Psychology Training Faculty

This section presents information separately for the clinical psychology postdoctoral program and the clinical neuropsychology postdoctoral program.

Nneka Alexander, PhD, ABPP, Senior Pediatric Psychologist is with the Heart Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She then obtained specific pediatric training through completion of internship at the University of Florida and postdoctoral residency at Emory University. Alexander’s current clinical responsibilities include providing psychological support to families hospitalized on the cardiac units. She has spearheaded initiatives to make these units more developmentally appropriate, such as the creation of neuroprotective care rounds. Alexander also conducts outpatient neurodevelopmental assessments for infants and toddlers with congenital heart disease through the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program. Her research interests focus on parenting and development in children with chronic illness. She is board certified in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.

Kara S. Brendle, PhD, Assistant Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) is the Associate Clinical Director of the Adult Outpatient Clinic located at the Brain Health Center. She will supervise the resident associated with the Couples and Family Intervention position. She leads the Emory Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship rotation in the Adult Outpatient Clinic; supervises psychiatry residents and provides individual, group, couple and family psychotherapies. She has training in ACT, CBT, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and Trauma-Focused CBT and is certified in Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT). She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Georgia State University in 2011. Brendle’s clinical and professional areas of specialization and interest include parenting, couple/family systems, resilience mechanisms in response to trauma, program development/evaluation and supervision/training.  

Bianca Brooks, PhD, ABPP, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Pediatrics) at Marcus Autism Center, a Division of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, is a member of the Clinical Assessment and Diagnostics team. Brooks conducts developmental and diagnostic evaluations with young children referred regarding a possible autism spectrum disorder. Her interests include reducing disparities in early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, bridging the gap between early diagnosis and timely treatment of autism, collaborative assessment of autism in medically complex children and mentoring trainees of diverse backgrounds. She earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Georgia State University in 2017.

Nate Call, PhD, BCBA-D, Associate Professor (Pediatrics), is the Interim Clinical Director at the Marcus Autism Center, a Division of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. In addition, he maintains clinical activities in the Severe Behavior Day Treatment Program and the Brief Behavioral Interventions Program. He supervises postdoctoral residents in the assessment and treatment of severe behavior disorders. This work has led him to work primarily with children diagnosed with autism and other developmental disabilities and their families. His specific interests include identifying the basic behavioral mechanisms that influence the occurrence and maintenance of problem behavior, as well as the procedural fidelity with which caregivers implement behavioral interventions for problem behaviors.

Jordan Cattie, PhD, ABPP, Associate Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), is the Director of the Emory OCD and Anxiety Intensive Program. She supervises postdoctoral residents based in the OCD and Anxiety Intensive Program, and provides individual, group, and family therapy (primarily Exposure Therapy with Response Prevention and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) to patients in the program. She received her PhD in 2016 from the UCSD/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. Her areas of interest include increasing access to evidence-based therapies through clinical and training activities.

Christina Clarke, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) is a psychologist based at Emory Healthcare – Emory Brain Health Center who will provide supervision for the resident associated with the Couples and Family Intervention position. She supervises psychiatry residents in individual and couples/family therapy, leads a DBT skills group and provides couples and individual therapy. Her interests include providing culturally humble and antiracist treatment for BIPOC communities. She received her PhD in counseling psychology in 2019 from the University of Georgia. 

Claire D. Coles, PhD, Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics), directs both the Emory Neurobehavioral and Exposure Clinic Division of Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Programs, and the Maternal Substance Abuse and Child Development Laboratory at Emory Healthcare – Emory Brain Health Center. She is the primary clinical and research supervisor for residents in these programs. Coles received her PhD in Developmental Psychology in 1980 from Emory University and completed a clinical respecialization in 1985. Her major research interests are high-risk infants and young children and behavioral teratology related to the effects of maternal substance abuse on development. A well-funded and well-published nationally recognized leader in behavioral teratogenics, who served on the National Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects, she is a scientist-practitioner-educator-advocate role model for residents with an interest in effects of prenatal events and developmental psychopathology.

Laura Dilly, PhD, ABPP, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Pediatrics) at Marcus Autism Center, a Division of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, is a member of the Clinical Assessment and Diagnostics team. She conducts developmental and diagnostic evaluations with young children. She specializes in evaluations for children referred regarding a possible autism spectrum disorder. As both a licensed psychologist and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, her research focuses on bridging the worlds of school-based and medically-based psychological services for children and adolescents. Dilly earned her doctoral degree in school psychology from Michigan State University. Prior to joining the Marcus Autism Center, she served in the public schools for 10 years, working as a lead psychologist and training coordinator.

Sarah Dunn, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) at Grady Health System is board certified in clinical psychology. She is the Clinical and Education Director of the Nia Project and provides individual and group therapy supervision for postdoctoral residents based in this program. The psychologist associated with the Grady Psychiatry Consultation Liaison Service, she supervises the resident based on this service. As the Director of the Psychological Assessment Service at Grady, she supervises postdoctoral residents conducting these assessments. She received her PhD in 2009 from Georgia State University. Her areas of expertise include risk assessment, crisis management and emergency room psychology; psychological assessment including forensic evaluations; suicide, trauma including family violence, serious mental illness and personality disorders; and clinical supervision.

Kathleen Edmier, PsyD, BCBA, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics) is a licensed psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst in the Skill Acquisition Program at the Marcus Autism Center, a division of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Edmier completed her doctorate in clinical psychology with an emphasis in child and adolescent clinical psychology at Adler University, Chicago, IL. She completed her doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Marcus Autism Center and Emory University School of Medicine, where she gained substantial experience working with autistic children and their families, particularly those impacted by significant language delays, behavioral difficulties and feeding challenges. Edmier’s research interests include evidence-based strategies and recommendations for increasing social and communication skills in children on the autism spectrum. She is also interested in promoting culturally responsive and trauma-informed care within behavior analytic services.

