Grace Goodwin, Ph.D.
Grace Goodwin earned her Master of Science in Psychological Science at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign under the supervision of Drs. Wendy Heller, Aron Barbey, and Karen Rudolph. While at UIUC, she developed a program of research that spanned developmental psychopathology, cognitive neuroscience, and neuropsychology. She conducted research that used neuropsychological testing and neuroimaging methods to examine cognitive and brain network changes post-mild traumatic brain injury. Additionally, she examined whether whole brain measures of blood oxygen level-dependent signal variability and neurocognitive performance on the ImPACT differed between concussed athletes and healthy controls and whether these measures provided a diagnostic biomarker for accurate group classification. While at UNLV, Grace hopes to conduct novel research on neurocognitive and mental health sequelae following sport-related concussion. Specifically, she is interested in using neuropsychological methods to identify factors influencing symptom severity, duration, and recovery. |
Erick Rogers, Ph.D.
Erick earned his Bachelor’s degree (2016) and Master’s degree (2020) in Psychology at UNLV. His thesis focused on the moderating relationship of depression and anhedonia on reward seeking behavior at different times throughout the day. His research interests include evidence-based assessment, affective and psychotic-related disorders, sleep and diurnal rhythm, and the impact thereof on cognition and performance validity tests. |
Hana C. Kuwabara, Ph.D.
Hana earned her Master's degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, under the supervision of Dr. Antonio E. Puente in 2017. Her thesis focused on addressing the implications of the computerization of traditional neuropsychological tests, specifically regarding issues of qualitative and psychometric equivalence. Her research interests include cross-cultural and developmental neuropsychology, assessment, and traumatic brain injury. |
Megan L. Becker, Ph.D.
Megan Becker completed her master's degree in General Experimental Psychology at California State University, San Bernardino in 2016 with research in behavioral psychopharmacology. With the supervision of Sanders McDougall, Ph.D., she completed her thesis on the molecular effects of repeated neuroleptic administration in the dorsal striatum across development. Her research interests include neuropsychological assessment as it pertains to neurodevelopment and aging, dopamine-mediated disorders, cross-cultural assessment, and traumatic brain injury. Internship: Henry Ford Health Sciences Center (Detroit, MI) |
Julia E. Maietta, Ph.D.
Julia Maietta completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at Loyola University New Orleans in 2015. She completed a year-long psychometrist/clinical assistant position at the Neuropsychology Center of Louisiana, working under Dr. Darlyne G. Nemeth, before moving to Las Vegas to begin her studies at UNLV in August 2016. Julia's research interests include neuropsychology, and sport concussion/traumatic brain injury (TBI). Julia's research was funded by the UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees Doctoral Research Fellowship. She completed her dissertation examining the psychometric properties of a commonly utilized sport concussion assessment (the ImPACT). In addition to her research and clinical work, Julia has a passion for advocating for the field of psychology. She is the Chair of the APAGS Convention Committee and Past Chair for the National Academy of Neuropsychology Student & Post-Doctoral Resident Committee. She also serves on the KnowNeuropsychology Committee and Society for Clinical Neuropsychology (APA Division 40)'s Publications and Communications Committee. Internship: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (Oklahoma City, OK) |
Nina Paul, Ph.D.
Nina earned a joint BS-MS at the University of Vienna, Austria, where she completed her thesis on EEG oscillations during empathy for pain. During her Master’s studies, she also participated in a joint study program with the University of Chicago. Nina’s research at UNLV was supported by the Foundation Board Trustee Fellowship. For her dissertation, she completed a series of publications on symptom measures for schizophrenia. Research populations included a broad range of psychiatric and neurological disorders such as schizophrenia spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, substance use disorders, and traumatic brain injuries. Moreover, she has specialization in evidence-based interventions for trauma and anxiety disorders. Internship: Pacific Psychology & Comprehensive Health Clinic (Portland, OR) Post-doctoral Fellowship: Stanford University (Stanford, CA) |
Stacy Graves, Ph.D.
Stacy received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Virginia Tech in 2011 and began the clinical doctoral program at UNLV in the Fall of 2013. Her research interests include pediatric ADHD, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. In addition to her interest in neuropsychological research, she also has a passion for treating severe mental illness through evidence-based psychotherapy as well as advocating for increased access to mental health services at the state and national level. Internship: Sharp HealthCare (San Diego, CA) Post-doctoral Fellowship: The PRACTICE: A Community Mental Health Center (Las Vegas, NV) |
Abigail Baily, Ph.D.
