Babes-Bolyai University
1. Name: Rusu
2. Surname: Alina Simona
3. Date and place of birth: 29.07.1973, Mediesu-Aurit, jud. Satu-Mare
4. Nationality: Romanian
5. Marital status: Single
6. Education: (license in biology; BA studies in psychology; Ph.D. in ethology; Postdoctoral studies in clinical psychology and psychotherapy)
Sept 1987 – June 1991: Highschool Doamna Stanca (Speciality: Biochemistry and Biology)
Oct 1991 – June 1996: Faculty of Biology-Geology, Babes-Bolyai University (diploma degree: biologist)
Oct 1997 – Jan 2000: Faculty of Psychology and Sciences of Education, Babes-Bolyai University (student)
Oct 1996 – June 1997: Faculty of Biology-Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, Master Degree in Biocenology
Sept 1994 – Aug 1995: Student Fellowship Tempus – PHARE, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.
Sept 2000 – Apr 2004: University of Zurich, Institute of Zoology, PhD title awarded (title of thesis: Development of competitive behavioral profiles in wild house mice, Mus musculus domesticus). University of North Texas
Oct 2005 – Oct 2006: University of North Texas, Distance learning course in Animal Assisted Therapy (certificate awarded).
7. Scientific title: PhD (Natural Sciences)
8. Professional experience:
Sept 1996 – Aug 1999: Tutor, Faculty of Biology-Geology, Babes-Bolyai University (Zoology, Comparative Anatomy, Ethology, Ornithology)
Sept 1999 – Dec 2004: Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Biology-Geology, Babes-Bolyai University (Zoology, Comparative Anatomy, Ethology, Ornithology)
Sept 2000 – Apr 2004: PhD Student, University of Zurich, Switzerland (PhD thesis: Development of competitive profiles in wild house mice, Mus musculus domesticus; Supervisors: PD Dr. Sven Krackow and Prof. Dr. Barbara Koenig)
Jan 2005 – May 2006: Senior Researcher III, Faculty of Psychology and Sciences of Education, Babes-Bolyai University
June 2006 – present: Postdoctoral Researcher, International Institute for Advanced Studies in Psychotherapy and Mental Health, Babes-Bolyai University (Animal Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, Animal Assisted Therapy)
9. Current working place: International Institute for Advanced Studies in Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health. Postodoctoral Researcher.
10. Published papers (selected)
Rusu, A.S., Krackow, S., Jedelsky, P.L., Stopka, P., Koenig, B. A qualitative investigation of Major Urinary Proteins in relation to the onset of aggressive behavior and dispersive tendency in male wild house mice (Mus musculus domesticus). Journal of Ethology. Online.
Rusu, A.S., Bencic, A. (2007). Choosing a mate in Romania – A cognitive evolutionary psychological investigation of personal advertisements market. Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies, 7:24-43.
Rusu, A.S., Krackow, S. (2005). Agonistic onset reflects dispersal propensity and emotional changes in maturing male wild house mice (Mus domesticus). Journal of Comparative Psychology, 119: 58-66.
Rusu, A.S., Krackow, S. (2004). Kin-preferential cooperation, dominance-dependent reproductive skew, and competition for mates in communally nesting female house mice. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 56: 298-305.
Rusu, A.S., Koenig, B., Krackow, S. (2004). Pre-reproductive alliance formation in female wild house mice (Mus domesticus): the effects of familiarity and age-disparity. Acta Ethologica, 6: 53-58.
Rusu, A.S. (2004). From Biochemistry to Behaviour: An Integrative Approach of Major Urinary Protein (MUP) Roles in the Sociobiology of House Mice. Cognition, Brain and Behavior, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, VII, 1: 21-36.
Rusu, A.S. (1999). Neurobiological Models of Accessory Olfactory Memory. Cognition, Brain and Behavior, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Special Issue: Neuroscience, III, 4: 381-389
Rusu, A.S., Benta, I.M. (1999). Sequential Analysis of Feeding Behaviour of the Laboratory Rat. Annals of Western University Timisoara, Romania. 2: 81-94.