Negar Fani, PhD, ABPP, Associate Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) is a clinical neuropsychologist, co-investigator in the Grady Trauma Project for >17 years and Director of the Fani Laboratory. She is affiliated with the Molecular and Systems Pharmacology and Emory Neuroscience Graduate Program, where she has held leadership roles. Her multimodal research (functional and structural MRI, psychophysiology, neuropsychological testing, EEG) centers around investigating the ways in which trauma and marginalization, including racism, affects the brain, body and behavior, with a particular focus on attentional processes. She augments interventions with novel technologies (e.g., vibroacoustic feedback, temporal interference brain stimulation) to make these interventions more effective and accessible. She has a sustained record of NIH funding, and her work is regularly published in high-impact journals and covered by national media outlets.

Eugene Farber, PhD, ABPP, Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), is the Director of Internship Training in Health Service Psychology within the Emory University School of Medicine. Board certified in clinical psychology, he serves as the Director of Behavioral Health Services at Grady Health System’s Infectious Disease Program. He also directs the Time Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy seminar. He received his PhD from Georgia State University in 1990. His major interests are in the areas of integrated health care for underserved populations, HIV-related behavioral health services, relational psychodynamic theory, existential psychology, integrative psychotherapy and psychology education and training.

Jonathan Ferguson, PhD, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics) is a licensed psychologist in the Marcus Autism Center Clinical Assessment and Diagnostics Department. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degree at Florida A&M University and went on to complete his doctoral studies in Counseling Psychology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Ferguson has a passion for working with youth from marginalized backgrounds and training professionals to support youth within these communities. Specifically, he has worked with children and adolescents from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and currently supports families by identifying autism in children with presenting symptoms and treating school age children and adolescents with co-occurring autism and anxiety diagnoses.

Grace Fong, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Clinical Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine) and Staff Neuropsychologist, Division of Hematology and Oncology, is a primary assessment supervisor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology for residents at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She received her PhD in 2004 from American University. Board certified in clinical neuropsychology, she conducts neuropsychological evaluations of pediatric cancer and blood disorder patients. Her primary research interest is in neuro-oncology.

Sarah Slocum Freeman, PhD, BCBA-D, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), is a provider in the Complex Behavior Support Program at the Marcus Autism Center, a Division of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She obtained her PhD from the University of Florida and complete her postdoctoral residency at Rollins College. Slocum Freeman oversees the Severe Behavior Transition Program which focuses on the maintenance and generalization of function-based treatments for target behavior exhibited by individuals with developmental delays. She also oversees a Master’s and PhD program at Marcus Autism Center affiliated with the University of Georgia, as well as a Single Case Research Lab that provides training and mentorship to students who may go on to advanced graduate careers in psychology or related fields. Her research focuses on the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior.

Kristina Gerencser, PhD, BCBA-D, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), is a board-certified behavior analyst in the Skill Acquisition Program at the Marcus Autism Center, a division of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Gerencser completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Marcus Autism Center in the Complex Behavior Support Program. She holds a doctorate in disability disciplines, with a specialization in applied behavior analysis from Utah State University and received her master’s in behavior analysis from Western Michigan University. Through expert training in skill acquisition and assessment and treatment of challenging behaviors, she has helped develop a full-day program to support clinical populations who need the most intensive levels of supports, minimally verbal children with autism. Gerencser’s current research interests are on identifying effective interventions for minimally verbal children and conditioning procedures to reduce barriers to learning.

Chanda C. Graves, PhD, ABPP, Associate Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) is the Associate Director of Internship Training in Health Service Psychology. Board certified in child and adolescent psychology, she provides assessment and intervention supervision for child and adolescent psychology residents in the Infectious Disease Program at Grady Health System. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from Howard University in Washington, DC. Her current research interests include pediatric psychology, coping with chronic illness, HIV-related mental health services, disparities in access to healthcare and culturally competent intervention.

Elizabeth Greenfield, PhD, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), is a psychologist in the Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis and Early Intervention programs at the Marcus Autism Center. Greenfield completed her PhD in Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She completed her doctoral internship at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and her postdoctoral residency program with the Marcus Autism Center. Greenfield conducts diagnostic evaluations to assess for autism and collaborates with parents to help promote their child’s social communication skills. She also partners with the Children’s Developmental Progress Clinic to evaluate toddlers who are at increased risk for autism due to prematurity.

Nicole Hendrix, PhD, BCBA, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), joined the Marcus Autism Center in 2019. Within her clinical role, she conducts neurodevelopmental evaluations with children and adolescents referred with features of autism spectrum disorder. She also provides parent-mediated intervention to promote social communication in young autistic children and those with other social communication delays while overseeing an outpatient clinic centered on use of the evidence-based intervention Project ImPACT. Her research interests include increasing accessibility of evidence-based early intervention for traditionally marginalized families and examining mechanisms by which to facilitate early identification of neurodevelopmental disabilities. Hendrix completed her bachelor’s degree at Northwestern University and her doctorate in school psychology at the University of Iowa, which included a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) fellowship. Following her graduate work, Hendrix completed doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship training at the Marcus Autism Center and Emory University School of Medicine.

Chloe Holbrook, PhD, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), is a licensed psychologist in the Marcus Autism Center Clinical Assessment and Diagnostic Department and the Early Intervention Department. Holbrook's clinical interests include using assessments to inform treatment decisions and early identification of children with autism spectrum disorder. Her research interests include early intervention services for children with developmental delays and infant-mother interactions on child development. Holbrook earned her doctorate in school psychology from Georgia State University and completed her doctoral internship and postdoctoral residency in Health Service Psychology through the Emory University School of Medicine. 

Billy D. Holcombe, PhD, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics) is a pediatric neuropsychologist in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. He completed his doctoral training at Howard University, residency training at Children’s Hospital of Michigan/Wayne State University School of Medicine and residency training at Akron Children’s Hospital. He conducts brief and comprehensive outpatient neuropsychological evaluations for patients with hematological, oncological and/or neurocutaneous disorders. He is actively involved in research, particularly surrounding cognitive dysfunction due to tumors or neurovascular conditions and epileptogenesis due to medical disorders and treatment. He is also interested in program development, specialty representation and the training and development of graduate and medical students and post-graduate trainees. 

