Curriculum Vitae

Email: ezrak@bu.edu

Phone: (207)-592-2141

EDUCATION

08/2022 – Present PhD in Biology – Neurobiology, Boston University

09/2021 - 08/2022 MS in Biology - Cellular and Molecular Biology, Boston University

08/2018 - 12/2020 BS Science in Biology, University of Missouri- Saint Louis

  • Certificate of Neuroscience

  • Cumulative GPA: 3.98

08/2017 - 08/2018 Completed coursework toward BS in Biology and BA in Music, Lindenwood University

08/2015 - 01/2017 Completed coursework toward BS in Human Biology and BA in Music Performance, University of Southern Maine

RESEARCH INTERESTS

  • The neuropharmacology of psychedelics

  • The use of animal models to elucidate human cognition and sociality

  • The use of super-resolution microscopy to investigate the nanoscale organization of neuronal machinery

  • The development of efficacious therapies for anxiety, depression, neurogenerative diseases, and neurodevelopmental disorders

RESEARCH POSITIONS

08/2023 – Present, Graduate Research Associate

  • “Using mesoscopic calcium imaging to elucidate psychedelic induced relief from anxiety and depression” Dr. Ian Davison, Department of Biology at Boston University

11/2021 - 08/2023, Graduate Research Associate

  • “Dysregulation of GluR1 containing AMPAR trafficking caused by increased expression of the schizophrenia-associated gene C4 induces pathological synaptic loss” Dr. Alberto Cruz-Martin, Department of Biology at Boston University

03/2021 - 07/2021, Research Technician I

  • “The use of autophagy mediated degradation of tau via anti-tau intrabodies to combat tauopathies” Dr. Gilbert Gallardo, Department of Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

08/2020 - 02/2021, Undergraduate Research Assistant

  • “Differential gene expression of Halictus ligatus, an urban dwelling native sweat bee species, across landscapes” Dr. Aimee Dunlap, Department of Biology at University of Missouri Saint Louis

08/2019 - 05/2020 Undergraduate Research Assistant

  • “Tuning of Spin and Magnetism in Tetrahedral Coordinate Complexes using Pyrazolylborate Ligands” Dr. Holmes, Department of Chemistry at University of Missouri Saint Louis

PUBLICATIONS

Kruzich E, Phadke RA, Brack A, Stroumbakis D, Infant O, Cruz-Martín A. 2023. “A pipeline

for STED super-resolution imaging and Imaris analysis of nanoscale synapse organization in

cortical brain slices” (in review)

Phadke RA, Kruzich E, Fournier LA, Brack A, Mingqi S, Picard I, Comer AL, Johnson C,

Stroumbakis D, Salgado M, Liu YY, Cruz-Martín A. 2023. “A non-canonical mechanism of

complement 4-driven cortical synaptic loss” (in review)

McDermott K, Phadke RA, Kruzich E, Frechou MA, Jordan J, Martin S, Cruz-Martín A,

Gonçalves JT. 2022. “Microglia and Complement Signaling Contribute to Hippocampal Place

Cell Formation” (in prep)

Brant, R., Kruzich, E. and A. Dunlap. 2022. “Analyzing differential gene expression of an urban

dwelling native sweat bee species, Halictus ligatus, in St. Louis, Missouri” (in prep)

GRANTS AWARDED

  • 06/2020 Litzsinger Road Ecology Center Grant in Aid of Research $1000

  • 09/2019 CAS Undergraduate Research & Creative Outputs Award $1000

TEACHING, MENTORSHIP, and CONSULTING

  • 08/2023 – Present, First year Neurobiology PhD student mentor, Department of Biology, Boston University

  • 11/2023 Journal acceptance publishing review with Dr. Alberto Cruz-Martín

  • 08/2023 Graduate student GRS BI755 Systems Neuroscience course improvement committee, Department of Biology, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University

  • 02/2023 – 04/2023 Graduate student Neurobiology faculty search committee, Department of Biology, Boston University

