Faculty Profile

Neuroscience Faculty

 

Ruth Fabian-Fine

Title: Assistant Professor Biology and Neuroscience

Degree: M.Sc., Ph.D.

 

Ari Kirshenbaum

Title: Associate Professor of Psychology, Krikstone Laboratory for the Behavioral Sciences

Degree: PhD

 

Crystal L'Hôte

Title: Associate Professor of Philosophy

Degree: PhD

 

Anthony Richardson

Title: Associate Professor of Psychology

Degree: PhD

 

Melissa VanderKaay Tomasulo

Title: Director of the Neuroscience Program, Associate Professor of Psychology

Degree: PhD

 

Adam Weaver

Title: Pre-Health Advisor for the College, Associate Professor of Biology

Degree: PhD

Ari Kirshenbaum, PhD

Associate Professor of Psychology, Krikstone Laboratory for the Behavioral Sciences

Ph.D. University of Montana, Missoula
B.A. University of Colorado, Boulder

Post-Doctoral Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center
Post-Doctoral Scientist, University of Vermont, College of Medicine

Areas of Expertise:

Animal behavior and psychopharmacology

Courses I Teach:

  • Introduction to Psychology
  • Research Methods II
  • Animal Learning and Behavior
  • Drugs and Behavior

Publications:

Kirshenbaum, A.P., Jackson, E., Brown, S., Fuchs, J., Miltner, B., & Doughty (2011). Nicotine-induced impulsive action: Sensitization and attenuation by mecamylamine. Behavioural Pharmacology 22(3), 207-221.

Kirshenbaum, A.P., Johnson, M.W., Schwarz S.L., & Jackson, E.J. (2009). Response disinhibition evoked by the administration of nicotine and nicotine-associated contextual cues. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 105, 97-108.

Kirshenbaum, A.P., Brown, S., Hughes, D., & Doughty, A (2008). DRL schedules and nicotine administration: A systematic evaluation of dose and schedule requirement. Behavioural Pharmacology, 19(7) 683-697.

Kirshenbaum, A.P., Bickel, W.K., & Olsen, A. (2008). A quantitative analysis of the ubiquitous substance-abuse relapse curve. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 36(1), 8-17.

Kirshenbaum, A.P., Bickel, W.K., & Boynton, D.M. (2006). Opioid withdrawal engenders risk-prone choice: A comparison of intranasal and intravenous-using populations. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 83, 130-136.

Johnson, M.W., Bickel, W.K., Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2004). Substitutes for tobacco smoking: A behavioral economic analysis of nicotine gum, denicotinized cigarettes, and nicotine-containing cigarettes. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 74, 253-264.

Kirshenbaum, A.P., Szalda-Petree, A.D., & Haddad, N.F. (2003). Increased effort requirements and risk sensitivity: a comparison of delay and magnitude manipulations. Behavioural Processes, 61, 109-121.

Kirshenbaum, A.P., Szalda-Petree, A.D., & Haddad, N.F. (2000). Risk-sensitive foraging in rats: The effects of response-effort and reward amount manipulations on choice behavior. Behavioural Processes, 50, 9-17.

Recent Presentations:

Longchamp, S., & Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2011). History of reinforcement determines breakpoint on a progressive-ratio schedule. Eastern Psychological Association, Annual Meeting. Cambridge, MA.

Warhall, A., Longchamp, S., & Kirshenbaum A.P.  (2011). Characterization of the dose-response curve: Nicotine and a PR schedule of reinforcement. Eastern Psychological Association, Annual Meeting. Cambridge, MA.

Autori, S., Fay, M., Linnell, M. Longchamp, S., Cronise, K., & Kirshenbaum A.P. (2011).  Conditioned place preference in rats: Tickle as the unconditioned stimulus and the effects of a consolidation interval. Eastern Psychological Association, Annual Meeting. Cambridge, MA.

Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2010).  Learning theory and tobacco dependence. Invited Talk, Psychology Dept., Graduate Bio-Behavioral Cluster Seminar, University of Vermont.

Kirshenbaum, A. P., Fuchs, J., & Miltner, B. (2010). Response disinhibition evoked by cholinergic activation: Results from a tandem VI-DRL schedule and stop-signal task. Division 28, American Psychological Association, Annual Convention, San Diego, CA.

Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2010). Cue-induced impulsivity: Implications for drug dependence relapse. Invited Talk, Biology Dept. Colloquia, Middlebury College.