Kallio Hunnicutt-Ferguson, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), is a psychologist through Emory Healthcare - Emory Brain Health Center. She directs psychology practicum training at the Emory Brain Health Center. Board certified in cognitive and behavioral psychology, she currently serves as a treatment team lead for the OCD and Anxiety Intensive Program, runs an adult DBT skills group and works with the clinic's Addictions Team. Her interests are in providing evidence-based psychotherapies, in particular CBT and exposure-based therapies, to individuals with PTSD, anxiety and OC-spectrum disorders. She received her PhD in clinical psychology in 2014 from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.

Lisa Ingerski, PhD, ABPP, Associate Professor (Pediatrics), is a clinical and research supervisor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology for residents at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the training coordinator in the Division of Hematology and Oncology for pediatric psychology residents based at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She received her PhD in 2008 from the University of Florida. Board certified in clinical health psychology, she provides consultation-liaison services for children and adolescents receiving treatment at Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and is the primary pediatric psychologist in the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Clinic. Her research interests include adherence, promotion of quality of life and measurement of clinical outcomes in the pediatric neuro-oncology population.

Julie A. Kable, PhD, Associate Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), is the Assistant Director of the Emory Neurobehavior and Exposure Clinic and the primary supervisor for the Medication Management Clinic at Emory Healthcare – Emory Brain Health Center. Kable received her PhD from Purdue University in 1995 after an internship in Pediatric Psychology at the University of Miami. Kable’s research interests include behavioral teratology, the psychophysiological assessment of attention, particularly in infancy and the effects of prenatal exposure to tobacco and alcohol. She is also involved in international research on effects of prenatal exposures on child development, as well as nationally recognized for development of interventions for affected children.

Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, ABPP, Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Psychology, Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine) is the Chief Psychologist at Grady Health System; Vice Chair for Faculty Development, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and Director of the Postdoctoral Residency Program. Board certified in clinical psychology, couple and family psychology and clinical child and adolescent psychology, is the primary supervisor for the Nia Project, which she directs. She leads the Postdoctoral Residency and Family Therapy Seminars. Kaslow received her PhD in 1983 from the University of Houston. Her clinical and research interests are in family violence, suicide, family therapy and psychology education and training. She is the Past President of APA (2014) and of four divisions of APA, Past Chair of APPIC, Past-President of ABPP and former Editor of the Journal of Family Psychology. She is a federally-funded and well-published investigator who has received multiple national awards. She models the integration of practice, scholarship, education, advocacy, leadership, and the value of active involvement in the larger professional community.

Meena Khowaja, PhD, (she/her/ella), Adjunct Assistant Professor (Pediatrics, received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Georgia State University, where her research was focused on early identification of autism. She completed her predoctoral internship focused on Integrated Behavioral Health at Nemours Children’s Health and her postdoctoral fellowship in Developmental Pediatrics and Children’s Hospital Colorado. Before transitioning to the Marcus Autism Center in 2022, she worked at the Swank Autism Center within Nemours Children’s Health. Her training also included a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) fellowship while a graduate student at GSU and again as a postdoctoral fellow in Colorado. Khowaja’s role at the Marcus Autism Center includes conducting psychological testing services through the Clinical Assessments and Diagnostics Program and parent-mediated NDBIs through the Early Intervention/Project ImPACT program. She strives to continuously learn about and provide neurodiversity-affirming care. Additionally, she is a bilingual psychologist who provides assessment and therapy services in English and Spanish; she has a strong interest in supporting bilingual trainees and collaborating with other bilingual colleagues across Children’s. She is also a member of several Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) within Children’s to build community and connection.

Cheryl Klaiman, PhD, Professor (Pediatrics) is a clinician-researcher in the Clinical Assessment Core for Research and Program Director of Diagnostic Services at the Marcus Autism Center, a Division of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She received her PhD in School and Applied Child Psychology from McGill University under the mentorship of Jacob Burack. She completed her internship and post-doctoral training at the Yale Child Study Center where she worked with Dr. Ami Klin, Dr. Fred Volkmar, Dr. Robert Schultz and Dr. Sara Sparrow. She joined the faculty of the Yale Child Study Center as an Associate Research Scientist, and then relocated to California where she was the Director of the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Interdisciplinary Care Team at Children’s Health Council in Palo Alto, CA. She joined the team at the Marcus Autism Center and Emory University in January 2012. Research interests include early diagnosis and screening of autism spectrum disorders, innovative treatment strategies and clinical trials.

James Klosky, PhD, ABPP, Professor (Pediatrics), is a clinical and research supervisor within the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. He received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from The University of Memphis in 2004 upon completion of his internship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. After a two-year postdoctoral residency at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Klosky spent the next 11 years on faculty where he served as the Director of Psychological Services in Cancer Survivorship and the Founder/Co-Director of the Fertility Preservation Clinic. Board certified in clinical health psychology, since 2010, Klosky’s work as a Principal Investigator has been funded by the National Institutes of Health consistent with his research program in behavior-based cancer prevention and control. Klosky provides clinical care to pediatric, adolescent and young adult hematology/oncology patients, and provides both clinical and research supervision to residents.

Meena Lambha, PhD, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Pediatrics) and Psychologist in the Clinical Assessment and Diagnostics Department at the Marcus Autism Center. At Marcus, Lambha conducts autism diagnostic evaluations for children seen through the clinic and various research studies. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Auburn University, completed her doctoral internship at A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children and completed her postdoctoral residency with the Emory program, in the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Department.

