptic and neuroplastic implications of
various talking therapies, as well as mindfulness, meditation, and creative self-expression. Because
affective processes are difficult to observe neurologically, I would be interested in studying stroke,
central nervous system injury, addictive disorders, developmental disorders, neurodegeneration,
and epilepsy as steps toward understanding more about the mechanisms of neuroplasticity.
My interests in neuroscience and psychology are far-ranging, with past experience including
research on THC-related schizophrenia development, spinal cord c-Fos expression during anxiety-
induced analgesia, and gender differences in the impact of traumatic brain injury on aggression and
depression. I have clinical experience with schizophrenic psychiatry patients, and research
experience in a large-scale clinical study on major depressive disorder and PTSD. I have engaged
in extensive academic research on the neurophysiological and psychoacoustical correlates of
musical chills, Alzheimer’s applications of dorsomedial prefrontal cortex mediation of melody and
autobiographical memory, temporal distancing from past conceptions of the self to construct self-
esteem, developmental underpinnings of sexual deviancy, the impact of psychologically controlling
parenting styles on adolescent identity exploration, and the exercise-dependent upregulation of
BDNF and hippocampal neuroplasticity following traumatic brain injury.
Education
Haverford College
Psychology Major, Neuroscience Minor
9/2012 – Present; Anticipated graduation: 5/2016
Relevant Coursework: Neurobiology of Disease, Biological Psychology, Lab in Cognitive Neuroscience, Cell
Structure and Function (two semesters), Chemical Dynamics, Chemical Structure and Bonding, Experimental
Methods and Statistics in Psychology, Human Cognition, Psychology of Music, Applied Behavior Analysis,
Psychology of Time, Philosophy of Creativity, Psych of Human Sexuality, Philosophy of Consciousness, Self &
Identity, Foundations of Psychology
Awards
The E. Clyde Lutton 1966 Memorial Fund (November 2014 – Present)
I was awarded a $3,000 grant to create an interactive performance piece that aims to dovetail
neuroscience and music. The project, which I proposed and am working on independently,
implicates neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, computer science, engineering, visual arts, and
performance. I will be performing music live for four hours, two nights in a row, and there will
be a station at which viewers of the performance can be hooked up to an EEG device, and have
their brainwaves projected onto a wall. Viewers will be able to turn a dial to change the
frequency of a specific part of the music, which will algorithmically control a blinking light.
This light will be placed at the EEG station, where electrodes will be detecting visual
entrainment to the light in surface occipital neurons of people who choose to participate. The

2. brainwave data will also be streaming through an amplitude-dependent music visualizer, which
will be projected on the wall. Thus, a viewer of the performance will be able to turn a dial to
control an aspect of the music and see how they are altering the neural activity of another viewer.
The aim of the performance is to demonstrate the inseparable nature of subjective experience,
aesthetic experience, and neurological activity.
Learn more about the project here: http://newhive.com/qualiatik/qualia
Research Experience
Research Assistant, Ramesh Raghupathi Lab, Drexel University, College of Medicine (July –
August 2014)
Worked in Dr. Ramesh Raghupathi’s Neurobiology and Anatomy Brain Injury Laboratory. The
study aimed to investigate the impact of both closed-head concussions and lobotomy procedures
on aggression and depression in male and female mice. Measures of aggression and depression
were taken using behavioral assessments and in vivo voltammetry. I presented the progress of
this study at weekly lab meetings with Dr. Raghupathi.
6/2014 – 7/2014
Research Assistant, Center for Psychotherapy Research at the Perelman School of Medicine
(June – August 2014)
Worked under Dr. Paul Crits-Cristoph at the Center for Psychotherapy Research on a
government-funded AHRQ study aiming to assess the efficacy of psychodynamic and cognitive-
behavioral treatments in individuals diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder.
Clinical Shadow, Steven J. Siegel, MD, PhD, Psychiatry Practice (June–August 2013)
Shadowed Dr. Steven Siegel at psychiatry appointments with schizophrenic patients through the
course of June to August. Engaged in one-on-one conversations with the patients at each
appointment. Was guided by Dr. Siegel in regards to therapeutic strategies for these patients.
Research Assistant, Steven J, Siegel Lab, Translational Neuroscience Program at the Perelman
School of Medicine (June – August 2013)
Worked in Dr. Steven Siegel’s Neuropsychiatry and Psychopharmacology Lab studying the
dopaminergic impact of adolescent exposure to THC in rodents with one NMDA receptor KO
parent (the mouse model for schizophrenia). The study also aimed to investigate the efficacy of
intervention by both acute and chronic reserpine administration. Responsibilities included:
stereotaxic electrode implantation surgery; drug preparation and injection; performing
electroencephalograms and behavioral analyses; designing and directing aspects of the study
throughout its execution; data collection and analysis; execution of MATLAB programs for data
collection; organization of data into clear, concise, and visually appealing graphical formats;
verbal presentation of methods and findings at weekly lab meetings. Study was executed by a
PhD candidate and myself; on many days only I was present in the laboratory.

3. The Acupuncture Office of John P. Kohler, MD (June – July 2012)
Studied the neurological mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia. This served as an informative
extension of the analgesia research I performed in Dr. Wendy Sternberg’s lab that same summer.
The Behavioral Neuroscience Lab of Wendy Sternberg, PhD (May – June 2012)
Studied the analgesic effect of perceived social threat in male rodents by assessing c-Fos
expression in the dorsal root ganglion of the spinal cord. Responsibilities included: castrations;
transcardial perfusion surgeries; spinal cord extraction; freezing and sectioning spinal cords
using a cryostat; analyzing c-fos expression using immunohistochemistry techniques; performing
behavioral assessments; drug preparation and injection; data collection and analysis. Executed
the study independently in the laboratory, and presented it to my high school.
The Behavioral Neuroscience Lab of Wendy Sternberg, PhD (June – July 2011)
Studied pain and anxiety behaviors of mice raised in environments with varying degrees of
enrichment and society. Responsibilities included: performing cerebrectomies; performing
transcardial perfusion surgeries; performing behavioral assessments; sectioning and mounting of
brain tissue; drug preparation and injection; data collection and analysis.
Skills
Behavioral assessment:
Able to perform and analyze behavioral tests, including the T maze, water maze, resident
intruder, tail suspension, elevated plus maze, forced swim test, locomotor activity test, and
pre-pulse inhibition.
Rodent operations:
Able to perform subcutaneous and intraperitoneal injections.
Able to perform stereotaxic electrode implantation surgeries.
Able to perform transcardial perfusion surgeries and successfully remove perfused brains
and spinal cords.
Able to perform castration surgeries.
Cellular analysis:
Able to section brain tissue and analyze using immunohistochemistry techniques, in situ
hybridization, and Western blotting.
Able to freeze and section spinal cords using a cryostat.
Able to use fluorescence microscopy, light microscopy, SDS-PAGE analysis, and the
ELISA assay.
Statistical analysis:
Able to use Microsoft Axis and Excel for data entry and basic analysis.
Able to perform statistical assessments using SPSS.
EEG testing:
Able to run both human and rodent EEG tests.
Able to program basic tasks on E Prime to be used in EEG testing.
Technology
Skilled at using and deciphering many forms of software.
Skilled at organizing data into clear, concise, and visually appealing graphical formats.
Language
Proficient in Spanish