Kirshenbaum, A.P., Collins, R., Lavelle, M, Garthwait, K., Thibodeau, H., & Rabe, E. (2010). Nicotine administration and progressive-ratio schedule performance. Eastern Psychological Association, Annual Meeting. Brooklyn, NY.

Fuchs, J., Warhall, A., & Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2010). Tolerance and sensitization to d-amphetamine on the DRL17.5-s schedule. Eastern Psychological Association, Annual Meeting. Brooklyn, NY.

Miltner, B., Fuchs, J., & Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2010). Context and drug-induced response disinhibition: A comparison of nicotine and d-amphetamine. Eastern Psychological Association, Annual Meeting. Brooklyn, NY.

Collins, R., Lavelle, M., & Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2010). Hypothetical drug-induced states and delay discounting in stimulant using college students. Eastern Psychological Association, Annual Meeting. Brooklyn, NY.

Kirshenbaum, A.P., et a. (2010). Balancing Teaching, Research, and Service. Panel discussion, Vermont Genetics Network annual workshop, Colchester, Vermont.

Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2009). Response disinhibition evoked by cholinergic activation and contextual conditioning. Vermont Genetics Network Annual Symposium, South Burlington, Vermont.

Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2009). Tolerance and sensitization on a tandem VI-DRL schedule. University of Vermont, Biobehavioral summit, Burlington, Vermont.

Kirshenbaum, A.P., Schwarz, S. & Brown, S.J. (2009). Context-dependent perturbations in DRL schedule performance. Eastern Psychological Association, Annual Meeting. Pittsburgh, PA.

Brown, S.J., Jackson, E.J., Adamo, C., Miltner, B., & Kirshenbaum A.P. (2009). Response disinhibition induced by nicotine administration II: VI-DRL performance and sensitization. Eastern Psychological Association, Annual Meeting. Pittsburgh, PA.

Jackson, E.J., Brown, S.J., Adamo, C., & Kirshenbaum A.P. (2009). Response disinhibition induced by nicotine administration I: Stop-task performance and sensitization. Eastern Psychological Association, Annual Meeting. Pittsburgh, PA.

Adamo, C, Fuchs, J., & Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2009). Manipulations of motivation engender differential DRL-schedule performance. Eastern Psychological Association, Annual Meeting.

Kirshenbaum, A.P., Brown, S.J., & Schwarz, S. (2008). Tandem VI-DRL schedule performance in response to psychostimulant administration. Division 28, American Psychological Association, Annual Convention, Boston, MA.

Schwarz, S., Brown, S.J.,& Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2008).  A comparison of reinforcer magnitude and nicotine administration manipulations on DRL-schedule performance. Eastern Psychological Association, Annual Meeting , Boston, MA.

Brown, S.J., Schwarz, S., & Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2008). The effects of chronic versus acute dosing regimens of nicotine on impulsive behaviors in rats.  Eastern Psychological Association, Annual Meeting. , Boston, MA.

Kirshenbaum, A.P., Hughes, D.H., & Brown, S.J. (2007). DRL performance and nicotine administration: A systematic investigation of dose and schedule requirement. Paper presentation, International Study Group Investigating Drugs as Reinforcers, College of the Problems on Drug Dependence, Quebec City, Quebec

Murphy, M.J., Kirshenbaum, A.P., & Vanderkaay, M. (2007). Psychophysiological Measurement of Human Sexual Attraction Based on Fertility Status Detected through Odor Changes across the Female Life Span. New England Evolutionary Psychology Society annual conference.

Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2007). Animal welfare and public health. Departmental Colloquia

Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2007). An argument for a rational drug-control policy. Presented at the Social Science Resource Center’s annual colloquium.

Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2006). Nicotine and behavior: The paradoxical effects of the most addictive drug. Presented to the Psychology Department and Psi Chi Honors Society, Saint Michael’s College

Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2005). Current topics is substance-abuse research: Does practicing abstinence bolster resistance to relapse? Departmental Colloquia

Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2004) Foraging theory elucidates mechanisms of opioid dependence. Invited talk, Substance Abuse Treatment Center Colloquia, Basin Harbor, VT

Kirshenbaum, A.P. (2004). What does foraging theory have to do with heroin dependence? How basic research translates to the real world. Saint Michael’s College.

Kirshenbaum, A.P., & Bickel, W.K. (2004) Stimulus equivalence and nicotine dependence: A comparison

of drug and non-drug reinforcement. College of the Problems of Drug Dependence.     

Kirshenbaum, A.P., Bickel, W.K., & Marsch, L.A. (2003). Relapse follows the power law. College of the

Problems of Drug Dependence.