Abigail received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Texas State University in 2011. Following graduation, she continued her undergraduate work as a research assistant in the Psychophysiological Laboratory at Texas State University, performing physiological research using Event Related Potentials (ERP) and salivary analysis. Prior to beginning her graduate career, Abigail worked as a psychometrist at Austin Neuropsychology Clinic in Austin, Texas. Her research interests include neuropsychology, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and neurodegenerative diseases. Internship: North Texas VA - Neuropsychology Track (Dallas, TX) Post-doctoral Fellowship: Center for Applied Neuroscience (Las Vegas, NV) |
Ashley S. Emami, Ph.D.
Ashley earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from San Diego State University, where she examined temporal and prospective memory deficits in individuals with Huntington's Disease. Ashley then went on to complete a Master's Degree in Experimental Psychology from California State University San Marcos. Ashley's master's thesis examined ethnic differences in pain and cortisol reactivity between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women. Her dissertation study examined functional capacity (i.e., the ability to carry out everyday living tasks) in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia using a cluster analytic approach. Ashley's research and clinical interests include serious mental illnesses, neurodegenerative diseases, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Pre-doctoral Internship: Kaiser Permanente (San Diego, CA) Post-doctoral Fellowship: VA San Diego Healthcare System/University of California San Diego Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Residency Program (San Diego, CA) |
Alicia Nuñez, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Alicia Nuñez earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish and a Masters of Public Health in Health Promotion and Behavioral Science from San Diego State University. Her current research interests include cross-cultural neuropsychology, health psychology, mental health disparities, and psychometrics. Pre-doctoral Internship: University of Arizona, College of Medicine (Tucson, AZ) Post-doctoral Fellowship: Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Behavioral Medicine (Los Angeles, CA) |
Bern G. Lee, Ph.D.
Bern Lee began his doctoral studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2012. His research is directed toward further understanding emotional, cognitive, and neuropsychological deficits in people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Currently, his work is focused on combining psychophysiological and eye tracking methods to investigate the relationship between attention and emotion. Bern is currently on his post-doctoral fellowship conducting neuropsychological assessment and research. Pre-doctoral Internship: Henry Ford Hospital (Detroit, MI) Post-doctoral Fellowship: University of Virginia Health System Hospital (Charlottesville, VA) |
Davor Zink, Ph.D.
Davor is from Santiago, Chile and earned his B.S. in psychology at Armstrong Atlantic State University where he also was part of the men's tennis team (2008 NCAA division II national champions). After graduation he worked as a mental health counselor at the Center for Behavioral Medicine at Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah, GA, and then went on to pursue his master's degree at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. At UNCW he worked with Dr. A. E. Puente and the main focus of his research was cross cultural neuropsychology, his thesis was on developing a neuropsychological test battery for the assessment of Spanish speakers in the U.S. He also volunteered at the Cape Fear Clinic, a free community clinic for the poor and uninsured, doing neuropsychological/psychological evaluations. His research interests are cross cultural neuropsychology, neuropsychological assessment of bilingual individuals, testing issues with Spanish speakers, neural mechanisms involved in psychopathologies (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia), and sports neuropsychology. Davor is currently on his post-doctoral fellowship conducting neuropsychological assessment, therapy, and research, as well as teaching and program development. Internship: Henry Ford Hospital (Detroit, MI) Post-doctoral Fellowship: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston/McGovern Medical School (Houston, TX) |
Mary Vertinski, Ph.D.
Mary Vertinski completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of California, San Diego. Before starting graduate school she spent three years working on a study examining brain plasticity in schizophrenia at the San Francisco VA Medical Center/University of California, San Francisco. Her research interests include neuropsychology, serious mental illness, as well as the prodromal phases of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Mary's thesis examined the utility of the test of continuous performance in children and adolescents who have sustained traumatic brain injury. Internship: Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center (Indianapolis, IN) Post-doctoral Fellowship: San Francisco VA Medical Center (San Francisco, CA) |
Elyse Parke, Ph.D.
Elyse's dissertation examined differences in social cognitive abilities in children with ADHD. Her thesis examined the Wechsler Intelligence Scale Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) profiles in children with ADHD and comorbid learning disabilities. Elyse completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in the neuropsychology track. She is currently at the Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine completing her post-doctoral training in pediatric neuropsychology. She will be working as a pediatric neuropsychologist at Tampa General Hospital. Internship: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) (Philadelphia, PA) Post-doctoral Fellowship: Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX) |
RyAnna Zenisek, Ph.D.
