EDUCATION University of Minnesota, Aug 2012 Present Minneapolis, Minnesota Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Science & Psychopathology Research Program Advisor: Angus MacDonald III, PhD, Co-Advisor: A. David Redish, PhD Stanford Online, OpenEdX Course, Jan 2014 March 2014 Statistical Learning Instructors: Rob Tibshirani, PhD & Trevor Hastie, PhD Washington University in St. Louis, Aug 2005 May 2009 St. Louis, Missouri Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, College Honors Minor in Anthropology Northwestern University, Sep 15 17, 2011 Center for Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CAMRI) Chicago, Illinois Advanced Neuroimaging Methods with a Clinical Focus FELLOWSHIPS & HONORS David T. Lykken Memorial Graduate Fellowship, Nov 2014 Travel award for conference (Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC) Center for Cognitive Sciences Interdisciplinary Training Program, Aug 2013 Aug 2014 Pre-doctoral Fellow Mentors: Angus MacDonald, III, PhD & A. David Redish, PhD Student Research and Travel Award, May 2014 Travel award for conference (Society of Biological Psychiatry, New York, NY) David T. Lykken Memorial Graduate Fellowship, April 2014 Travel award for conference (Cognitive Neuroscience Society, Boston, MA) Graduate Research Partnership Program Fellowship, June Aug 2013 Summer Research Fellow David T. Lykken Memorial Graduate Fellowship, April 2013 Travel award for conference (International Congress on Schizophrenia Research, Orlando, FL) Psychology Departmental Fellowship, Aug 2012 May 2013 Dean s List, Fall 2006, Spring 2007, Fall 2007, Fall 2008 Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE Research Assistant, Aug 2012 Present Designing and implementing a translational decision-making paradigm to bridge human and animal literatures on impulsive decision-making. Research Studies Program Coordinator I, June 2009 June 2012 Northwestern University Schizophrenia Research Group Neuromorphometry in Schizophrenia by Computer Algorithm (PI: John Csernansky, MD) Responsibilities included neuropsychological testing and acquisition of fmri data for baseline and two-year follow-up time points, as well as coordinating follow-up subjects. Led recruitment efforts throughout Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Novartis CAQW051A2202 (PI: Will Cronenwett, MD) Coordinated clinical trial testing the effectiveness and tolerability of a cognitive enhancing compound. Sample comprised of individuals with schizophrenia. Duties included diagnostic interviews, neuropsychological assessment (MATRICS), and collection of functional imaging data. Study of Empathy in Schizophrenia (PI: Matthew Smith, PhD) Coordinated pilot study comparing empathy across individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Involved in data analyses for several fmri and behavioral projects under this protocol. Research Assistant, Aug 2008 Dec 2008 Washington University in St. Louis Assisted Zainab Delawalla, PhD (supervised by Deanna Barch, PhD) on her Clinical Psychology dissertation. Study concerned cognition and the relationship between physiological and perceived stress for individuals with schizophrenia. Primary responsibility was neuropsychological assessment. TEACHING EXPERIENCE Teaching Assistant, Jan 2014 May 2014 Introduction to Personality; Introduction to Abnormal Psychology Teaching Assistant, Sep 2013 Dec 2013 Introduction to Personality Teaching Assistant, Jan 2013 May 2013 Clinical Psychology: Guest lecture on Topics in Psychotherapy Teaching Assistant, Sep 2012 Dec 2012 Abnormal Psychology PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS Center for Cognitive Sciences, Dec 2013 - Present Society for Research in Psychopathology, Sep 2013 - Present Cognitive Neuroscience Society, Oct 2013 - Present
SKILLS Software & Scripting Languages R Statistical Software, PsychoPy, E-Prime, Presentation Software, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator, Python, Bash, Unix Diagnostic Assessments Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV, MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome, Structured Interview for the Prodromal Syndromes, Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms, Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Cognitive Assessments Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Wechsler Memory Scale, California Verbal Learning Test II, MATRICS Cognitive Battery, UCSD Performance-Based Skills Assessment, Porteus Mazes, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Animal Naming, Finger-Tapping, Brief Visual Spatial Memory Test, Boston Naming Test CLINICAL TRAINING Eating Disorders Program, Sep 2014 Present University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview Currently conducting structured intake and follow-up interviews (Eating Disorder Examination, EDE) for a binge eating disorder clinical trial that entails integrative cognitive-affective therapy. Supervised by Carol Peterson, PhD. First Episode Psychosis Program, Aug 2014 - Present University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview Attending and assisting with facilitation of weekly CBT group for first episode psychosis patients. Individual CBT for clients with psychotic spectrum and anxiety disorders. Supervised by Marc Mooney, PhD. Walk-In Clinic, Aug 2014 - Present Counselor during unscheduled, walk-in hours twice a month. Ongoing short-term clients (5-10 weeks). Clients have presenting complaints that include relationship issues, trauma, anxiety, and other issues. Supervised by Jim Ayers, PhD. Neuropsychological Technician, Sep 2013 - Present Midwestern Neuropsychology, Edina, MN Practicum placement in neuropsychological assessment, scoring, and interpretation. A range of clientele presenting with dementia (or other cognitive impairments), mental illness, or traumatic brain injury. Primarily supervised by Michael Fuhrman, PhD. DSM-IV SCID Training Northwestern University Schizophrenia Research Group, Northwestern University Completed SCID training and participated in monthly inter-rater reliability sessions.