Kirshenbaum, A. P., & Bickel, W.K. (2003). Risk-sensitivity and opioid dependence. Society of the

Quantitative Analysis of Behavior.

Kirshenbaum, A. (2002). Risk and decision-making.  Foothill-DeAnza Community College District, board

of directors.

Krshenbaum, A. (2001). Decision-making under probabilistic circumstances. University of Pittsburgh

Kirshenbaum, A. (2001). Animal learning and behavioral ecology united in the laboratory. Luther College

Kirshenbaum, A., Szalda-Petree, A., Haddad, N. (2001). The effects of magnified effort demands on the response to resource variability. International Conference on Comparative Cognition..

Kirshenbaum, A., Szalda-Petree, A., Wheeler, A., Burns, D., Sauralt, I. (2001). Risk-prone rats. Rocky Mountain Psychological Association

Szalda-Petree, A., Kirshenbaum, A., Martin, L., Island, H. & Haddad, N. (2001) Response effort contrast. Rocky Mountain Psychological Association

Island, H., Kirshenbaum, A., Martin, L., & Szalda-Petree, A. (2000). Reconciliation in a colony of Rhesus Macaques. Rocky Mountain Psychological Association

Kamman, T., Thomas, L., Kirshenbaum, A., Drury, A., Kimzey, S., Patch, M., Koester, L., Szald-Petree, A. (2000). Interactional synchrony of 9-month-old infants in varying conditions of maternal reinforcement. Rocky Mountain Psychological Association

Grant Awards:

2010

Vermont Genetics Network, Project Grant Renewal
Title: Psychomotor-stimulant induced sensitization of impulsive behavior: The role of contextual cues

2009

Vermont Genetics Network, Project Grant Renewal
Title: Psychomotor-stimulant induced sensitization of impulsive behavior: The role of contextual cues

2008

Vermont Genetics Network, Project Grant
Title: Psychomotor-stimulant induced sensitization of impulsive behavior

2005

Vermont Genetics Network, Pilot Grant Funding Award
Title: Animal models of substance dependence: The factors contributing to impulsive and risky behaviors

Life Off Campus:

I live in a small mountain town and enjoy all of the outdoor activities the Green Mountains have to offer (ski, snowshoe, hike, fish, hike, bike the country roads, hike, ski some more, etc.). I also like to cook, play mandolin, paint, build stuff out of wood and brew ale.  

Ari Kirshenbaum, associate professor of psychology, was on Burlington-area TV news in January explaining recent national news of interest about a new study out Tuesday on vaping which says teenagers who smoke e-cigarettes may be at a higher risk of switching to traditional smoking. Ari, as the report notes, studies e-cigarette use.
(posted June 2018)

Ari Kirshenbaum, professor of psychology, this semester learned he received a $365,865 grant from the National Institutes of Health to support his research on the abuse potential of E-cigarettes in young adults. The news attracted widespread local media attention including an extended interview on Vermont Public Radio, items on local TV news, and stories in several area newspapers.
(posted December 2017)

Ari Kirshenbaum, associate professor of psychology, recently collaborated with three students,  A. P., Suhaka, J. A., Phillips, J. L., & Voltolini de Souza Pinto, M., on a paper, “Nicotine enhancement and reinforcer devaluation: Interaction with opioid receptors,” that was published in the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry, & Behavior. (150, 1-7, 2016). Also, one of those co-author students, Jesse Suhaka and Ari presented a paper in May on the same topic at the Association for Behavior Analysis International annual convention in Chicago, IL. The experiment behind both the paper and presentation was performed on rats to assess the degree to which opioid receptors are involved in tobacco dependence and withdrawal. Opioid receptors are the neurotransmitter receptors that, when activated, allow us to feel pleasure and avoid pain.
(posted November 2016)

Ari Kirshenbaum, associate professor of psychology and coordinator of the Krikstone Laboratory for the Behavioral Sciences and of the Pre-Pharmacy Degree, recently had a paper that he co-authored with five Saint Michael’s students, ‘Reinforcer devaluation as a product of acute nicotine exposure and nicotine withdrawal,” accepted for publication in the journal Psychopharmacology. His student co-authors are Michael Fay ’13, Angelique Parks ’14, Jessie Phillips ’14, Tessa Roy ’14 and Jason Stone ’14. Many more students are listed by name in the “acknowledgements” section of the paper, too.
(posted December 2014)

Learn What Matters