Dorian A. Lamis, PhD, ABPP, Associate Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) at Grady Health System, serves as the Associate Director of the Emory Postdoctoral Residency Program in Health Service Psychology for Grady Health System and Emory Healthcare – Brain Health Center. Board certified in clinical psychology, he directs the Bipolar Clinic and Research Program (BCRP) at the Grady Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic, where he provides assessment and intervention supervision for residents. He is also the Associate Director for Research for the Nia Project and has a supervisory role related to the research conducted by the postdoctoral residents associated with the Nia Project. Lamis received his PhD from the University of South Carolina. His primary interests include assessment and treatment of mood disorders, substance use and suicidality in adults diagnosed with serious mental illnesses.

Jessica Maples Keller, PhD, Associate Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) serves as the Associate Director of Research at Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, core investigator at Grady Trauma Project and Atlanta Trauma Alliance, Director of Training and Manualization at Emory Center of Psychedelics and Spirituality and conducts research on translational science, PTSD and anxiety disorder treatment, psychedelic therapy including developing novel models and diversity issues and personality and assessment. She received her PhD at the University of Georgia, completed internship at the Medical University of South Carolina and postdoctoral fellowship at Emory.

Erica D. Marshall Lee, PhD, ABPP, Associate Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) at Grady Health System, serves as the Associate Director of the Emory Postdoctoral Residency Program in Health Service Psychology for Advocacy and Diversity. Board certified in clinical psychology, she is the Clinical Director of the Action in Recovery (AIR) psychosocial rehabilitation/peer program at Grady Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic and the primary supervisor for residents at that site. She received her PhD in 2001 from the University of Mississippi. Her primary interests are adults with serious mental disorders, personality disorders and PTSD, as well as multiculturalism, diversity and advocacy.

Abigail Powers Lott, PhD, ABPP, Associate Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) at Grady Health System, is a clinical and research supervisor for the Grady Trauma Project and serves as Co-Director of the project. Board certified in clinical psychology, her research interests include understanding psychological and biological mechanisms underlying the link between early and chronic trauma exposure and negative mental and physical health outcomes across the lifespan and generations, as well as promoting culturally-relevant interventions for Grady patients that target emotion dysregulation and autonomic dysfunction.

Laura Mee, PhD, Associate Professor (Pediatrics), is a pediatric psychologist for the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and provides clinical supervision for residents providing consultation liaison services. Mee received her PhD in 1991 from the University of Florida. Her primary clinical and research interest areas are pediatric psychology, adherence to medical regimen, adolescent transition to adult medical care and coping with chronic medical conditions.

Joanna Lomas Mevers, PhD, BCBA, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), is the Clinical Director at the Marcus Autism Center, a Division of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She oversees all clinical programming. Her specific interests include increasing the social validly of behavioral interventions, increasing efficiencies in caregiver training and understanding the key components to maintain long-term treatment effects for behavioral interventions to treat problem behaviors.

Colin Muething, PhD, BCBA-D, Associate Professor (Pediatrics) is a psychologist and the Director for the Complex Behavior Support Program at the Marcus Autism Center, a division of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. He received his doctorate in School Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin. He completed his doctoral internship and postdoctoral residency at Marcus Autism Center. Previously, he was appointed President of the Georgia Association of Behavior Analysis. He also serves on the editorial boards for the Journal of Behavioral Education, Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities and Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. His research interests include assessment and treatment for severe problem behavior, the mechanisms that mediate treatment effectiveness and reporting large outcomes from these treatments.

Kristin Niel, PhD, is a pediatric psychologist working in Advanced Cardiac Therapies at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She received her doctoral degree in 2016 from Illinois Institute of Technology. She completed her predoctoral residency at the Mailman Center for Child Development/University of Miami Health Systems, and her passion for supporting pediatric patients and families with chronic and terminal health conditions led Niel to complete a two-year postdoctoral clinical-research fellowship at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, working with youth diagnosed with oncologic processes, sickle cell disease and HIV/AIDS. She then spent her first several years as an early career psychologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as a member of their multidisciplinary inpatient consultation/liaison service, providing care for youth hospitalized with a myriad of medical illnesses. At CHOA, she provides consultation-liaison and psychotherapy services across inpatient and outpatient settings for patients on the Advanced Cardiac Therapies service, as well as in Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Clinics. Niel also completes pre-heart transplant clinical evaluations that include brief neurocognitive screening. She is also a member of the hospital’s You Matter, Peer Support Team. Niel's primary research and clinical interests include bolstering youth and their family's capacity for coping with illness, adherence to complex medical regimens, resilience in the face of medical trauma and pain management. In addition, Niel has a specific interest in contributing to the reduction of health disparities, providing culturally humble mental health care within the context of interdisciplinary medical teams, and working to highlight and dismantle the structures and systems that create and perpetuate health inequities. She is co-chair of the Society of Pediatric Psychology’s Diversity Special Interest Group for the 2024-26 term.

Kristin Nicole O’Guinn, PhD, BCBA-D, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), is a Program Manager of the Skill Acquisition department at the Marcus Autism Center, a division of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She received her doctorate in Educational Psychology from Baylor University with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis. At Marcus, O’Guinn oversees student and trainee programs within the Skill Acquisition department. Her research interests include working with autistic individuals to develop communication skills, leisure skills and social communication skills. She is also passionate about working with future behavior-analytic practitioners to effectively use behavior analysis strategies.

Jessica Owen, PsyD, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics) is a licensed clinical psychologist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and serves as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine. Owen conducts diagnostic evaluations with young children who present with signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and provides caregiver-mediated intervention to support young children in developing social communication skills. Owen completed her bachelor’s degree at Georgia State University and her doctorate in clinical psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Following her graduate work, Owen completed a doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Marcus Autism Center and Emory University School of Medicine. Her clinical and research interests include conducting diagnostic evaluations with young children and adolescents and examining the accessibility and implementation of caregiver-mediated interventions. Owen is passionate about continuing this work in her current position and working to address and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in accessing diagnostic evaluations and early intervention services.

