New2Neuropsychology

Andrea’s Story:

Andrea’s “I want to become a clinical neuropsychologist” moment was while working with a neuropsychologist who did neuropsychological assessments of Spanish speakers on death row. As part of the evaluation, the neuropsychologist would test the inmate’s neurocognitive functioning and travel to the inmate’s hometown to collect collateral information from family members (regarding neurodevelopment, family history, exposure to pesticides, etc.). Together with the neuropsychologist, she would review the data the neuropsychologist gathered, as well as previously conducted neuropsychological reports and available school, medical, and legal records. This is when she truly began appreciating the biopsychosocial model for understanding an individual’s functioning and behaviors.

In her spare time, Andrea loves to spend time outdoors with her husband and 10-year-old pup, Savannah.

Fun Fact: Andrea was introduced to the field of neuropsychology by her older sister, who is also on the journey of becoming a clinical neuropsychologist. 

Professional Interests:

1.         Cognitive aging
2.         Behavioral interventions
3.         Health disparities, particularly working with the Latinx population

Education/Training Locations:

1.         Bachelor’s in Psychology: University of North Carolina Wilmington
2.         Master’s in Psychology:  University of North Carolina Wilmington
3.         Currently a 6th year doctoral student at the University of Florida on internship at the James A. Haley VA

Current Organizational Affiliations:

1.         Hispanic Neuropsychological Society
2.         Cultural Neuropsychology Council 
3.         New2Neuropsychology 

Desmond’s Story:

Desmond is a Clinical Neuropsychology Ph.D. student at Georgia State University. Neuropsychology became a passion of his for a couple reasons. For one, he has always been intrigued by the human brain and how it impacts behavior and daily functions. Secondly, he realized there is a significant lack of research and treatments concerning Black populations in this field of study. He’s interested in how adverse experiences intersect with race-related neuropsychological outcomes to better comprehend how diversity of social experiences relates to paths of recovery.

Professional Interests:

1. Brain health and health disparities 

1. Cognitive interventions/rehab, cognitive aging, neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, dementia), neuroimaging, neuromodulation, and traumatic brain injuries (TBI)

1. Cultural Neuropsychology

Education/Training: 

1. B.A. in Psychology: Governors State University

1. M.A. in Clinical Psychology: Governors State University

1. Clinical Neuropsychology Ph.D. student: Georgia State University

Current Organizational Affiliations:

1. American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN)

1. Association of Neuropsychology Students and Trainees (ANST)

1. Black in Neuro

1. Georgia State University ANST Interest Group

1. New2Neuropsychology (N2N)

1. Society for Clinical Neuropsychology (SCN)

1. Society for Black Neuropsychology (SBN)

Jennifer’s Story:

Jennifer was initially interested in health psychology. She was introduced to neuropsychology through her graduate research lab as she learned to administer neuropsychological assessments for research purposes. Her interest grew and expanded as she began to learn more about clinical health status as well as one’s diverse backgrounds and their relations to cognition.

Fun Fact: She lived abroad for two years before attending a doctoral program.

Professional Interests:

1. Working with adults and geriatrics with a wide range of health issues (particularly epilepsy and neurodegenerative disorders)
2. Culturally informed neuropsychology

Education/Training Locations:

1. College (Bachelor’s degree): Adelphi University in NY
2. Graduate School (PhD): Yeshiva University in NY
3. Internship Year: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
4. Postdoctoral Fellowship: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Current Organizational Affiliations (Leadership roles):

1. Asian Neuropsychological Association

Rosalia’s Story:

Rosalia began her clinical psychology program with the intention of becoming a therapist. Upon beginning her assessment courses, however, she was immediately intrigued by the ways in which neuropsychologists gather data (through interview, formal assessment, observation, understanding of communities and social determinants, etc.) as “puzzle pieces” in an attempt to comprehensively understand the way that patients function in their worlds. She also loved the niche expertise neuropsychologists were able to offer interdisciplinary medical teams with an understanding not only of research and cognition, but of psychosocial and cultural factors. In her personal life, Rosalia is married with two dogs (Sadie and Penny Lane). She and her family enjoy traveling (most often to the various landscapes of Mexico), hiking, and exploring food and cocktail culture from city to city. 

Fun Fact: Rosalia worked as a bartender at a James Beard-winning cocktail bar in Chicago during her graduate school training and was recently published in a book on cocktail methodology.

Professional Interests:

1. Working with kids who have medical problems (pediatrics)

1. Bilingualism and cultural responsiveness
2. Health disparities

Education/Training Locations:

1. College (Bachelor’s degree): Loyola University Chicago

1. Graduate School (PsyD): Adler University in Chicago

1. Internship Year: University of Minnesota Medical Center
2. Postdoctoral Fellowship: Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital

Current Organizational Affiliations:

1. Association of Neuropsychology Students and Trainees

1. Cultural Neuropsychology Council 

1. New2Neuropsychology 

Tasha’s Story:

Tasha’s interests in the brain and behavior began in college where she studied a variety of subjects including behavioral neuroscience, linguistics, computer science, and philosophy. She discovered the intersection of these disciplines was a field called cognitive science, so she pursued a major in psychology with minors in cognitive science and neuroscience. After college, she moved to Chicago for a research assistantship during which she ran grant-funded clinical drug trials with humans. It was in this research lab that she was first exposed to the field of neuropsychology. She chose to begin a graduate program in clinical psychology with a specialization in neuropsychology to develop skills in cognitive assessment of adults with complex medical problems. Additionally, she completed her dissertation with a focus on patients living with chronic pain and broadened her interests to encompass pre-surgical cognitive evaluations. During fellowship, she plans to deepen new areas of specialization including assessment of patients with movement disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s disease) and epilepsy.  

Fun Fact: Tasha loves traveling and has been to a variety of countries in Europe and Asia. She studied abroad in Berlin, Germany in college and lived in Zürich, Switzerland for a year in high school. Most recently, she traveled to Iceland and Norway after completing her PhD.

Professional Interests:

1. Working with adults who have neurological or medical problems 

1. Cultural neuropsychology & working with interpreters (non-English evaluations) 

1. Health disparities

Education/Training Locations:

1. College (Bachelor’s degree): Carleton College (Northfield, MN)

1. Graduate School (PhD): Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (North Chicago, IL)

1. Internship: Minneapolis VA Medical Center (Minneapolis, MN)

1. Postdoctoral Fellowship: Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, OH)

Current Organizational Affiliations:

1. AACN Board of Directors Student Representative

1. Society for Clinical Neuropsychology (SCN) Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee

1. National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN) Student and Postdoc Resident Committee

1. Asian Neuropsychological Association (ANA) INS 2023 Taiwan Task Force

1. New2Neuropsychology