The Division 40 WIN subcommittee is pleased to honor Shellie-Anne Levy, PhD, in this issue of the “WINners Box.” Dr. Levy completed her doctorate from Howard University in clinical psychology with a concentration in neuropsychology. Subsequently, she went on to complete her clinical internship and a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Florida’s Health Science Center. Currently, as a Clinical Assistant Professor in Neuropsychology at the University of Florida, Dr. Levy is active in research, clinical practice, service, and advocacy.

Dr. Levy’s research program focuses on studying cognitive trajectories in older adults from underrepresented groups and the social, psychological, and economic factors that may influence their health and health-seeking behaviors. Her work aims to promote cognitive health equity by elucidating the relationships between cardiovascular health, cognition, and racial and ethnic diversity. Her work, which incorporates quantitative as well as qualitative techniques, has been published in national and international journals and she collaborates with well-established researchers across the country. Throughout her career, Dr. Levy has received funding from the National Institute of Health (2014), the Alzheimer’s Association (2017), and the 1Florida ADRC (2020). Currently, she is a co-investigator in a number of interdisciplinary grants examining the intersection of physical activity, cognition, and cardiovascular health in underrepresented adults. Clinically, Dr. Levy runs a successful outpatient clinic where she provides comprehensive neuropsychological services to older adults presenting with neurodegenerative conditions. Dr. Levy’s dedication to her trainees and her commitment to fostering cultural awareness have emerged at the forefront of her work as a licensed provider. She supervises trainees at all levels, including doctoral students, interns, and postdoctoral fellows. Her patient-centered approach to care and her empathic and assertive supervision style makes her an effective supervisor, and trainees from the Graduate Program at the University of Florida rank her clinic as one of the most desirable rotations. Through her clinical work, she models cultural humility and has had the opportunity to shape the training experience of graduate trainees, in terms of their awareness about the racial and cultural factors relevant when interpreting neuropsychological protocols.

Dr. Levy’s involvement in Clinical Neuropsychology extends beyond her research and clinical work. In terms of service and advocacy, she was selected as a member of the American Psychological Association’s Task Force that recently updated the guidelines for the evaluation of dementia and age-related cognitive change. Notably, Dr. Levy is establishing herself as a leader in the field of community-oriented neuropsychology. Since 2018, she has been spearheading the University of Florida’s Free Neurocognitive Screening Initiative (NSI), where clinical neuropsychology services are provided to community-dwelling adults who are underinsured or uninsured. The NSI provides services afterhours, on a monthly basis, and at local clinics. As the first neuropsychology clinic of its kind at the University of Florida, the NSI provides a much-needed service to the community of Central Florida. Moreover, it offers unique practical, leadership and outreach opportunities for emerging professionals at different levels of their training (i.e., undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral fellows).

Overall, Dr. Levy’s passion for health equity, her creative out-of-the-box thinking style, as well as her commitment to her community make her an excellent clinician-scientist in our field. Dr. Franchesca Arias, a former trainee and colleague, nominated her for this award and views her work ethic, humility, and unwavering commitment to communities of color as an inspiration. Dr. Levy’s unsung community-based work, along with her dedication to students, make her worthy of this recognition.

If you would like to highlight your work or that of a colleague, please make your submission to the WIN Chair, Dr. Rachael Ellison.

The Division 40 WIN committee is pleased to honor Diomaris Safi, Psy.D., in this issue of the “WINners Box.” Dr. Safi earned her doctorate from George Fox University in clinical psychology with a concentration in Neuropsychology and Forensic psychology. She completed her clinical internship at the University of California San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital and her postdoctoral fellowship at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center. Today, Dr. Safi is a well-regarded Staff Neuropsychologist at the Hispanic Neuropsychiatric Center of Excellence (HNCE) in the Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Safi is leaving her mark in neuropsychology through her contributions to clinical practice, research, and professional service.

Clinically, Dr. Safi has extensive experience administering neuropsychological tests as well as diagnosing and treating various psychological conditions. In her outpatient clinic at HNCE, she has supervised predoctoral trainees, interns, and postdoctoral fellows. Her trainees describe her as knowledgeable, supportive, and efficient. Her colleagues praise her hands-on and assertive approach to teamwork and explain that during her professional interactions, Dr. Safi strives to provide evidence-based practice that is anchored around the needs of her patients. As a forensic neuropsychologist, she has worked with civil and criminal attorneys nationally and internationally, offering full neuropsychological assessments, adaptive functioning evaluations, court stakeholder interviews, and expert forensic testimony in English and Spanish. Concretely, Dr. Safi is one of only a handful of Spanish-speaking women in the United States who is trained and credentialed to conduct neuropsychological examinations in federal cases (i.e., death penalty cases), as well as in state cases. She is nationally recognized as one of the leading bilingual forensic neuropsychologists. Given her highly specialized experience focused on the intersection between health disparities and forensic neuropsychological assessments, she conceptualized and created the first Social Justice in Criminal Neuropsychology Program in the Semel Institute at UCLA. As the Director of the Social Justice in Criminal Neuropsychology Program, Dr. Safi will spearhead the only program of its kind in the country, providing neuropsychological services in English and Spanish to the incarcerated persons in Los Angeles County. This program will fill a void in these regards: 1) It will train future neuropsychologists who can, in turn, provide forensic neuropsychological services to Spanish-speakers; 2) It will provide UCLA standard services to incarcerated folks who will benefit from identification of neurocognitive deficits that might have contributed to their incarceration and/or can help with appropriate treatment planning and community reintegration; and 3) Possibly provide savings for the one of the largest cities in America by informing reintegration strategies and avoiding recidivism. It is worth noting that Dr. Safi has been diligent in all aspects of this program, following leads on grants, navigating complex processes to materialize a contract between UCLA and the LA’s District Attorney’s Office, and creating a highly defined neurocognitive screening that balances the demands of neuropsychologists in her program and the attorneys she aspires to work with.