RyAnna completed her thesis which investigated auditory perception deficits in bipolar disorder with and without psychotic features. RyAnna's dissertation investigated social cognition in order to develop a novel measure of social cognitive abilities that can be used in schizophrenia and other disorders. Her research interests include cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and the role of psychotic symptoms in bipolar disorder. Internship: VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System (Ann Arbor, MI) Post-doctoral Fellowship: Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, OH) |
Sally Vogel, Ph.D.
Dr. Vogel completed her Ph.D. at UNLV in 2015. She completed her internship at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in the neuropsychology track. She completed a two-year neuropsychology post-doctoral fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH. She currently works in private practice in Washington, conducting neuropsychological assessments of adults with a variety of neurological, medical, and psychological concerns. Internship: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (Oklahoma City, OK) Post-doctoral fellowship: Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, OH) |
Nicholas Thaler, Ph.D.
Nicholas Thaler, Ph.D., ABPP-CN is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and co-founder of the Asian Neuropsychology Association. He currently maintains a private practice in Los Angeles, California where he works with children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Thaler has expertise in traumatic brain injury with over 20 peer-reviewed publications on this topic. He also has expertise working with Japanese and Japanese-American populations. Internship: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Post-doctoral fellowship: UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior |
Erik Ringdahl, Ph.D., ABPP
Dr. Ringdahl attended UNLV for his undergraduate studies. During that time, he was a member of the UNLV Men’s Swimming Team and served as the Chapter President of the International Honor Society in Psychology, Psi Chi. Dr. Ringdahl pursued graduate studies in the NRP from 2009 to 2014. Two years into graduate school, he was awarded the Health Professions Scholarship from the United States Air Force (USAF), and in 2013, he received the Nevada Regents’ Scholar distinction. Between 2013 and 2014, he attended a pre-doctoral internship at Wright-Patterson Medical Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. From there, Dr. Ringdahl relocated to Texas, where he served at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in diverse clinical and leadership positions from 2014 to 2017. Subsequently, he earned a competitive selection for postdoctoral training in clinical neuropsychology through the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium. Dr. Ringdahl completed postdoctoral training in 2019 and was relocated to California to serve as the Chief of Neuropsychology and Flight Commander of the Joint DoD/VA Inpatient Mental Health Unit at David Grant USAF Medical Center, Travis AFB, CA. In 2022, Dr. Ringdahl achieved board certification in Clinical Neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology. In August 2023, Dr. Ringdahl voluntarily separated from the USAF after a decade of dedicated service. He returned to San Antonio with his family and currently works as the staff neuropsychologist within the Outpatient Polytrauma Rehabilitation Program at Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital, part of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System and APA-accredited postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology. For additional information about Dr. Ringdahl, please visit his LinkedIn site: www.linkedin.com/in/erik-ringdahl Internship: Wright-Patterson Medical Center, Wright-Patterson, AFB (Dayton, OH) Post-doctoral fellowship: Brooke Army Medical Center, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston (San Antonio, TX) |
Christina Armstrong, Ph.D.
Christina Armstrong, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the states of California and Washington. She works at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where she is involved in the development and implementation of health technologies across the enterprise. Her prior experience includes nearly a decade at the Defense Health Agency in the U.S. Department of Defense, where she led an interdisciplinary provider education and training program on best practices for the integration of health technologies into clinical care. She provides subject-matter expertise in the areas of clinical psychology, including mTBI, PTSD, suicide risk and prevention, substance abuse, and neuropsychological assessment, as well as technology platforms including mobile health, telehealth, virtual reality, virtual worlds, wearable technology, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and big data. Her primary interests are in the development and evaluation of behavior change products and implementation programs that leverage innovative technology solutions to improve health. She has published over 18 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has presented extensively at conferences and professional meetings across the country. Dr. Armstrong is also an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University in the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, where she teaches Ethics and Law for Mental Health Professionals. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (Divisions 19 and 40) as well as the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, where she serves on the Ethics Committee and Convention Committees. Internship: Western State Hospital (Tacoma, WA) Post-doctoral fellowship: Defense Health Agency, US Department of Defense, Joint Base Lewis (McChord, WA) |
Danielle Bello, Ph.D.
Dr. Bello received a B.S. in management/finance from Binghamton University. After working for 4 years at an investment bank, she decided to change career tracks and returned to school for her M.A. in psychology from New York University. She made the move to the west coast to attend UNLV and graduated in 2009 with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Her dissertation examined the neurocognitive predictors of functional capacity in individuals with bipolar disorder. Her neuropsychology track internship was at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC). Dr. Bello has her board certification in clinical neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology. She currently works at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, an outpatient pediatric specialty clinic primarily focused on hematology-oncology, where she directs Behavioral Health services and the Story Book Homes Long-Term Follow-Up clinic for pediatric cancer survivors. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses at UNLV and currently trains predoctoral practicum students at her clinic. For additional information about Dr. Bello, please visit her LinkedIn site. |
Gregory Strauss, Ph.D.