Roman Palitsky, MDiv, PhD, is Assistant Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), serves as Director of Research Projects in Spiritual Health and is faculty in the Emory Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality. He completed his MDiv at Harvard Divinity School and PhD in Clinical Psychology in the Health Psychology/Behavioral Medicine track at the University of Arizona. He completed his internship (behavioral medicine track) and postdoctoral fellowship (clinical and affective neuroscience) at Brown University. His clinical and research focus involves a bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach to improving behavioral interventions. His work aims to ensure novel and complementary treatments are responsive to care seekers’ cultural needs and strengths, seeking to make therapies rigorous, effective and accountable to the many patient populations who might benefit from them, and to support those care seekers who may experience adverse effects.

Trista Perez Crawford, PhD, Associate Professor (Pediatrics), graduated from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. She completed her internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Children’s Mercy Hospital. Perez Crawford is a pediatric psychologist in the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Center of Behavioral and Mental Health Integrated Primary Care Program at Hughes Spalding. Her clinical interests are in the assessment and treatment of toddlers to young adults from historically underserved populations and Spanish speaking families with a range of psychological conditions, including behavioral issues, autism spectrum disorders, developmental disabilities, internalizing disorders and adjustment to chronic medical conditions. Her research interests are in improving access to interventions for underserved populations. In addition to her clinical work and research, Perez Crawford, serves as a mentor to underrepresented minority undergraduate and medical students. 

Amanda Platner, PsyD, ABPP, Assistant Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences). Platner is the Director of Adult Programs at the Emory Autism Center where she runs the Counseling Clinic and myLIFE social engagement program. Platner completed two years of postdoctoral fellowship in autism spectrum disorder and related neurodevelopmental disorders at the Marcus Autism Center/Emory University and at the MGH Lurie Center/Harvard University. As a clinical psychologist, Platner specializes in working with neurodiverse individuals and their families and is particularly interested in intervention and assessment. She is especially interested in working with individuals who have comorbid medical and/or mental health conditions.

Kaitlin Proctor, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics). Proctor earned her PhD in clinical psychology with an emphasis in child/pediatric psychology at Auburn University. She completed a postdoctoral residency through Emory University School of Medicine and was based at the CHOA Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Proctor’s research and clinical interests include advancing understanding of the health impacts of highly restrictive food intake, particularly when this occurs at the intersection of chronic medical conditions. Proctor has an ongoing research partnership with nutritionist and bone biologist, Dr. Joseph Kindler, at UGA examining the pediatric bone health impacts of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. She also works with a multidisciplinary team of researchers in pediatric food allergy, with projects focusing on characterizing ARFID as a co-occurring condition alongside allergy and developing a novel parent-report measure of food allergy psychosocial impact. Proctor provides clinical services in the Feeding Day Treatment, outpatient and assessment clinics as well as the Pediatric Psychology Clinic in the CHOA Food Allergy Program.

Stormi Pulver, PsyD, Associate Professor (Pediatrics), is a licensed psychologist at the Marcus Autism Center. Her clinical and research interests include early identification and intervention for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as clinical characterization of rare variant disorders. Pulver completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD), focusing on early identification of autism. Before joining Marcus Autism Center, Pulver was an Assistant Professor at University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW), where she held administrative titles of head of psychology and co-clinical director in the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (CADD). She is currently the program manager in the Diagnostics Program at Marcus.

Bonney Reed, PhD, ABPP, Associate Professor (Pediatrics), is a pediatric psychologist within the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Board certified in clinical health psychology, her clinical interests and research focus on youth diagnosed with chronic GI disorders and their families. She received her PhD in 2013 from the University of Georgia and is a former Emory postdoctoral resident. Her primary research interests are in the areas of integration of psychosocial assessment into GI medical care, adherence and the transition of medical responsibility for youth with chronic illnesses. Reed also oversees Pediatric Psychology services through the Center for Behavioral and Mental Health at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. 

Mindy Scheithauer, PhD, BCBA-D, ABPP, Associate Professor (Pediatrics), is a psychologist in the Severe Behavior Program at the Marcus Autism Center, a Division of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She obtained her PhD from Louisiana State University with emphases in clinical and biological psychology and a minor emphasis in school psychology. She completed her doctoral training at the Kennedy Krieger Institute through John Hopkins University in the Neurobehavioral Unit and her postdoctoral residency at Marcus in the Severe Behavior Department. Scheithauer oversees outpatient treatment programs addressing behaviors such as aggression, self-injury, disruption, elopement and pica that are commonly exhibited by autistic youth. These programs rely heavily on evidence-based parent-mediated models based in behavior analysis to create behavioral change that is meaningful to the child and their family. She is also heavily involved in research focused on the assessment and treatment of these behaviors. Her current research projects include a focus on randomized clinical trials of behavioral interventions, measuring physiological indicators of aggression and disruption, increasing the social validity of functional analyses and evaluating clinical outcomes from treatment programs.

Allison Schwartz, PhD, Assistant Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) Schwartz is the Director of the Emory Autism Center Assessment Core. Her research explores early assessment of autism, telehealth assessment and how to increase capacity for community psychologists to assess autism. Schwartz’s clinical interests include working with individuals and families impacted by neurodevelopmental disorders, including diagnostic assessment, parent coaching, capacity building in the community and supervision and training. She received her BA with Distinction in Communications with a Business minor from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; an MSE in School Psychology (Preschool Psychology major) from Fordham University in New York; and from Georgia State University, her EdS in School Psychology, MEd in School Counseling and PhD in School Psychology.

Tomina J. Schwenke, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), Assistant Director of Forensic Training, based in the Psychiatry and Law Service provides treatment, assessment and consultation within clinical and forensic settings. She also codirects the Forensics Seminar for the forensic psychology and psychiatry residents. She is also a psychologist through Emory Healthcare – Emory Brain Health Center. Board certified in counseling psychology, she collaborates with multidisciplinary legal and medical practitioners and provides supervision for postdoctoral residents doing forensic psychology work. Schwenke received her PhD in 2012 from Georgia State University and her masters in Deafness Rehabilitation and Counselor Education at New York University. A graduate from an interpreter education program at City University of New York, she is a nationally certified sign language interpreter. Her major interests are forensic psychology, deaf studies and traumatology.  