In terms of research, Dr. Safi is emerging as a leader in equitable access to neuropsychological services for linguistically diverse persons. She has collaborated with community stakeholders in Los Angeles to ensure that the broader Los Angeles community has access to high-quality evidence-based mental health services. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, she has worked diligently to continue to offer teleneuropsychological (teleNP) services to patients and identify modifications that could be incorporated into clinical practice to use teleNP to increase access to neuropsychological services. She has published and been invited to present at national organizations on this topic.

At the intersection of community work and teaching, Dr. Safi contributed to the meaningful work with Los Angeles County’s Department of Mental Health (LACDMH), the largest mental health department in the nation, Mental Health Promoters by helping revamp their curriculum to provide psychoeducation in English and Spanish to community members. Through a collaboration between UCLA and LACDMH, the HNCE was asked to support the mental health needs of the Spanish-speaking community through the pandemic and a strong collaboration was forged with this incredible group. Just to elucidate, the promoters provided 7300 workshops to community members throughout Los Angeles County in the fiscal year 2021-2022 reaching approximately 187,000 community members. Another noteworthy contribution to the LACDMH came in the form of Dr. Safi teaching upwards of 300 psychologists from LACDMH on the early identification of neurocognitive disorders as part of the training arm of this collaboration.

Dr. Safi’s professional service and advocacy are far-reaching and extend to work in Latin America and other parts of the world. She has served as a mentor and academic consultant for the Masters in Neuropsychology at the Universidad del Valle en Guatemala since 2013. In addition, she is a presence in the neuropsychological community in Latin America, offering didactic to diverse professionals (e.g., medical students, law students, neuropsychology peers) and is a frequent speaker at the El Congreso de Neuropsychologia in Costa Rica. In the United States, Dr. Safi is a mentor for the Hispanic Neuropsychological Society and is a member of the Spanish TeleNP Assessment and Research (STAR) Consortium.

In conclusion, Dr. Safi’s trajectory thus far makes her an asset to the cross-cultural neuropsychology community and the field of neuropsychology at large. Her determination, commitment to the Spanish-speaking community, and desire to elevate Clinical Neuropsychology in Spanish-speaking countries are admirable. Drs. Franchesca Arias and Paola Suarez, colleagues and professional collaborators, are beyond ecstatic to highlight her contributions to the community and nominated her for this award.

If you would like to highlight your work or that of a colleague, please make your submission to the WIN Chair, Dr. Rachael Ellison.

The Division 40 WIN subcommittee is pleased to honor Amanda Gooding, PhD, ABPP-CN, in this issue of the “WINners Box.” Dr. Gooding earned her doctorate from Fordham University with concentrations in neuropsychology and health psychology. She completed a clinical internship at the UC San Diego/San Diego VA Psychology Internship training program in Neuropsychology and a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Neurology at Columbia University Medical Center. As a neuropsychologist and Associate Professor at UC San Diego, Dr. Gooding is an active team member of the UCSD Epilepsy Center. As one of a few bilingual neuropsychologists, she conducts evaluations for Spanish-speaking patients.

Dr. Gooding’s involvement in the field is deep and far-reaching. Most notable is her dedication to teaching and mentorship. As Director of Clinical Training of the Cognitive Medicine Group and a clinical supervisor for the UCSD/San Diego VA Psychology Internship training program, Dr. Gooding supervises trainees at all levels, including doctoral students, interns, and postdoctoral fellows. Her Socratic teaching style combined with genuine motivation to help her students grow makes her an extremely effective, yet personable supervisor. She views her students as individuals with unique needs and learning styles, fluidly adjusting her role to meet her students at their level. She always makes time for her trainees and promotes a healthy learning environment. Dr. Gooding’s passion for teaching topics in neuropsychology extends nationally and globally, exemplified by her contribution to the development of KnowNeuropsychology, a free didactics series for neuropsychology trainees, as well as giving talks at various international conferences.