Rusu, A.S. (1999). Considerations on Sexual Dimorphism of the Neural Projection of Mammalian Vomeronasal System. Topical Interest in Animal Breeding and pathology, Scientifics Debates, Risoprint, Cluj-Napoca, 491-497.
Rusu, A.S., Benta, I.M. (1999). About personal space ontogenetic development. Parallaxis, 3: 35-38.
Rusu, A.S. (1999). Models of Pheromonal Communication in Humans. Parallaxis, 3: 27-31.
Rusu, A.S. (1998). Study of interspecific relationships in field between Clethrionomys glareolus (Rodentia, Cricetidae) and Apodemus sylvaticus (Rodentia, Muridae). Acta Oecologica, Sibiu, 1-2: 5-14.
Rusu, A.S. (1998). Influences of Prenatal and Neonatal Environments on Sexual Differentiation. Cognition, Brain and Behavior, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, II, 2: 217-228.
Rusu, A.S. (1998). R.E.M. Sleep in Animals – An Eco-Ethological Approach. Studia Universitas Vasile Goldis, 8:369-372.
Books:
David D., Benga O., Rusu A.S. 2007. Fundamente de psihologie evolutionista si consiliere genetica. Integrari ale psihologiei si biologiei. Collegium, Polirom. ISBN 978-973-46-0612-2, 264 pages.
Rusu A.S. (editor). 2005. Studying communication in animals. ASCR, Cluj-Napoca, ISBN 973-7973-23-2, 152 pages.
Rusu A.S. 2004. Development of competitive behavioural profiles in wild house mice (Mus domesticus). PhD Thesis. ASCR, Cluj-Napoca, ISBN 973-7973-13-5, 100 pages.
11. Member of professional associations:
Swiss Zoological Society
Association for Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB)
12. Languages: English (fluent), French (good), German (poor), Hungarian (poor).
13. Other competences: experience with Windows, Mac OS, SAS, SPSS, VideoMot, The Observer (Noldus) etc.
14. Training:
Oct 2005 – Oct 2006: Training in Animal Assisted Therapy and Activities (Distance Learning Course). College of Education, University of North Texas (certificate awarded).
Sept 2005: Training in non-invasive hormone analysis. Berlin Summer School, IZW (certificate awarded).
Apr 2003 – Aug 2003: Postgraduade course in Evolutionary Biology. Univ of Zurich, Ecology Dept. Supervisors Rosemary and Peter Grant (Princeton University).
Mach 2004 – Sept 2004: BSE Diagnostician (biochemist). Prionics AG, Schlieren, Switzerland.
Apr 2003: Training in biochemical analysis of Major Urinary Proteins. Research visit at Biodiversity Group, Charles University in Prague (group of Prof. Dr. Pavel Stopka).
Apr 2004 – June 2004: Postgraduade training in Scientific Grant Writing (Organizer: Tim Clutton-Brock, University of Cambridge).
Workshop on Self-Organization and Evolution of Social Behaviour. Sept 2002. Monte Verita, Ascona, Switzerland, Centro Stefano Franscini, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
15. Scientific and managerial experienced (national/international projects):
Sept 2005 – Sept 2007: Psycho-physiological indicators of coping strategies development and behavioral adaptive phenotypes in wild and captive mammals (CEEX Grant). Director.
Aug 2004 – Oct 2004: Endocrinological analysis of urinary pheromones of mammals, University of Zurich.
Jan 2003 – Feb 2004: Competition and cooperation in female wild house mice (Gender Studies Kollegium, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland. Director.
Jan 2004 – June 2004: Scientific club: Animal Cognition and Emotion, Univ of Zurich. Co-organizer.
16. Conferences:
13th World Congress of Psychophysiology. 2006. Istanbul, Turkey. Poster: Latent vs. manifest social networks: A psychophysiological and sociometric empirical investigation. Authors: David I. Opris, Alina S. Rusu and Marius I. Benta.
3rd National Conference of Psychology. 2006. Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Oral presentation: How do romanians choose their mates? – An ethological analysis of ‘companion’ ads. Authors: Alina S. Rusu and Aurora Bencic (Babes-Bolyai University, Romania).
3rd National Psychological Conference. 2006. Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Poster: Sequence Network Analysis: a possible hybrid methodology? Authors: Marius I. Benta (University College Cork, Ireland) and Alina S. Rusu.
