Education

University of Texas at San Antonio

Ph.D.

Dec. 2004

Biology

University of Texas at San Antonio

M.S.

1998

Biology

University of Texas at Austin

B.A. with High Honors

1980

Biology

Experience

San Antonio College

Adjunct Faculty, Biology Department

2011-2019

University of Texas at San Antonio

Lecturer II, Biology Department

2007-2012

UTSA/Brooks City-Base

USAF/ORISE

Post doctoral fellow with Human Effectiveness Dir.

2004-2007

Department of Biology

Bridges Program

2002-2004

Teaching Assistant, Genetics Lab, Developmental Biology Lab, Biochemistry Lab and Anatomy Lab

1994-1996, 1999, 2000

Research Assistant part time

1997-1998

UT Health Science Center at San Antonio

Research Assistant

1983-1984

Texas Department of Health

Microbiologist

1980-1982

University of Texas at Austin

Research Assistant

1979

Research Experience:

Research: Quantifying spines on neurons in young adult rats treated with anabolic

steroids. The research project is a collaboration with Dr. Marilyn McGinnis of the Pharmacology Department at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Post doctoral work: Investigated the effects of sleep disruption on maze performance in rats.

Doctoral Work:

Examined the ultrastructural changes in neurons associated with treatment with 3-nitropropionic acid and/or a D1 agonist.

Master’s Work:

Examined the morphological changes of dendrites of primary hippocampal cultures treated with glutamate. Temporal pattern of glutamate induced damage to neuritis and soma of cultured neurons (1998)

Research Assistant UTHSCSA: Isolated enzyme from Erlich ascites tumor in mice. Tested enzyme for activity. Prepared samples for analysis on the mass spectrometer.

Undergraduate:

Performed vibrocidal and toxin neutralization assays on rabbit serum in testing the effects of a cholera vaccine.

Teaching Experience:

The lecture courses I have taught are Neuropsychopharmacology, Biology I, Biosciences I, Biology for Non-Majors I, Evolution, Freshmen Seminars and Microbiology for Allied Health Sciences, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology and Drugs and Society. As a graduate student I taught Biochemistry labs, Genetics labs, Anatomy lab and Developmental Biology lab. At San Antonio College I have taught the lab and lecture for Microbiology for Allied Health Majors.

Continuing Education and Workshops:

Writing Winning Grants- Grant Writers' Seminars and Workshops for Biomedical Research Scientists. UT San Antonio, December, 2001, 2009

Provost Academy on Critical Thinking 2009, 2010 & 2011 Teaching and Learning Center at UTSA

Workshops by the Teaching and Learning Center at UTSA 2008-2012.

A workshop for faculty advising in STEM at SAC June 2013 and June 2014. Attended STEM Institutes at SAC in 2015,2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Attended the Conference for Student Success Conference sponsored by Texas State University January 2015.

Memberships: Phi Beta Kappa, UT Austin. Society for Neuroscience

Publications

Abstracts:

Mery, L.R., Gutierrez, J.E., Kashani, A. and Phelix, C.F. (1996) Morphological and biochemical evidence that apoptosis and necrosis can co-occur in individual neurons. Molecular Biology of the Cell 7:143.

2 - Toledo, G., Russell, M., Nguyen, L., Kashani, A, Mery, L., Makilan, F., Broderick, P.A., Phelix, C.F. (1996) Serotonin and dopamine innervation of rabbit nucleus accumbens. Fifth Annual Meeting of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society.

3 - Mery, L.R., Gutierrez, J.E., Kashani, A., Phelix, C.F. (1996) Morphological characterization of neurodegeneration in rat area postrema induced by monosodium glutamate. Fifth Annual Meeting of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society.

4 - Nguyen, L., Russell, M., Mery, L., Phelix, C.F. (1996) Patch-matrix of dopamine afferents in the neostriatum of the rabbit. Fifth Annual Meeting of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society.

5 - Makilan, F.A., Russell, M., Mery, L., Phelix, C.F. (1996) Distribution of nitric oxide synthase in the caudate nucleus of the rabbit. Fifth Annual Meeting of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society.

6 - Mery, L.R., Armstrong, D.L., and Phelix, C.F. (1997) Morphological changes in neuronal processes during cell death in cultured hippocampus. Abstracts of Society for Neuroscience 23 (Part 2):1711.

7 - Mery, L., Armstrong, D.L., Phelix, C.F. (1997) Utility of hippocampal neuron cultures to study dendritic damage induced by glutamate. Molecular Biology of the Cell 8:343.

8 - Rodriguez, J.S., Mery, L.R., Paulson, D.P., Wayner, M.J., and Phelix, C.F. (1999) Dissociation of somatic motor activity and blood pressure changes in conscious behaving rats by serotonin 1A receptor stimulation. The FASEB Journal (Part I) 19(2):A768.

9 - Scriver, J.M., Mery, L.R., and Phelix, C.F. (1999) Dopamine type 1 receptor agonist enhances glutamate neurotoxicity in primary striatal cultures. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 221(3):268.

10 - Rodriguez, J.S., Russell, M.J., Mery, L.R., and Phelix, C.F. (1999) Distribution of serotonin and dopamine axons in the core and shell of the rabbit nucleus accumbens. Abstracts of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science

11 - Truong, J., Mery, L.R., Wayner, M.J., and Phelix, C.F. (2000) Depressor response to ethanol infusion into the lateral hypothalamus is shifted to a higher dose in spontaneously hypertensive versus Sprague Dawley rats. The FASEB Journal (Part I) 20(3):A899.

12 - Mery, L.R., Phelix, C.F., Wayner, M.J., and Seaman, R.L. (2000) Ultrastructural changes in rat striatal neurons after single systemic injection of 3-nitropropionic acid. Abstracts of the Society for Neuroscience 26 (Part 2):1876.

13 - Brewer P.A., Mery L.R., Phelix C.F., Seaman R.L. (2001) Monoamine Oxidase Inhibition Enhances Ultrastructural Changes in Rat Striatal Neurons After Single Injection of 3-Nitorpropionic Acid. Abstracts of the Society for Neuroscience 27(Part1): 234

14 - Mery, L.R., Phelix, C.F. (2003) Ultrastructural changes in rat striatal neurons after single systemic injection of 3-nitropropionic acid and D1 agonist. Abstracts of the Society for Neuroscience 29.

15 - Sanchez, J.A., Mery, L.R., Phelix, C.F. (2003) Neuronal endoplasmic reticulum may be a denominator for cell injury. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students.

16 – Lisera, V.J., Wayner, M.J., Mery, L.R., Phelix, C.F.(2003) Behavioral neurotoxicology of a plant neurotoxin, 3-nitropropionic acid. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students.

17- Mery, LR, McQuade, JA, Wayner, MJ (2005) Radial arm maze performance after 12 hours of sleep disruption. Society for Neuroscience annual meeting

18- Mery, LR, McQuade, JA Wayner, JM (2006) Effects of modafinil on radial arm maze performance after twelve hours of REM sleep disruption. Society for Neuroscience annual meeting