Dr. Gooding has attained diplomate status in the American Board of Professional Psychology, and is committed to preparing her trainees for board certification. She is a fierce advocate for advancing opportunities for women and promoting diversity, exemplified by her roles as Secretary and Treasurer of the Women in Health Sciences Planning Committee, and a Co-Leader of the Gender Issues Subcommittee through UCSD’s Department of Psychiatry. On a national level, she serves as Chair of the Early Career Neuropsychologist Committee through APA’s Division 40 Society for Clinical Neuropsychology. In addition to juggling a heavy clinical load, service and training, Dr. Gooding is actively involved in research, with a focus on advancing cross-cultural neuropsychology and normative data. She is also an ad-hoc reviewer for numerous journals.

Dr. Gooding’s clinical acumen, deep thinking style, tenacity, and passion for teaching is contagious and make her an excellent supervisor. Her past trainees that nominated her for this award (Ni Sun-Suslow, PhD and Alena Stasenko, PhD) view her as a lifelong role model who inspires her trainees with her ability to gracefully juggle clinical, service, and teaching/mentoring responsibilities. On top of this, she is a dedicated mother and a promoter of a healthy work-life balance – a truly exemplary woman in neuropsychology. Thus, we are excited to recognize Dr. Gooding’s outstanding accomplishments in the field of neuropsychology.

If you would like to highlight your work or that of a colleague, please make your submission to the WIN Chair, Dr. Rachael Ellison, at rellison1@iit.edu.

Dr. Dotson completed her undergraduate degree (summa cum laude) at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and then matriculated to the University of Florida, Gainesville, where she completed her Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in clinical psychology (neuropsychology emphasis). Dr. Dotson stayed in Florida to complete her clinical internship at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa. Following completion of her doctorate, Dr. Dotson continued her training at the National Institute on Aging with a post-doctoral fellowship in the Cognition Section, Laboratory of Personality and Cognition. She returned to the University of Florida as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2016. In 2017, Dr. Dotson joined the Georgia State University where she was appointed a tenured Associate Professor. She is the recipient of multiple training awards and honors, including attaining Fellow status in the APA.

Dr. Dotson is an outstanding researcher and a national leader in research efforts to further our understanding of the maintenance of brain health in relation to aging, particularly in the context of health disparities. Following her post-doctoral training, Dr. Dotson established the Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging and Depression laboratory at the University of Florida. She re-established her laboratory at Georgia State University which provided more opportunities to pursue her passion related to health disparities. Dr. Dotson’s research has been funded throughout her career by the NIH and the McKnight Brain Research Foundation.  Her work occurs at the intersection of clinical psychology, neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience and relies neuroimaging and behavioral paradigms to understand the underlying neurobiology of depression and its relationship to cognitive and functional deficits in older adults. Over recent, years Dr. Dotson’s work has examined the impact of physical activity on depression-related cognitive and brain changes in the elderly. Among her goals are to discern different phenotypes of depression and the related underlying neurobiology to help identify targeted treatments. As noted above, she is extending this work to examine the role of health disparities in late life depression, cognition, and the underlying neurobiological correlates. Dr. Dotson’s work has resulted in over 43 peer-reviewed publications in high profile journals in neurology and neuropsychology, book chapters, and multiple peer-reviewed national and international conference presentations. Notably, Dr. Dotson’s work drew the attention of NASA, who sought her out to help with the development of brain health initiatives to mitigate cognitive, mood, and brain changes associated with human space travel.

Dr. Dotson is also an exemplary educator and mentor. Her reputation as a valued mentor is apparent in the caliber of the students she has attracted to her lab. She has served on over 36 masters’ thesis committees and 14 dissertation committees. Dr. Dotson’s students are routinely recruited to top internship and post-doctoral training sites. She is also engaged in classroom teaching and has developed multiple courses and supervised practicum students. In recognition of her expertise as a mentor, Dr. Dotson was invited to be a guest mentor for a NIA funded program, Advancing Diversity in Aging, at San Diego University. As part of that program, Dr. Dotson mentored minority and disadvantaged students, which speaks once again to her commitment to equity.

Finally, Dr. Dotson has been an exemplary good citizen with extensive professional service. She has served on various professional committees continuously since 2007. Her service to the Society for Clinical Neuropsychology and APA is particularly impressive and includes leadership roles such as: Chair, Program Committee; Member, APA Committee on Aging; and Division 40 Liaison to APA’s Committee on Aging. Dr. Dotson has also served on multiple other committees in various member and representative roles within her academic institutions, the NIH, International Neuropsychological Society (INS), and the Center for Enhancing Neurocognitive Health, Abilities, Networks, and Community Engagement. Dr. Dotson also serves on the editorial board of Neuropsychology Review and as an ad hoc reviewer for over 30 journals. Finally, she has served on NIH and NSF review panels/study sections.

Dr. Dotson personifies the best of the younger generation of neuropsychologists with respect to her outstanding research, commitment to addressing racial inequities in her research and mentoring, leadership in training the next generation, and exemplary service. Consequently, we are proud to sponsor Dr. Dotson’s well-deserved recognition in the WINners Box.

