DAN BLUSTEIN
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Full CV available in PDF format.  Abridged version appears below.
blusteincv_may2018.pdf
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Google Scholar publication record

Appointments

Assistant Professor
Rhodes College
Psychology, Neuroscience                      2018 - Present 

Contract Academic Instructor
University of New Brunswick                 
Biology                                                          2017 - 2018       

Education

Postdoctoral Fellow, Biomedical Engineering
University of New Brunswick               
Project: Computational motor control and prosthesis assessment 
Advisor: Dr. Jon Sensinger                             
April 2015 - July 2018


Ph.D. in  Biology 
Northeastern University                                                    Dissertation: “Biomimetic lobster control with a synthetic nervous system”
Advisor: Dr. Joseph Ayers                                               
January 2015 

BA in  Biology
Kalamazoo College                                                            Thesis: “Filmic exploration of voids”

Academic advisor: Dr. Ann Fraser                                                        2006

Environment and Ecology Program
Universidad San Francisco de Quito           

Aug 2004-Mar 2005

Honors, Awards & Funding

Rising Star Researcher, New Brunswick Health Research Foundation         2017
Dissertation Completion Fellowship,  Northeastern University                    2014 - 2015
Prototype Fund Award (x2), Northeastern University                                                       2014
Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellowship,  AAAS                                          2013  
Graduate Research Fellowship,  National Science Foundation                        2009 - 2015
Graduate Student Scholarship,  Marine Technology Society                           2011-2012
Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award,  Northeastern Univ.           2011
Marine Science Center Graduate Travel Award,  Northeastern Univ.               2011
Graduate Student Association Travel Award,  Northeastern Univ.                    2011   

Research Experience

      Postdoctoral Researcher at Univ. of New Brunswick [Lab of Dr. Jon Sensinger]
          --Design prosthesis assessment metrics using computational motor control.
              April 2015 - Present

     Research Assistant at Northeastern University [Lab of Dr. Joseph Ayers]                            --
Designed, built & tested biomimetic robots for neuroscience investigation. 
     
          Sept. 2008 - Dec. 2014

      Field Research Assistant to Dr. Roland Anderson                                                                       --Conducted octopus behavioral observations on the island of Bonaire.        
                May 2013, Aug. 2011, May 2010
             
     Microbiology Intern at Massachusetts Institute of Technology                                             --Developed and tested microbial safety levels in self-contained mouse life    
             support systems for space flight applications.
            
 Summer 2005
      

      Ecology Intern at Tiputini Biodiversity Station, Ecuador                                                          --Conducted field experiments investigating invertebrate diversity along
              streambeds in a tropical rainforest.

              Jan.-Feb. 2005 

      Spaceflight and Life Sciences Trainee at NASA Kennedy Space Center                           --Tested antimicrobial surface treatments for use within spacecraft.
             Summer 2004 
     
      Marine biology intern at the Seattle Aquarium                                                                           --Conducted laboratory experiments investigating cognition in the Giant
              Pacific Octopus.

              July 2003 

Publications
Click DOI/reference links for PDFs. Please contact me for PDFs where indicated.

Blustein, D, A Wilson & J Sensinger. 2018. Assessing the quality of supplementary sensory feedback using the crossmodal congruency task. Scientific Reports. DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-24560-3

​
Marasco, P, J Hebert, J Sensinger, C Shell, J Schofield, Z Thumser, R Nataraj, D Beckler, M Dawson, D Blustein, S Gill, B Mensh, R Granja-Vazquez, M Newcomb, J Carey, B Orzell. 2018. Illusory movement perception improves motor control for prosthetic hands. Science Translational Medicine. DOI:10.1126/scitranslmed.aao6990

Blustein, D, J Sensinger. 2017. Validation of a constrained-time movement task for use in rehabilitation outcome measures. International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR). DOI:10.1109/ICORR.2017.8009410

Wilson, A, D Blustein, J Sensinger. 2017. A third arm - Design of a bypass prosthesis
     enabling incorporation. International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics
     (ICORR). DOI: 10.1109/ICORR.2017.8009441