William G. Sharp, PhD, Professor (Pediatrics), provides assessment and treatment for children in the Pediatric Feeding Disorder Day Treatment and Outpatient Programs at the Marcus Autism Center, a Division of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where he is also the Program Director. He provides research and clinical supervision to residents in the feeding program. In addition to providing assessments and treatments for youth with feeding disorders, he provides outpatient behavioral services for children with chronic medical conditions. His research interests include the determinants of help-seeking behavior, the use of motivational enhancement techniques (e.g., motivation interviewing) to increase treatment attendance and adherence and the application of empirically supported treatments in applied settings. He earned his PhD in Clinical Psychology from University of Mississippi in 2006.

Soumitri Sil, PhD, ABPP, Associate Professor (Pediatrics), is Section Chief of the Psychology Program in the AFLAC Cancer and Blood Disorders Centers. A pediatric psychologist who is board certified in clinical health psychology, she serves as a clinical and research supervisor at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She received her PhD in 2011 from the University of Maryland Baltimore Country. She provides outpatient therapy for children and adolescents receiving treatment for cancer and blood disorders, with particular emphasis on cognitive-behavioral treatment for pain management at Scottish Rite. Her primary research interests are in the areas of pediatric chronic pain and developing and evaluating psychological treatments to promote the health and functioning of youth with chronic pain.  

Mikle South, PhD, Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences). South is the Director of Emory Autism Center and Director of Early Emory Center for Child Development. As a clinical psychologist, South’s research is focused on understanding mental health concerns in autism including anxiety, depression and risk for suicide. He thinks a lot about questions surrounding diagnosis of autism, especially for girls and women who are sometimes "missed" for diagnosis until later in life. South received his BA in Psychology at Yale University, and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Utah.

Kathyrn Stubbs, PhD, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), is the Program Manager for the Feeding Program at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Center for Advanced Pediatrics, working primarily with children with complex medical needs. Stubbs provides and supervises behavioral intervention in the day treatment and outpatient programs, conducts multidisciplinary feeding evaluations and conducts research related to pediatric feeding disorders. Her areas of interest include diagnosis of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, adjuncts to behavioral intervention for pediatric feeding disorders, treatment manual development for children with food allergies and feeding difficulties and caregiver training.

Beth Thompson, PsyD, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics) is a pediatric psychologist and serves as a consultation liaison supervisor at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She received her PsyD in 2010 from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology. She provides consultation-liaison services and outpatient therapy for children and adolescents with sickle cell disease primarily at the Hughes Spalding location. Her primary research interests are in pica and coping with chronic illness.

Naadira C. Upshaw, PsyD, ABPP, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), is the Clinical Director of the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and a board certified pediatric psychologist in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She received her doctoral degree in 2017 from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology. She completed a year of postdoctoral residency at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine before electing for a second year of residency at Emory for specialized training working with youth with blood and cancer disorders. She provides consultation-liaison services across inpatient and outpatient settings within Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Hematology/Oncology service, primarily within the bone marrow transplant service. Her primary interests include cultural sensitivity and reflexivity within pediatric psychology, professional development for trainees with diverse backgrounds and program development.  

Renee’ Ussery, PsyD, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), is a senior psychologist at the Marcus Autism Center, a Division of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and is part of the Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis Program. She has been evaluating children and adolescents for almost 20 years as a licensed clinical psychologist. She has extensive experience working with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as children who present with more prominent mental health issues. Ussery received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University.

Angela Vaz, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), serves as a clinical supervisor on the Aflac consultation-liaison and outpatient therapy rotations at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She received her PhD in 2007 from the University of Central Florida. She provides consultation-liaison services and outpatient therapy for children and adolescents receiving treatment for cancer and blood disorders.

Valerie M. Volkert, PhD, BCBA-D, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), is a psychologist program manager in the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program at Marcus Autism Center, a Division of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She received her doctorate in school psychology from Louisiana State University in 2007. She was previously faculty at the Munroe-Meyer Institute, and adjunct faculty at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where she became the Training Director for the Applied Behavior Analysis PhD Program and Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders. In 2015, Volkert joined the Marcus Autism Center. She sees patients in the outpatient clinics of the Feeding program, supervises interns and residents and pursues lines of clinical research. Of particular interest are treatments to increase advanced feeding skills (e.g., self-feeding and chewing).

Rachel Waford, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), is the lead psychologist in the PSTAR clinic, and a clinician and clinical supervisor in the Clinical and Research Program for Psychosis. She supervises trainees (psychology trainees and psychiatry residents), provides individual, group and family therapy (primarily Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and engaged with program development. She received her PhD in 2013 Clinical Psychology from the University of Louisville. Her areas of interest include increasing access to evidence-based therapies and improving social determinants of health.

Justin L. Williams, PhD, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), is a pediatric psychologist within the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. At Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, she provides consultation-liaison services across inpatient and outpatient settings, as well as psychological and neuropsychological testing for children and adolescents receiving treatment for cancer and blood disorders. She received her doctoral degree in 2015 from Georgia State University, and she completed postdoctoral residency at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Her primary interests include youth with hematological disorders, diversity-related initiatives, community engagement and mentorship and training of trainees of diverse backgrounds.

Keith A. Wood, PhD, ABPP, Associate Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) is the director of the Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training service at the Grady Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic and is the psychologist associated with the Clinical and Research Program for Psychosis. He also offers mentorship in administrative supervision at Grady Health System. Dr. Wood received his PhD in 1976 from the University of Florida. Board certified in clinical psychology, his major interests are in cross-cultural psychiatry, serious mental illness and short-term crisis intervention. As a member of enumerable community boards and a person extremely well connected in the Atlanta community, he serves as a model for residents, particularly minority residents, for community involvement and leadership.