Sincerely, Cynthia Kubu (President Elect SCN), Heather Belanger (President, SCN), Rodney Vanderploeg (Past President, SCN) and the SCN WIN subcommittee.

If you would like to highlight your work or that of a colleague, please make your submission to the WIN Chair, Dr. Rachael Ellison, at rellison1@iit.edu.

Dr. Kubu earned her doctorate in psychology from the University of Iowa, with a dissertation focused on closed head injury. She completed an internship in clinical neuropsychology at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center. Dr. Kubu pursued an academic career and also maintained a clinical practice for many years after completing her education and training. Dr. Kubu joined the Center for Neurological Restoration at the Cleveland Clinic in 2001 as a staff neuropsychologist. She attained the rank of professor at the Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University in 2013.

Dr. Kubu’s activities clearly demonstrate her dedication to teaching. She regularly provides lectures and seminars at the Lerner College of Medicine on topics such as the Neuroanatomy of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Cortical Functional Neuroanatomy. She has served in the roles of speaker, panelist, and course director for a large number of teaching activities and presentations involving both neurology/neuropsychology topics and career development, and has been a Grand Rounds speaker on numerous occasions. On a larger scale, she has presented workshops at meetings such as the International Neuropsychological Society and American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology annual meetings. Many of her presentations are centered on her expertise in deep brain stimulation, and she has earned areputation for her expertise in neuroethics, as well. However, one might be surprised to learn that Dr. Kubu’s knowledge and interests also extend to the topic of music and the brain, exemplified by her 2008 participation in a symposium on the Brain, Music, Health and Society in Salzburg, Austria. On a more direct level, Dr. Kubu has supervised the clinical work of students, interns, and fellows throughout her career.

Dr. Kubu has been active in research throughout her career, as well, publishing on epilepsy, movement disorders, and mood disorders. Her ongoing area of interest in deep brain stimulation combines theoretical, clinical, and research perspectives as she tackles the complex topic of neuroethics. She is a member of various international groups tasked with developing clinical and research/ethical guidelines for neuromodulation, and she has been an invited speaker on this topic. Having been a co‐investigator in the past on grants for deep brain stimulation, she more recently obtained an R01 from NIMH on ethics in the context of Parkinson’s disease and deep brain stimulation. Additionally, Dr. Kubu obtained a grant to be a visiting scholar to study neuroethics at the Montreal Neurological Institute last year. She is a member of the International Neuroethics Society, and serves on their Program Committee and as a member of the International Council of Neuroethics Leaders.

Dr. Kubu has attained diplomate status in the American Board of Professional Psychology and is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. She was elected in 2016 to serve as a representative for the Society for Clinical Neuropsychology (Div. 40) to APA’s Council of Representatives. She is a past associate editor of Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology and serves as a reviewer for numerous professional journals.

Dr. Kubu has a mission to enhance leadership development for women. At her home institution of the Cleveland Clinic, she has developed curricula to help women develop leadership skills, including members of the pediatric hospitalist and anesthesia faculty. Also at Cleveland Clinic, she joined with others to reinvigorate the Women’s Professional Staff Association by developing a business plan to advocate for significant funds to help support their initiatives and then serving on their Executive Committee, first as Vice President and then as Co‐President. She holds a seat on the Advisory Board for the HealthCare Businesswomen’s Association, Ohio Branch. At the global level, she served on the Board for Ko‐K‐Yo – a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of women and children in the Afar region of Africa through education and microfinancing initiatives. Dr. Kubu’s successes hit a personal high point when she developed and led a city‐wide public discussion series in 2016‐18 to promote women in STEM fields. Speakers for this series included leaders throughout Cleveland in diverse organizations such as NASA, Case Western Reserve University, industry, and the Cleveland Natural History Museum. Moreover, Dr. Kubu’s involvement with WIN has a long history. She was a member of the inaugural WIN subcommittee, and later served as Chair from 2003‐06, when she also served as SCN (Div 40) Liaison to the APA Committee for Women in Psychology. We applaud Dr. Kubu’s accomplishments and dedication to neuropsychology and to the women who populate this profession.

Dr. D’Avanzo earned her B.S. degree from Tufts University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She obtained her doctorate from the University of California San Diego/San Diego State University Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, during which she was a four-time recipient of the McDonell Pew Center for Clinical Neuroscience Fellowship. There, she specialized in neuropsychology under the tutelage of Nelson Butters, Jane Paulsen, Dean Delis, Terry Jernigan, David Salmon, and Robert Heaton, while conducting research on electrophysiologic signatures of priming effects in Alzheimer’s disease, with her mentor Dr. Marta Kutas. She completed her clinical internship at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Honolulu and her postdoctoral residency at the Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu. She became Board-certified ABPP-CN in 2001.