Dr. Gregory Strauss received his Ph.D. from UNLV under Dr. Allen's mentorship in 2008. He completed his clinical internship at the University of Illinois Chicago Department of Psychiatry and then completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in the cognitive neuroscience of schizophrenia at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center within the University of Maryland School of Medicine under the mentorship of Drs. Jim Gold and Will Carpenter. Dr. Strauss is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Georgia. He directs the Clinical Affective Neuroscience (CAN) Lab and Georgia Psychiatric Risk Evaluation Program (G-PREP). His research primarily examines the etiology, assessment, and treatment of negative symptoms in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and youth at clinical high-risk for psychosis. He has authored over 120 publications, and his research has been recognized by several awards, such as the Early Career Award from the National Academy of Neuropsychology, Early Career Award from the American Society for Clinical Psychopharmacology, Wechsler Early Career Award for Innovative Research on Cognition from the American Psychological Foundation, and Young Investigator Awards from the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research and the Schizophrenia International Research Society. He has been funded by >$15M in grants as PI or Co-I from the NIMH, NARSAD, VA MIRECC, APF, NSF, and internal mechanisms. He is an Associate Editor at Schizophrenia Bulletin and on the editorial boards at Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Clinical Psychological Science, and Schizophrenia Research: Cognition. Visit his website here. Internship: University of Illinois Chicago Department of Psychiatry (Chicago, IL) Post-doctoral Fellowship: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (Catonsville, MD) |
Lisa Duke, Ph.D.
Dr. Duke received her M.A. in 2004 from California State University - Long Beach. Her dissertation examined the influence of trauma on cognitive function in survivors of rape and individuals with schizophrenia. She is currently a clinical psychologist in private practice in Waianae, Hawaii who conducts psychological/cognitive testing and provides individual, family, and group therapy. For additional information about Dr. Duke, please visit her website. |
Brandon Park, Ph.D.
Dr. Park received his B. A in Psychology from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 2002 and his M. A. in Clinical Psychology from the Universityof Nevada Las Vegas in 2004. He completed his dissertation, titled, “Recovery of Neurocognitive Function Following Traumatic Brain Injury in Children and Adolescents” and graduated from UNLV in 2007. He is currently a senior psychological specalist at the Napa State Hospital in California. His current research interests involve neuropsychological functioning in Traumatic Brain Injury for both children and adults. His other interests include the study of attention and memory processing and theoretical concepts in neuropsychological testing. |
Joshua Caron, Ph.D.
Dr. Caron is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist working in the VA Maine Healthcare System, and he is the Director of Clinical Training for the VA Maine Clinical Neuropsychology Fellowship Program. He serves on several committees at VA Maine to include the Research and Development Committee and the Psychology Training Committee. He has authored or co-authored book chapters on neuropsychological training in the VA, forensic neuropsychology, forensic geropsychology, and the quantitative process approach. His past research explored classification rates for embedded measures of performance validity. His current research interests include exploring the comparability of teleneuropsychology to traditional face-to-face neuropsychological examinations. Internship: University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital (Miami, FL) Post-doctoral fellowship: Memphis VA Medical Center (Memphis, TN) |
Erin Warnick, Ph.D.
Dr. Warnick received her B. A. in Psychology from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 1999. She was awarded her Ph.D. in 2005 after completing her doctoral dissertation, which investigated neuropsychological functioning in first-degree murderers. She is currently a staff psychologist at the Napa State Hospital in California. Her primary research interests involve neuropsychological functioning in schizophrenia and neuropsychology and aggression. Her clinical specialization is in adult neuropsychology. |
Teri Belmont, Ph.D.
Dr. Belmont received B.A. and M.A. degrees in Psychology from UNLV prior to beginning the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology. She completed her Ph.D. in 2005, and is currently working as a clinical neuropsychologist in Las Vegas. Her dissertation examined malingering and forensic neuropsychological assessment. She offers a wide range of psychological assessment services, with emphasis on expert and consulting civil forensic neuropsychological and psychological services and evaluations and record reviews for Disability and Workers' Compensation claims. Dr. Belmont also serves as a consulting examiner for the State of Nevada Bureau of Disability Adjudication. For additional information regarding Dr. Belmont please visit her linkedin profile or professional website. |