XXIX International Ethological Conference. 2005. Budapest, Hungary. Oral presentation. Dispersal, competitive aggression and urinary chemosignals in wild house mouse males. Rusu A.S.
Evolutionary Ecology Seminar, Institute of Zoology, University of Bern (Group of Michael Taborsky). 2005. Bern, Switzerland. Oral presentation: Dispersal propensity and competitive aggression: Parts of the same story in wild house mouse males (Mus domesticus)?’ Rusu A.S.
Brain Awareness Week. 2005. Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Oral presentation: The smell of human sexuality: The neurobiology of pheromone-mediated behaviours in humans. Rusu A.S.
Invited Speaker at Konrad Lorenz Institut fur Vergleichende Verhaltensforschung. 2004. Vienna, Austria. Development of competitive behavioural profiles in wild house mice. Rusu A.S.
Bio04. Joint Meeting of Swiss Botanical, Mycological and Zoological Societies, Fribourg, Switzerland. 2004. Poster presentation: Individual Major Urinary Protein profiles, agonistic onset and dispersal in maturing male wild house mice. Rusu, A.S., Krackow, S., Koenig, B.
ASAB Summer Meeting. 2003. Grunau, Austria. Oral presentation: Individual MUPs profiles affect the development of competitive behavioural phenotypes in male house mice (Mus domesticus). Rusu, A.S., Jedelsky, P., Krackow, S.
ASAB Summer Meeting. 2003. Grunau, Austria. Poster: Pre-reproductive alliance formation in female house mice: the effects of relatedness, familiarity and MUP (Major Urinary Proteins) profile-sharing. Rusu, A.S., Krackow, S., Koenig, B.
Bio03. Anual Meeting of Swiss Botanical, Mycological and Zoological Societies. 2003. Zurich, Switzerland. Oral presentation: Competition for mates and social cooperation in wild house mouse females (Mus domesticus). Rusu, A.S., Krackow, S.
Workshop on Work in progress – Gender Studies. April 2003. Kompetenzzentrum Gender Studies, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland. Oral presentation: Competition and cooperation in female wild house mice.
4th International Congress of the Society for Behavioral Ecology. 2002. Montréal, Canada. Poster: Reproductive skew depends on social and kin structure in communally nesting wild house mice. Rusu, A.S., Krackow, S.
1st European Conference on Behavioural Biology, Munster: Conflict and Resolution, Germany. 2002. Poster: Microsatellites marking agonistic phenotypes in wild house mice. Krackow, S., Rusu, A.S., Koenig, B.
1st European Conference on Behavioural Biology, Munster: Conflict and Resolution, Germany. 2002. Poster: Reproductive skew mediated by familiarity-based agonistic relationships in communally nesting wild house mice. Rusu, A.S., Krackow, S.
Zurich Interaction Seminar, ETH. 2002. Zurich, Switzerland. Oral presentation: Competition and cooperation in communally breeding wild house mouse females. Rusu, A.S.
Bio02. Joint Meeting of Swiss Botanical, Mycological and Zoological Societies. 2002. Bern, Switzerland. Poster: Do males pacify females in wild house mice? Rusu, A.S., Krackow, S.
Workshop on Self-Organization and Evolution of Social Behaviour. September 2002. Monte Verita, Ascona, Switzerland, Centro Stefano Franscini, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
27th International Ethological Conference of the International Council of Ethologists and the Ethologische Gesellschaft. 2001. Tuebingen, Germany. Poster: Establishment of dominance and cooperation in female house mice depending on the presence of subordinate males. Rusu, A.S., Krackow, S.
Measuring Behaviour 2000. Nijmegen, Netherland. Poster: Behaviour as a discourse: A structural analysis of the feeding behaviour of laboratory rat. Rusu, A.S., Benta, I.M.
References:
Prof. Dr. Sven Krackow
Institut für Biologie Humboldt Universität Invalidenstrasse 43 D-10115 Berlin
sven.krackow@hu-berlin.de
Prof. Dr. Barbara Koenig
Institute of Zoology, University of Zurich, bkoenig@zool.unizh.ch