Dr. D’Avanzo is a devoted clinician and a strong advocate for neuropsychology. She has served in a number of regional and national leadership positions, focused on the role of neuropsychology in outreach, serving the public’s needs, and creating forums and opportunities for growth. She was instrumental in establishing our profession in Hawaii, where she is one of only a handful of practicing neuropsychologists. As President of the Hawaii Psychological Society in 2005, she helped to establish their first Political Action Committee to represent the interests of psychologists. For her efforts, she received their Distinguished Service Award. She is also past Chair of the Behavioral Health Advisory Board for Hawaii’s largest private insurer, HMSA. She was involved in clinical training as an intern supervisor for the Neuropsychology Service of the Honolulu VAMC for over 10 years, and as past Director of the Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Residency in the Waianae Rural Health Center.

Nationally, Dr. D’Avanzo is Chair of the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN) Foundation, which is dedicated to providing education and resources for the public, patients, families, and health care providers to understand brain health. She has also held other leadership posts in NAN, including serving in their Membership Committee and the Women in Leadership Committee, and as Member-at-Large. She has been a writer for the ABCN written examination 2018 revision, and is an ABCN mentor.

Dr. D’Avanzo truly exemplifies the spirit of Aloha. Outside of her professional roles, she is Dean of the Awesome Foundation, a philanthropic organization that awards grants to individuals or groups working to enhance their community or do awesome deeds! She is also an accomplished artist, known for her portrait paintings, which are frequently shown in galleries around Oahu. All this, while being a doting mom to twin grade-schoolers and two cats. Her friends would say that Dr. D’Avanzo is generous with her wisdom and a lover of life.

Dr. Butters earned her master’s degree from Boston University and her doctorate from the University of Arizona, with a focus in clinical neuropsychology. She completed her clinical internship at Brown University and her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. She is now an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Butters is an expert in geriatric depression and cognitive aging. Her exceptional career combines clinical care, mentoring, teaching, professional service, and cutting-edge research. She has specialized in geriatric psychiatry and the interface between psychiatric illness and neuropsychological function. She is the Director of Neuropsychological Services for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Benedum Geriatric Center, where she provides neuropsychological evaluation for older adults experiencing cognitive decline. In addition, she has served as a consultant for the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center and a clinical neuropsychologist for the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Dr. Butters regularly lectures for students and trainees in psychiatry, psychology, social work, and gerontology on the topics of neuropsychology and mental health.

In addition to her outstanding clinical care and teaching, Dr. Butters is a pioneering researcher on the interface of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. She is a leading expert on late-life depression and has shaped the field’s thinking regarding the role of psychiatric disorders in the risk for development of dementia. Her research integrates psychiatric assessment, neuropsychological evaluation, and neuroimaging markers to understand the developmental course of neuropsychological disorders and how psychiatric illness confers risk for dementia. She has authored or co-authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles as well as multiple textbooks and book chapters in the area of geriatric psychiatry and neuroimaging. Dr. Butters’ research has been funded by NIHM, NINDS, NIA, NIAAA, NHLBI, and the CDC. Dr. Butters has mentored over 20 graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, and early-career professors on neuropsychological research.

While Dr. Butters’ research and clinical record are outstanding, her devotion to training and service set her apart. She has served on the APA Div 40 WIN Steering Committee and mentored early-career scientists through NIMH’s Advanced Research Institute in Geriatric Mental Health, as well as serving on several other boards and committees. In addition to research mentorship, Dr. Butters supervises graduate student externs and postdoctoral fellows in clinical psychology. Her recent trainees who nominated her for this award (Andrea Weinstein, PhD, Tina Stephenson, MS, Lauren Oberlin, MS, Swathi Gujral, PhD, and Megan Miller, MS) said the following about Dr. Butters: “In developing a supervisory relationship, Dr. Butters inquires about individual learning styles and adjusts the training experience to meet the needs of the mentee, rather than forcing the mentee to adjust to her own preferences. But this description of her mentoring style does not capture how much she means to us. Dr. Butters inspires us to not only be successful practitioners and researchers, but she fosters our identity as women in the field of neuropsychology. Her generous spirit and sincere commitment to the success of her mentees is clear to anyone that meets her. She is selfless about sharing her time and knowledge in a way that many mentors strive to achieve. She takes clinical care seriously but also provides professional development in a non-judgmental setting. We have leaned on her when applying for internship, thinking through career directions, and navigating tricky professional scenarios. We have developed as women in neuropsychology due to the dedication, knowledge, and spirit of Dr. Butters.”

Dr. Butters is also known for her love of travel, her sense of humor, her enjoyment of a good story, and devotion to her son and her new puppy.

Dr. Jak earned her doctorate from the University of Cincinnati, with a focus in clinical neuropsychology. She completed a clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Veteran Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) and at the University of California- San Diego (UCSD) Psychiatry Department, with major rotations in clinical neuropsychology.

