Nicholas Zautra

nzautra@indiana.edu
Education

http://www.nickzautra.com
PhD in History and Philosophy of Science and Cognitive Science
Indiana University Bloomington
Research areas: cognitive science, philosophy of medicine
Advisor:
Colin Allen

2013 - Present

MA in Applied Ethics and the Professions: Biomedical and Health Ethics

Arizona State University
Research areas:
animal models, research ethics
Advisor:
Jason Robert

2012 - 2013

BA (Hons.) in Psychology
Arizona State University; Barrett, the Honors College
neurobiology of addictions, embodied cognition
Research areas:
Advisor:
Mike McBeath

2006 - 2011

Research
Interests

Philosophy of the cognitive and biological sciences, especially issues in psychiatry and
medicine; computational approaches to history and philosophy of science; the history of the
philosophy of the cognitive sciences; bioethics; animal ethics; philosophy of humor.

Research
Laboratories

The Lloyd Lab

Graduate Student, August 2016 - Present
Department of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine
Supervisor: Elisabeth Lloyd
The Robert Collaboratory
Graduate Research Assistant, August 2012 - May 2013
Center for Biology & Society, School of Life Sciences
Supervisor: Jason Robert
http://www.jasonrobert.org
Glutamatergic Mechanisms of Addiction Research Lab
Undergraduate Research Assistant, May 2011 - December 2011
Arizona State University Psychology Department
Supervisors: Foster Olive, Peter Kufahl
http://www.olive-lab.com
Perception, Ecological Action, & Robotics Lab
Undergraduate Research Assistant, May 2011 - December 2011
Arizona State University Psychology Department
Supervisor: Mike McBeath
http://psychology.clas.asu.edu/mcbeath
Drug Cravings Laboratory
Undergraduate Research Assistant, January 2007 - May 2007
Arizona State University Psychology Department
Supervisor: Janet Neisewander, Erin Dickey

Ongoing
Research

Philosophy of the Cognitive and Biological Sciences

My dissertation research is a philosophical investigation of the National Institute of
Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) and its implications for psychiatric
theory and practice. The RDoC, a new classification matrix of basic psychological
capacities that lend themselves for explanation by relevant biological mechanisms,
proposes to provide a framework for conducting mental health research in terms of
fundamental brain circuit-based behavioral dimensions that cut across traditional
diagnostic categories. As a result, mental disorders such as schizophrenia and
depression are explicitly characterized as biological disorders involving brain circuits
that implicate specific domains of cognition, emotion, and behavior, i.e., as brain
disorders.
My research explicates several key issues with the RDoCs reductive characterization of
mental disorders as brain disorders, and in doing so, connects them to longstanding
issues in the philosophy of the cognitive and biological sciences, including:
1. How can we develop causal explanations of mental disorders?
2. Is integration across levels of mechanistic explanations possible?
3. What is the role of animal models in terms of studying mental disorders?
4. Can diagnostic kinds be used to address ethical issues?
5. Is psychopathology embodied, embedded, enacted, and/or extended?

Refereed
Publications

Zautra, N. (2015). Embodiment, Interaction, & Experience: Toward a Comprehensive

Model in Addiction Science. Philosophy of Science, 82(5).
Zautra, N. (2015). Rethinking the Conceptual History of the Term 'Cognitive'. In
Noelle, D. C., Dale, R., Warlaumont, A. S., Yoshimi, J., Matlock, T., Jennings, C. D., &
Maglio, P. P. (Eds.) Proceedings of the 37th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science
Society. Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society.
Kufahl, P. R., Watterson, L. R., Nemirovsky, N. E., Hood, L. E., Villa, A., Halstengard,
C., Zautra, N., & Foster Olive, M. (2013). Attenuation of methamphetamine seeking
by the mGluR2/3 agonist LY379268 in rats with histories of restricted and escalated
self-administration. Neuropharmacology, 66, 290-301.
Kufahl, P. R., Nemirovsky, N. E., Watterson, L. R., Zautra, N., & Olive, M. F. (2013).
Positive or negative allosteric modulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5
(mGluR5) does not alter expression of behavioral sensitization to methamphetamine.
F1000Research, 2.

Papers
Presented at
Professional
Conferences

Zautra, N. (2016, May). From DSM to RDoC: On the Beginning of the End of Animal
Models of Mental Illness. Poster presented at the Society for Philosophy and
Psychology 42nd Annual Meeting, Uniersity of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.
Zautra, N. & Robert, J. (2014, October). Core Competencies for "Benchside" Research
Ethics Consultation Services. Paper presented at the American Society for Bioethics
and Humanities 16th Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
Zautra, N. (2013, October). The Dark Side of the Spoon: Increases in Funding for
Addiction Treatment. Paper presented at the American Society for Bioethics and
Humanities 15th Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Zautra, N. & Robert, J. (2013, July). Humanizing Animals: The Selection and
Justification of the Prairie as an Animal Model for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Paper
presented at the ISHPSSB meeting, Montpellier, France.
Zautra, N. (2013, July). Resentment in Satire. Paper presented at the 25th
International Society for Humor Studies Conference, College of William & Mary,
Williamsburg, VA.