Latasha Woods, PhD, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), is a licensed psychologist and nationally-certified school psychologist. She earned her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Woods completed her pre-doctoral internship at Marcus Autism Center and her post-doctoral fellowship at the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, during which she served on the clinical assessment and research teams. As a part of the assessment and diagnosis team at Marcus Autism Center, Woods specializes in conducting diagnostic assessments with children, adolescents and young adults and providing evidence-based treatment to individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Woods is a certified Research Units in Behavioral Intervention (RUBI) therapist with the RUBI Autism Network. Prior to entering clinical practice, Woods spent more than a decade serving children and families in schools as a certified school psychologist and teacher.

Adult Neuropsychology Residency Faculty Supervisors

Michelle M. Haddad, PhD, Assistant Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine) at Emory Healthcare – Emory Brain Health Center, received her doctorate from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in medical/clinical psychology with a dual emphasis on rehabilitation psychology and neuropsychology. She conducts neuropsychological assessments and brief psychotherapeutic intervention with inpatients undergoing comprehensive medical rehabilitation. She additionally conducts follow-up outpatient neuropsychological assessments with patients previously seen on the inpatient unit. Her research interests include the development of novel neuropsychological measures for use with inpatient rehabilitation populations, as well as predicting ecological outcomes of inpatient rehabilitation.

Sabrina Hickle, PhD, Assistant Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine) is a neuropsychologist in the Division of Neuropsychology at Emory Rehabilitation Hospital. She received her doctorate in 2019 from Georgia State University in the joint Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience programs. She conducts outpatient neuropsychological assessments on patients with a variety of neurological and neurodegenerative conditions. Her research interests are in long term outcomes from acquired brain injuries (particularly brain tumor, stroke and traumatic brain injury), as well as use of network-based neuroimaging methods to understand the mechanisms through which these injuries result in variability in cognitive, emotional and psychosocial outcomes.

Anastacia A. Nichols, PsyD, Assistant Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine), is a neuropsychologist in the Division of Neuropsychology at Emory Rehabilitation Hospital and for the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program through Emory Healthcare – Emory Brain Health Center. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology with a concentration in neuropsychology from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology in 2017. She completed her predoctoral internship on the neuropsychology track at the Bay Pines VAMC and her two-year postdoctoral neuropsychology residency at Emory. Nichols conducts neuropsychological evaluations on patients with a variety of neurological conditions including TBI, CVA, neurodegenerative disorders and tumors. She also provides cognitive rehabilitation therapy to neurological outpatients and veterans with comorbid mild TBI and PTSD. Her research interests include diagnostic subtyping of neuropsychological disorders, functional recovery from mild TBI in both military and civilian populations, iatrogenic effects in mild TBI and cognitive rehabilitation outcomes and program development.

Suzanne Penna, PhD ABPP/ABCN, Assistant Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine) at Emory Healthcare – Emory Brain Health Center, is the director of the adult neuropsychology residency, co-director of the neuropsychology internship track and the graduate neuropsychology practicum. Penna received her doctorate from Georgia State University in clinical psychology with a neuropsychology emphasis. Board certified in clinical neuropsychology, she conducts neuropsychological assessments on patients with a variety of neurological conditions including TBI, CVA, neurodegenerative disorders and tumors. She also is involved in training at the Atlanta VAMC, where she serves as clinical educator in the Cognitive Disorders Clinic Center of Excellence. Penna’s research interests are in functional recovery from mild TBI in both military and sport populations, and investigation in the neuropsychological and emotional effects of neuroendocrine disorders.

Carla Ammons, PhD, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics) is a pediatric neuropsychologist in the Division of Neuroscience at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She supervises pediatric neuropsychology related to epilepsy, brain injury and cancer and blood disorders. She received her doctorate in Medical Clinical Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed postdoctoral residency training in pediatric neuropsychology at CHOA/Emory University School of Medicine. Her clinical and research interests include functional neuroimaging, pre-surgical planning and cognitive remediation. 

Donald J. Bearden, PhD, Assistant Clinical Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine) and Staff Neuropsychologist, Department of Neuropsychology, Division of Neurosciences, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Assistant Adjunct Professor (Neurology), Emory University School of Medicine. Bearden supervises pediatric neuropsychology related to epilepsy and other neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders in inpatient and outpatient settings. He received his doctoral degree from Georgia State University in the joint Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neurosciences Programs. His research and clinical interests include pediatric epilepsy, complex neurological disorders and sickle cell disease, and associations among pain and emotional and neurocognitive problems in children and adolescents.

Laura S. Blackwell, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Clinical Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine) and Staff Neuropsychologist, Department of Neuropsychology, Division of Neurosciences, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, supervises pediatric neuropsychology related to acquired and traumatic brain injuries in the inpatient and day rehabilitation programs. Blackwell received her doctorate in Pediatric Psychology from the University of Miami. Blackwell’s clinical interests include neuropsychological assessment of children with acquired and traumatic brain injury. Her research interests include measuring and predicting outcomes following pediatric brain injury; characterizing the recovery trajectories of children with disorders of consciousness and examining early predictors of outcome in this population; examining biological markers and platelet functioning in children with moderate to severe brain injury and exploring factors impacting recovery from mild traumatic brain injury.

Thomas G. Burns, PsyD, ABPP, Clinical Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine) and Staff Neuropsychologist, Department of Neuropsychology, Division of Neurosciences, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Board certified in clinical neuropsychology and clinical psychology, he supervises pediatric neuropsychology related to concussion and brain injury. He received his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology and is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology, Clinical Psychology and maintains a subspecialty board certification in Pediatric Clinical Neuropsychology. Burns’ research interests include treatment of pediatric neurological disorders using fMRI. His clinical interests include diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy, brain injury and central nervous system disorders.

Cortney Fritz, PhD, Assistant Clinical Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine) and Staff Neuropsychologist, Department of Neuropsychology, Division of Neurosciences, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, works in the Inpatient Rehabilitation and Day Rehabilitation programs. She completed her doctoral training at Georgia State University in the joint Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neurosciences programs. Her doctoral internship was completed at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and her two-year postdoctoral residency in pediatric neuropsychology was at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her clinical and research interests include assessment and intervention following acquired and traumatic brain injury and pediatric cancer and stroke.