PUBLICATIONS Abram, S.V., Moodie, C., DeYoung, C.G., MacDonald, A.W., Waller, N. (under review). A Datadriven Approach for Examining Individual Differences in Functional Connectivity Using Penalized Regression. Abram, S.V., Wisner, K.M., Grazioplene, R.G., Krueger, R.F., MacDonald, A.W., DeYoung, C.G. (under review). Insula Networks Functional Coherence Predicts Externalizing. Abram, S.V., Karpouzian, T.M., Dernt, B., Habel, U., Reilly, J., Smith, M. (2014). Accurate Perception of Negative Emotions Predicts Functional Capacity in Schizophrenia. Psychiatry Research, 216(1): 6-11. Smith, M.J., Schroeder, M.P., Abram, S.V., Goldman, M.B., Parish, T.B., Wang, X., Derntl, B., Habel, U., Decety, J., Reilly, J.L., Csernansky, J.G., Breiter, H.C. (2014). Alterations in Brain Activation During Cognitive Empathy Are Related to Social Functioning in Schizophrenia.. Schizophrenia Bulletin (in press). *Smith, M.J., Horan, W.P., Karpouzian, T., Abram, S.V., Cobia, D., Csernansky, J. (May 2012). Empathy Deficits are Uniquely Associated with Poor Functioning in Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 137(1-3): 196-202. *This manuscript was abstracted in Headlines, a daily news briefing on psychiatry and mental health prepared by the editors of Bulletin Healthcare, exclusively for APA members in Feb 2012. PUBLISHED ABSTRACTS Abram, S.V., Karpouzian, T., Cronenwett, W., Derntl, B., Habel, U., Csernansky, J., Smith, M.J. (March 2011). Emotion Differentiation Deficits in Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, Supplement 1, 37, ID: 976668. Abram, S.V., Karpouzian, T.M., Dernt, B., Habel, U., Reilly, J., Smith, M. (May 2013) Recognizing Specific Emotions Uniquely Contributes to Functional Outcome in Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, Supplement 1, 39, ID: 1509134. Smith, M.J., Schroeder, M., Abram, S.V., Goldman, M.B., Derntl, B., Habel, U., Decety, J., Csernansky,J.G. Breiter, H. (May 2013). Alterations in Empathy and Associated Brain Activation are Related to Functional Outcome in Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, Supplement 1, 39, ID: 1516694. POSTER PRESENTATIONS Abram, S.V., Fox, J.M., Wang, L., Smith, M.J. (March 2015). Resting Connectivity Predicts Cognitive Empathy in Schizophrenia and Healthy Controls. Abstract to be presented at the 15 th International Congress on Schizophrenia Research, Colorado Springs, CO. Allen, T. A., Abram, S. V., Brown, J. S., & DeYoung, C. G., (March 2015). A Compassionate Mind: Exploring the Neurobiological Basis of Social Cognition and Agreeableness from a Personality Neuroscience Perspective. Poster to be presented at the inagural International Convention of Psychological Science, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Fox, J.M., Abram, S.V., Wang, L., Smith, M.J. (March 2015). Default Mode Connectivity Predicts Social Functioning in Schizophrenia. Abstract to be presented at the15 th International Congress on Schizophrenia Research, Colorado Springs, CO. Grazioplene, R.G., Abram, S.V., DeYoung, C.G. (March 2015). Divergent Connectivity: Neural Correlates of Positive Schizotypy & Creative Personality in a Community Sample. Abstract submitted to the inagural International Convention of Psychological Science, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Abram, S.V., MacDonald, A.W., Redish, A.D. (Nov 2014). Translating From Rats to Humans: A Human Foraging Model of Decision-making. Poster presented at the 44 th annual meeting for the Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC. (Sep 2014). Insula Functional Connectivity Predicts Individual Differences in Substance Use Tendencies and Impulsivity. Poster presented at the 18 th annual meeting of the Society for Research in Psychopathology, Chicago, IL. Grazioplene, R.G., Abram, S.V., DeYoung, C.G. Traits Related to Schizotypy and Creativity Predict Strength of Resting Functional Connectivity. (July 2014) Talk presented at the 17 th Annual European Conference on Personality, University of Lausanne, Switzerland. (May 2014). Insula Connectivity Strength Predicts Individual Differences in Substance Use and Externalizing in a Non-Clinical Sample. (May 2014). Poster presented at the 69 th annual meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry, New York, NY. (April 2014). Insula Connectivity Strength Predicts Individual Differences in Substance Use Tendencies in Adults and Adolescents. Poster presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society meeting, Boston, MA. Abram, S.V., Karpouzian, T.M., Dernt, B., Habel, U., Reilly, J., Smith, M. (April 2013). Recognizing Specific Emotions Uniquely Contributes to Functional Outcome in Schizophrenia. Poster presented at the 14 th International Congress on Schizophrenia Research, Orlando, FL. Smith, M.J, Schroeder, M.P., Abram, S.V., Goldman, M.B., Derntl, B., Habel, U., Csernansky, J.G., Breiter, H.C. (April 2013). Alternations in Empathy and Associated Brain Activation are Related to Functional Outcome in Schizophrenia. Poster presented at the 14 th International Congress on Schizophrenia Research, Orlando, FL. Smith, M.J., Horan, W.P., Karpouzian, T., Abram, S.V., Cobia, D., Csernansky, J. (April 2012). Empathy Deficits are Uniquely Associated with Poor Functioning in Schizophrenia. Poster presented at the 3 rd Biennial Schizophrenia International Research Conference, Florence, Italy. Abram, S.V., Karpouzian, T., Cronenwett, W., Derntl, B., Habel, U., Csernansky, J., Smith, M.J. (April 2011). Emotion Differentiation Deficits in Schizophrenia. Poster presented at the 13 th International Congress on Schizophrenia Research, Colorado Springs, CO.