Dr. Jak has built an outstanding career that balances clinical service (especially for veterans), teaching, professional service, mentoring, and research. She first served as a clinical neuropsychologist for the Defense and Veteran’s Brain Injury Center, Camp Pendleton Concussion Clinic. In 2007, Dr. Jak re-joined UCSD’s Psychiatry Department and is currently an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and a Staff Neuropsychologist and Director of the TBI Cognitive Rehabilitation Clinic at the VASDHS. In 2014, Dr. Jak became the UCSD/VA Psychology Internship Training Program Co-Director. Last year, she was named the Associate Director of the Clinical Research Unit, Center of Excellence in Stress and Mental Health (CESAMH) at the VASDHS. She is also the Associate Director of the VASDHS Postdoctoral Residency Program in Neuropsychology. For her clinical work, she provides neuropsychological and compensatory cognitive rehabilitation services for veterans at the VASDHS.

In addition to her clinical work and service, Dr. Jak has maintained an active research program that has had a substantial, lasting impact on the field. Her work has been funded by VA, Department of Defense (DoD), National Institute on Aging, and the Alzheimer’s Association and she has authored or co-authored over 80 peer-reviewed articles. Her research in TBI examines the neuropsychological presentation of mild TBI, persistent post-concussive symptoms, and its comorbidity with mental health disorders, particularly PTSD. She is an investigator in the landmark VA/DoD Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (CENC; https://cenc.rti.org/), a 22-site collaborative effort to link basic, translational, and clinical neuroscience researchers from VA, military, and academia to address diagnosis and treatment of the effects of mild TBI. Within the CENC, she is the Principal Investigator on an extramural funding award to examine a novel white matter imaging technique in combat Veterans with persistent post-concussive symptoms.  She has also recently completed a DoD-funded clinical trial examining a hybrid treatment for comorbid PTSD and history of TBI that combines Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) with principles of cognitive rehabilitation. She also continues research in aging, focusing specifically on diagnostic approaches to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as well as how protective behavioral factors (e.g., physically and mentally active lifestyles) impact cognition and brain structural integrity in normally aging and elders with MCI.

Dr. Jak is known as an exceptionally generous and kind colleague and mentor. She is an APA Fellow and has served as Division 40 Program Committee Chair and Secretary, along with INS Program Committee and Continuing Education Committee.  In her role as Co-Director of the VA/UCSD Psychology Internship Program, she manages the training program that serves 20 interns. Dr. Jak also supervises trainees at all levels, including doctoral students, doctoral externs, psychology interns, and postdoctoral fellows. Current and former students rave about Dr. Jak. One of her mentees, Dr. Laura Crocker stated that Dr. Jak is “incredibly supportive of her trainees in all areas and goes above and beyond to foster each person’s specific career aspirations. Despite juggling many professional responsibilities, she is incredibly available and generous with her time.” Students appreciate that Dr. Jak models a healthy work-life balance. She is an outstanding mother of two and is known for her positivity, support, intellect, patience, and consistent ability to empower early career trainees to develop independent careers. It is with great pleasure that the WIN committee recognizes Dr. Jak’s numerous accomplishments and far-reaching impact in service, clinical work, mentoring, and research.

mentoring and research.

Dr. Parmenter completed her graduate training in clinical psychology at the University of Kansas with a specialty in Health/Rehabilitation Psychology. After completing her clinical internship at the Yale University School of Medicine, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the State University of New York at Buffalo, in the Department of Neurology Division of Developmental and Behavioral Neurosciences. Dr. Parmenter is boarded in Clinical Neuropsychology, is a member of the clinical faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington, and has been employed at VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS) since 2012.

In the course of four short years at VASPHCS, Dr. Parmenter’s accomplishments have been impressive. As a result of her advocacy, clinical excellence, and marketing of neuropsychology services, clinical neuropsychology at the American Lake division of VAPSHCS has grown from 0.5 FTE to 4.0 FTE, including the services of a full-time psychometrist. During this time period Dr. Parmenter has also played a central role in advocating for, and subsequently implementing, a new two-year post-doctoral fellowship program in clinical neuropsychology. Dr. Parmenter is the vice chair of assessment training for pre-doctoral interns and is a busy clinical preceptor for both pre- and post-doctoral trainees. Dr. Parmenter is recognized among her colleagues as a skilled and knowledgeable clinician and is an immediate “go to” person for case consultation. Dr. Parmenter actively shares her knowledge, speaking locally and nationally on Multiple Sclerosis and TBI for both consumer and professional audiences.

Dr. Parmenter is dedicated to leadership and service to the field of neuropsychology. In addition to her impressive clinical contributions at VAPSHCS, she holds the officer positions of Secretary and Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology Foundation and chairs the Fundraising/Development Committee. She is on the AACN Student Advocacy Committee, reviews candidate work samples for the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology, is an abstract reviewer for the APA and NAN conferences, and also serves as an ad hoc reviewer for numerous journals including the Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, Journal of the International Neuropsychology Society, Multiple Sclerosis, and the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Psychology. Dr. Parmenter is actively involved in research in MS and in TBI and collaborates with the MS Center of Excellence at VAPSHCS.