Blustein, D, RC Anderson. 2016. Localization of octopus drill holes on cowries.  American Malacological Bulletin.  DOI:10.4003/006.034.0101  **contact for full-text**

Westphal, A, D Blustein , and J Ayers. 2013. A biomimetic neuronal network-based controller for guided helicopter flight. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. DOI:10.1007/978-3-642-39802-5_26

Blustein, D, N Rosenthal and J Ayers. 2013. Designing and implementing nervous system simulations on LEGO robots. J Visualized Experiments. DOI:10.3791/50519 [video]

Ayers, J,  D Blustein & A Westphal. 2012. A Conserved Biomimetic Control Architecture for Walking, Swimming and Flying Robots. Lecture Notes on    
     Artificial Intelligence. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-31525-1_1

Ayers, J, A Westphal & D Blustein. 2011. A Conserved Neural Circuit-based
     Architecture for Ambulatory and Undulatory Biomimetic Robots.  
     Marine Technology. DOI: 10.4031/MTSJ.45.4.17   [pdf]

Blustein, DH & RC Anderson. 2011. Octopuses drill crab chelae on the inside (oral
     side). The Festivus, 43(1):6-7.

Blustein, D & J Ayers. 2010. A conserved network for control of arthropod    
     exteroceptive optical flow reflexes during locomotion. Lect Notes Artificial
     Intelligence, 6226:72-81.  **contact for full-text**

Blustein, DH & RC Anderson. 2010. Cone shell found in an octopus midden in
     Bonaire. The Festivus, 42(10):131-132.

Anderson, RC & DH Blustein. 2006. Smart octopus? The Festivus, 38:7-9. [html]

Blustein, D, N Hinkle & A Smith. 2005. Evaluation of a quaternary ammonium salt as
     an antimicrobial surface treatment. Gravitational and Space Biology , 18(2):81-2.

Teaching and Mentoring Experience

Student mentor at University of New Brunswick
   -- Train and supervise undergraduate and graduate students.     
        
April 2015 - Present

Undergraduate mentor at Northeastern University                    

   --Trained and supervised undergraduate students working in the lab: 6 NEU coop       students, 4 NEU directed study students and 3 non-NEU interns. 
      Sept. 2009 - Dec. 2014    

Laboratory course designer at Northeastern University
   --Developed and led computational neuroscience lab activities in Neuroethology
      course.

      Spring 2014
​
​High school mentor at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute                                              -   --Trained and supervised 3 high school co-op students working in the lab (32  
      hours per week, every other week).
     
Sept. 2010 - Aug. 2013

Activity leader at Buckingham Browne and Nichols School, Cambridge, MA                   --Developed and ran two-6 week implementations of a novel biorobotics
     curriculum
for middle schoolers at an after school science club.

     Sept. 2010 - May 2013 

Substitute Lecturer at Northeastern University                                                                        --Taught Comparative Neurobiology & Neuroethology classes for Joseph Ayers.
       Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012

Teaching Assistant at Northeastern University                                                                        --Planned and taught laboratory section of Neuroethology course.
       Fall 2008

Teaching Assistant at Kalamazoo College                                                                                   --Assisted with running laboratory section of Organism Diversity course.
       
Fall 2005 

Professional Service

Reviewer for PLOS Comp. Biology and Trans. on Neural Systems and Rehab. Eng.
2015 - Present
​     
Conservation Commissioner at the  City of Revere                                                            
​Nov. 2011 - Dec. 2014

Community Outreach Representative at the Mystic River Watershed Association       Dec. 2010 - Jan. 2015 

Co-president of Graduate Biology Club at Northeastern University                                 Sep. 2009 - Jan. 2015 
      
Co-founder and chair of Marine Technology Society Student Section                           March 2012 - Jan. 2015

Math Tutor at Harriett Tubman House                                                                                   Feb. 2011- June 2012 
       
Team mentor at the Museum of Science, Boston, MA                                                         June 2011, June 2009
    
Chief editor of the Amer. Soc. for Gravitational and Space Biology Student Assoc.
2004-2007                   
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