  • 11/2021 – 08/2023 Mentorship and project supervision for 7 undergraduates, master’s students, and graduate rotation students, Cruz-Martín Laboratory, Boston University

  • 09/2021 – 08/2022 Teaching Fellow for CAS BI 315, Systems Physiology, Boston University

  • 08/2017 – 08/2022 Music Lessons Instructor, Guitar Center

  • 08/2019 – 12/2020 Tutor of BIOL2482 Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Missouri Saint Louis

CONFERENCES, PRESENTATIONS, AND AWARDS

  • 11/2023 Poster acceptance and attendance: “A pipeline for STED super-resolution imaging and Imaris analysis of nanoscale synapse organization in cortical brain slices”, Society for Neuroscience Conference, Washington D.C.

  • 11/2023 University booth representation: ABRCMS Conference, Pheonix, Arizona

  • 10/2022 Poster presented: “Dysregulation of GluR1-containing AMPAR trafficking caused by increased expression of the schizophrenia-associated gene C4 induces pathological synaptic loss”, SACNAS NDiSTEM Conference, SanJuan, Puerto Rico

  • 08/2023 Awarded: Dean’s Fellowship, Biology Department, Boston University

  • 04/2022 Coordinated the talk: “Facility Line STED” Dr. Karsten Bahlmann, CSO Abberior Instruments America, Boston University

  • 04/2020 Poster presented: “Tuning of Spin and Magnetism in Tetrahedral Coordinate Complexes using Pyrazolylborate Ligands” Undergraduate Research Symposium University of Missouri Saint Louis

  • 08/2019 Awarded: Eugene J Meehan Scholarship from the UMSL College of Arts and Sciences

  • 08/2019 Awarded: Walters Music Scholarship, University of MissouriSaint Louis

  • 08/2015 Golden Key National Honors Society Certificate of Excellence

LABORATORY SKILLS

Microscopy:

• Stimulated Emission depletion microscopy (STED)

• Confocal microscopy

• Expansion microscopy

• Mesoscopic imaging

Mouse surgery:

• Perfusion, brain dissection, tissue sectioning and mounting

• Stereotaxic cranial injection

• Ocular injection

• Intraperitoneal injection

Mouse behavior:

  • open field

  • elevated zero maze

  • tail suspension

  • novelty suppressed feeding

  • sucrose preference test

• Analysis of behavioral data using DeepLabCut, MATLAB, excel, and hand scoring.

Molecular biology:

•SDS- PAGE

  • Western blotting

  • Immunohistochemistry

  • Affinity chromatography

  • Cell culturing, DNA/RNA amplification, transfection, and extraction

Chemistry:

• Organic synthesis

• Ligand screening

Ecology:

• Native bee capture and transport

• Bee brain dissection and extraction

• Ant brain dissection and extraction

Data analysis and figure preparation:

• ImageJ, Imaris, MATLAB, R studio, GraphPad Prism, CorelDRAW, and PowerPoint

RELEVANT COURSEWORK:

  • Molecular Biology of the Neuron – GRS BI 681, Dr. Angela Ho

  • Systems Neuroscience – GRS BI 755, Dr. Douglas Rosene, Dr. Jerry Chen, Dr. Angela Ho

  • Functional Circuit Analysis – GRS BI 741, Dr. Ian Davison

  • Introduction to R: software for statistical computing – SPH BS 730, Dr. Jian Rong

  • Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases – CAS BI 525, Dr. Lucia Pastorino

  • Biochemistry - CAS BI 621, Dr. Dean Tolan

  • Molecular Biology – CAS BI 552, Dr. Edward Loechler

  • Evolution of Cognition - BIOL 4502, Dr. Aimee Dunlap

  • Quantitative Analysis in Chemistry – CHEM 2223, Dr. Jack Harms

  • Cell Biology – 3622, Dr. Marc Spingola

  • Genetics - BIOL 2012, Dr. Kenneth Weber