Dr. Parmenter has managed all of these things while carrying a clinical load and managing the work-life juggle of the roles of neuropsychologist, wife, mother, and athlete (she runs marathons!!). It is with great pleasure that the WIN committee recognizes Dr. Parmenter’s numerous accomplishments as an early career neuropsychologist, and we look forward to her future achievements.

Dr. Amick received her doctorate from Boston University, where she was a student in clinical psychology with a focus in neuropsychology. After her clinical internship in geriatric neuropsychology at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Brockton, MA, she was a post-doctoral fellow in clinical neuropsychology and medical rehabilitation at the Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior.

Following her post-doctoral fellowship, Dr. Amick served as a staff neuropsychologist at Memorial Hospital of RI in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, providing inpatient and outpatient neuropsychological assessments and psychotherapy for patients treated within the Neurology and Medical Rehabilitation services. She served as Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University. Starting in 2009, she joined VA Boston Healthcare System (VABHS) and is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine. She provides assessments and psychotherapy to individuals living with the chronic effects of spinal cord injury (SCI). The majority of her clinical work is provided in the inpatient SCI rehabilitation unit focused on supporting veterans with new injuries as well as veterans coping with aging and SCI. Since she returned to Boston, Dr. Amick has served as a primary supervisor for practicum students, psychology interns, and post-doctoral fellows. She provides regular didactics to psychiatry and physical medicine and rehabilitation residents.

As impressive as her clinical work is Dr. Amick’s very active program of research, which is rooted in the examination of the functional consequences of neurodegenerative disease. She has expertise in the relation of sensory (visual) and cognitive dysfunction especially in age-related neurodegenerative disease, and has conducted noteworthy studies of driving as a functional outcome. As an Investigator with the Translational Research Center for Traumatic Brian Injury and Stress Related Disorders at the VABHS, Dr. Amick has now expanded her work into deployment-related psychiatric diagnoses. She has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles in these areas. Dr. Amick’s research has been funded by the Military Suicide Research Consortium, the Veterans Health Administration Rehabilitation Research & Development, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, the National Academy of Neuropsychology, and Sigma Xi, the scientific honor society. Dr. Amick is actively involved in the protection of human subjects in research, serving as acting Co-Chair of VABHS’s Institutional Review Board. She has been a member of the IRB since 2013.

Dr. Amick is known for her active sense of humor, playfulness, and pursuit of fun, which makes for lively supervision and collegial meetings and helps her connect strongly with those who come to her for clinical services and research participation. She is also an avid reader of fiction and is likely to provide you with an unsolicited reading list.

It is with great pleasure that the WIN committee recognizes Dr. Amick’s numerous accomplishments as an early career neuropsychologist, and we look forward to her future achievements.

Dr. Rush completed her graduate training in clinical psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. After finishing her clinical internship at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. She has been with the Mayo Clinic in Florida for 10 years. She is double boarded from both the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN) and the American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology (ABRP).

While still early in her “mid-career” status, Dr. Rush’s lists of accomplishments are impressive. Clinically, she has built a practice that is highly respected by her colleagues and referral sources, with particular expertise in ALS/motor neuron disease (MND) and adjustment to neurologic injury. Her current research focuses on the neuropsychology of ALS/MND. She is a Co-Investigator on a NINDS Program Project focused on neuropsychological phenotyping of individuals with c9ORF72 mutation and ALS/MND. She is active in sharing her knowledge with both the scientific and lay communities. She has given international, national, and local presentations at neuropsychology conferences, neurology conferences, and patient/family symposia.

Dr. Rush is an advocate for trainees through her many positions and affiliations. She is currently the Program Director of the Clinical Neuropsychology Fellowship at Mayo. She is serving a second term on the Association of Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology (APPCN) Board of Directors. She is active with the Mayo Clinic Florida Behavioral Neurology Fellowship and Neurology Residency. She enjoys mentoring neuropsychologists who have interest in obtaining board certification in both Clinical Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology.

Service to her community and field is perhaps what makes Dr. Rush stand out amongst her peers. She has served on various national organization committees from the time she completed fellowship, to a degree that is often only seen among late career neuropsychologists. In addition to her work with APPCN, she currently holds elected office for the American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology, is a reviewer for both ABCN and ABRP, and is on numerous Mayo internal committees. Outside of work, she volunteers time with the ALS Association. She and her husband are active in volunteering for the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville.

Dr. Rush embraces the important roles of wife and mother of two young boys. For her dedication to those around her, WIN is proud to highlight Dr. Rush.

Dr. Hilsabeck completed her graduate training in clinical psychology at Louisiana State University. After finishing her clinical internship at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the University of California, San Diego. She is board certified by the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN) and has been a member of the clinical faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC) in San Antonio, TX since 2006.

As a mid-career neuropsychologist, Dr. Hilsabeck has made impressive scholarly contributions, which include co-authoring over 90 published abstracts and conference publications, 47 peer-reviewed publications, four book chapters, and two books. Additionally, she is an Associate Editor for The Clinical Neuropsychologist (TCN) and has served on four editorial boards, including TCN, Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, Neuropsychology Review, and The Journal of Psychopathology & Behavioral Assessment.