Conferences
(Cont'd)

Teaching Experience

McBeath, M., Miller, T., & Zautra, N. (2011, November). Embodied cognition in
skateboarding produces superior performance in physics judgment task of predicting
fastest slope. Paper presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Psychonomics Society,
Seattle, WA.
COLL P155: Public Oral Communication
Instructor of Record
College of Arts and Sciences
Indiana University Bloomington

Fall 2016/Spring 2017

EDUC X152: The University Experience: Engagment, Ciritcal

Thinking, and Problem Solving. Topic: The 1970's
Instructor of Record
Student Academic Center
Indiana University Bloomington

Summer 2016

HPSC X200: Animal Research Ethics

Spring 2016
Course Designer/Instructor of Record
Poynter Center for the Study fo Ethics and American Institutions Indiana
University Bloomington
HPSC X100: Disordered Minds: The History and Philosophy of Psychiatry
Course Designed/Instructor of Record
Department of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine
Indiana University Bloomington

Fall 2015

CLLC Q210: Philosophy of Satire

Course Designer/Instructor of Record
Collins Living Learning Center
Indiana University Bloomington

Fall 2014

COGS Q240: Philosophical Foundations of Cognitive Science

Teaching Assistant (2014), Instructor of Record (2015)
Cognitive Science Program
Indiana University Bloomington
HPSC X200: Scientific Reasoning
Instructor of Record
Department of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine
Indiana University Bloomington
BIO 182: General Biology Lab II
Instructor of Record
School of Life Sciences
Arizona State University
Academic Honors

MAGS Excellence in Teaching Award (Nominated)

Cognitive Science Supplemental Research Fellowship
IU Lieber Memorial Teaching Associate Award
Cognitive Science Supplemental Research Fellowship
Poynter Center Jesse Fine Teaching Fellowship
National Sciene Foundation Travel Grant
Arizona State University GPSA Travel Award
School of Life Sciences Travel Award
Center for Biology & Society Travel Award
ASU Graduate Humor Conference Competition Honorable Mention
Center for Biology & Society Travel Award
Not My Kid Speaker Scholarship
Barrett, The Honors College Honors Project Funding Award

Spring 2014/2015

Fall 2013

Spring 2013

2017
2017
2016
2015
2014
2014
2013
2013
2013
2013
2012
2012
2011

Service Activities

Work Experience

Reviewer. Philosophical Psychology

2016

Reviewer. Indiana Unveristy HPS Graduate Student Conferece

2016

Reviewer. Southwest Graduate Student Philosophy Conference

2013

Judge. Central Arizona Chapter of Association for Women in Science

Awards of Excellence, Arizona Science & Engineering Fair.

2013

Content Manager, In Our Genes LLC

Wrote, edited, and managed copy for the genetic art clothing company, In
Our Genes.

2012

Marketing Project Aid, Decision Theater

2011

Wrote and edited marketing content for web and print media for ASUs
DecisionTheater: A state-of the-art visualization and research epicenter for
decision-making in uncertain times.
Editorial Intern, Discover Magazine

2010

Worked full-time for the general science magazine Discover through

their paid internship program in New York, NY. Duties included factchecking, proofreading, research, writing 1-2 published articles per month
for the magazine as well as blog entries for discovermagazine.com, and
working in all facets of the magazines production including photo, art,
marketing, social media, and for the online TV show, Joe Genius."
Editorial Intern, The Onion: America's Finest News Source

2009

Assisted editors, staff writers, and web content developers in the

production of the satirical newsprint and online publication The Onion
in New York, NY. Duties included office work using MAC and PC, front
desk management, writing and pitching weather jokes and taglines for the
Onion store, providing feedback to writers and video editors, and
absorbing the entire process via osmosis.
Tutor, Arizona State University Office of Student Athlete Development

2008 - 2009

Tutored students one-on-one and in small groups in psychology, sociology,

mathematics, and English courses.
Writing Director, The Farce Side Comedy Hour, Arizona State University 2008 - 2009
Wrote, acted, and directed for ASUS sketch comedy group, performing
weekly as well as in national sketch comedy festivals including Chicago, San
Francisco, DC, and New York Sketchfests, as well as professional outside
shows for businesses, events, and conferences.
Professional
Affiliations

Cognitive Science Society

Arizona Bioethics Network
Philosophy of Science Association
The History of Science Society

2015 - Present
2013 - Present
2013 - Present
2013 - Present

References

Dr. Colin Allen, Professor

Department of History and Philosophy of Science
Indiana University Bloomington
Bloomington, IN 47405
(812)-855-8916
colallen@indiana.edu

Dr. Jason Robert, Professor

Center for Biology & Society
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-4701
(480)-727-8857
jason.robert@asu.edu

Dr. James Capshew, Professor

Department of History and Philosophy of Science
Indiana University Bloomington
Bloomington, IN 47405
(812)-855-3655
jcapshew@indiana.edu

Dr. Foster Olive, Professor

Department of Psychology
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-1104
(480)-727-5550
foster.olive@asu.edu

Dr. Elisabeth Lloyd, Professor

Department of History and Philosophy of Science
Indiana University Bloomington
Bloomington, IN 47405
(812)-855-3622
ealloyd@indiana.edu

Dr. Mike McBeath, Professor

Department of Psychology
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-1104
(480)-965-8930
michael.mcbeath@asu.edu