Throughout her career, Dr. Hilsabeck has dedicated herself to leadership and service to the field of neuropsychology. In addition to her many impressive roles, she has served on the Division 40 WIN Steering Committee, was a member of the UTHSC Women’s Faculty Association, and was the 2012 President of the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN). She has also demonstrated impressive dedication to teaching and mentorship of trainees and junior colleagues by serving as a past Vice President for American Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology (APPCN), Co-founder and current Co-Committee Chair for BRAIN, and as a clinical and research supervisor for graduate students, interns, and postdoctoral fellows.

In addition to her clinical, academic, and leadership activities, Dr. Hilsabeck also works as a Senior Clinical Scientist for INC Research. She provides scientific oversight and clinical guidance on clinical research trials in neurology, psychiatry, and analgesia to help ensure the scientific integrity and quality of data. She also assists with protocol development, selection of clinical trials subjects, assessment of scale accuracy and reliability, and outcomes data analysis, as well as provides training and consultation for global clinical research trials.

It is with great pleasure that the WIN committee recognizes Dr. Hilsabeck’s numerous accomplishments, and we look forward to her future achievements.

Dr. Suhr completed her graduate training in clinical psychology at the University of Iowa in 1994. After finishing her clinical internship at Brown University, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the Department of Neurology of the University of Iowa College of Medicine. Her first academic appointment after post-doc was at the Department of Psychology of Ohio University, where she has remained and is now full Professor.

Since completing her training, Dr. Suhr has maintained an active and diverse research program. A topic of major interest in her laboratory is the effect of psychological variables on neuropsychological performance in persons with neurological conditions, and in persons who are neurologically normal but report cognitive problems. Some of these variables include malingering, premorbid expectations for performance “diagnosis threat,” depression, and anxiety. She also studies the relationship of personality and other premorbid factors to executive functioning in individuals with substance use disorders or head injury. As Principal or Co-Investigator, Dr. Suhr has received research funding through Ohio University and the National Institutes of Health. She has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and several chapters in books on malingering and secondary gain, which are frequently consulted resources in the field.

Among all her achievements, Dr. Suhr is most proud of her mentees, for whom she has served as a dedicated advisor, teacher, thesis and dissertation co-chair or committee member. Dr. Suhr serves as Associate Editor for Psychological Assessment and Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, and is a reviewer for premiere neuropsychology journals such as Neuropsychology, Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, the Clinical Neuropsychologist, Neuropsychology Review, Applied Neuropsychology, and Neuropsychologia, as well as for numerous other journals in neuropsychiatry and health psychology. Dr. Suhr has consistently served on department, college, and university committees during her tenure at Ohio University. A unique area of Dr. Suhr’s service is her contribution of her expertise to the area of high-stakes testing; she is an Expert Consultant on exam accommodations for the MCATs and Pearson VUE, and is an item-writer for the EPPP.

As a mid-career neuropsychologist, Dr. Suhr has made substantial contributions in neuropsychological research, service, education, and training. It is with great pleasure that the WIN committee recognizes Dr. Suhr’s many accomplishments and dedication to the field, and we look forward to her future achievements.

Dr. Byrd completed her graduate training in neuropsychology at the San Diego State University/ University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology in 2001. After finishing her clinical internship at Brown University, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Cognition and Aging at Columbia University. She has since served as an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, while also maintaining a private practice at the Neuropsychological Associates of New York. She has achieved Board Certification in Clinical Neuropsychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology.

Since completing her training, Dr. Byrd has maintained an active research program. Her primary research interests are the neuropathogenesis of HIV-associated cognitive dysfunction and the sources and consequences of culture-related differences in neuropsychological test performance among American ethnic groups. Dr. Byrd’s research program has been funded by numerous sources including the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Aging, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Northeast Consortium for Minority Faculty Development. Dr. Byrd has served as the Principal Investigator on multiple grants, and has been a co-investigator on an R24. She has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.

Dr. Byrd is also a dedicated teacher and mentor, and has been a thesis and dissertation co-chair and committee member for several clinical psychology doctoral students. Dr. Byrd serves on the Editorial Board of Assessment and is a reviewer for the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, International Psychogeriatrics, Assessment, and the Journal of the National Medical Association.

Dr. Byrd has made numerous contributions to the field of neuropsychology through involvement with governance and service. She has served on the APA Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment, the Division 40/SCN Women in Neuropsychology Committee and Scientific Advisory Committee, and is the Former Chair of the Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee. She also serves on the Clinical Research Grants Programs Committee for the National Academy of Neuropsychology and the Harlem Community Academic Partnership.

As a mid-career neuropsychologist, Dr. Byrd has made substantial contributions in neuropsychological research, service, education, and training. It is with great pleasure that the WIN committee recognizes Dr. Byrd’s many accomplishments and dedication to the field, and we look forward to her future achievements.