Elyssa Gerst, PhD, Staff Neuropsychologist, Department of Neuropsychology, Division of Neurosciences, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Gerst supervises pediatric neuropsychology related to congenital heart disease, concussion and other neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders in the outpatient setting. She completed her doctoral training at the University of Houston. Her doctoral internship was completed at Children’s Hospital Colorado and her two-year postdoctoral residency in pediatric neuropsychology was completed at Children’s National Health System. Her research and clinical interests include cognitive development in children with complex medical histories, the impact of congenital or acquired neurological disorders on neuropsychological functioning and supporting optimal outcomes in children and adolescents.

Robyn Howarth, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Clinical Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine) and Staff Neuropsychologist and Practice Director of the Department of Neuropsychology, Division of Neurosciences, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, supervises pediatric neuropsychology related to acquired and traumatic brain injuries in the inpatient and day rehabilitation programs. She received her doctorate from the University of Iowa. Howarth’s clinical interests include acquired brain injury in pediatric populations (TBI, brain tumors, anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis), particularly during intensive rehabilitation. Her research interests include the neurocognitive effects of acquired brain injury on children and adolescents over time (TBI, pediatric brain tumors, anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis); utility of assessment measures to serially track cognitive recovery following acquired brain injury during inpatient rehabilitation and physiological responsiveness and functional outcomes in children and adolescents with disorders of consciousness following an acquired brain injury.

Jacqueline M. Kiefel, PhD, Assistant Clinical Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine) and Staff Neuropsychologist, Department of Neuropsychology, Division of Neurosciences, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, supervises pediatric neuropsychology related to acquired brain injuries. She received her doctorate from City University of New York. Kiefel’s research interests include evaluation and treatment of children with Duchene Muscular Dystrophy. Her clinical interests include recovery from coma and evaluation of children with brain injuries and spina bifida.

David J. Marcus, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Clinical Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine), serves as the Associate Director of the Emory Postdoctoral Residency Program in Health Service Psychology for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Neuropsychology Training. He is also the Training Director and Staff Neuropsychologist, Department of Neuropsychology, Division of Neurosciences, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. He supervises pediatric neuropsychology related to outpatient neurodevelopmental issues. He received his doctorate from University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in Child Psychology. His research and clinical interests include epilepsy, neurofibromatosis and genetic/metabolic disorders.

Susan McManus Lee, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Clinical Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine) and Staff Neuropsychologist, Department of Neuropsychology, Division of Neurosciences, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, supervises pediatric neuropsychology related to acquired brain injuries. She received her doctorate at Georgia State University in the joint Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neurosciences programs. Her clinical and research interests pertain to functional outcomes following acquired brain injuries, as well as acute assessment and intervention to improve neurobehavioral outcomes and academic success. She is board certified in clinical neuropsychology and has been awarded a subspecialty certification in Pediatric Clinical Neuropsychology.

Emily Riggall, PhD, Assistant Clinical Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine) and Staff Neuropsychologist, Department of Neuropsychology, Division of Neurosciences, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, works in the Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation program. Riggall completed her doctoral training at Georgia State University in the joint Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neurosciences programs. Her doctoral internship was completed at the Emory University School of Medicine/CHOA and her two-year postdoctoral residency in pediatric neuropsychology was at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include neuropsychological conditions affecting children early in childhood.

Yuri Shishido, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Clinical Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine) supervises fellows in the outpatient setting, with a focus on Neuroimmunological conditions. Shishido completed her doctoral training at Georgia State University in the joint Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neurosciences programs. Her doctoral internship was completed at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and her two-year postdoctoral residency in pediatric neuropsychology was at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her clinical and research interests include the neuropsychological impact of neuroimmunological conditions.

This section presents information on the physician faculty associated with the training programs, separately for the clinical psychology postdoctoral program and the clinical neuropsychology postdoctoral program.

Clinical Psychology

Peter Ash, MD, Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) is Director of the Law and Psychiatry Service is active in the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law and co-directs the Forensics Seminar

Robert O. Cotes, MD, Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) directs Project Arrow at Grady Health System and works with the resident clinically through this program.

David Goldsmith, MD, Associate Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) oversees the clinical-research associated with Project Arrow at Grady Health System and partners with the resident in this program on research endeavors.

Jenny Han, MD, MSc, Associate Professor (Medicine – Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine), Medical Director of Respiratory Care at Grady Memorial Hospital and Multiple Principal Investigator for the Long COVID Center for Excellence, will provide consultation to the resident associated with this program on the Grady campus.

Vasiliki Michopoulos, PhD, Associate Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), is the Co-Director of the Grady Trauma Project and collaborates with the resident on research.

Grayson Norquist, MD, Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), is the Chief of Psychiatry at Grady Health System.

Ann Schwartz, MD, Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) is Director of the Consultation Liaison Service, Grady Health System, and the Psychiatry Residency Training Director.

Jennifer Stevens, PhD, Associate Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), is Co-Director of the Grady Trauma Project and collaborates with the resident on research.

Alex Truong, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor (Medicine – Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine) and Multiple Principal Investigator for the Long COVID Center for Excellence, will be a primary physician supervisor for the resident associated with this program on the Emory Midtown campus.

Tiffany Walker, MD, Assistant Professor (Medicine) is the Co-Principal Investigator for the Long COVID Center for Excellence and will be a primary physician supervisor for the postdoctoral resident associated with this program on the Grady campus.

Jennifer Wootten, MD, Assistant Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), is the Medical Director of the Grady Outpatient Services. 

Clinical Neuropsychology

Adjunct FacultyThe following is a representative group of adjunct faculty and community members who serve as off-site supervisors and/or job mentors for the postdoctoral residents.

Vivian Auerbach, PhD, ABPP, Adjunct Associate Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine and Psychology) received her doctorate in 1983 from the University of Houston in clinical neuropsychology. Her clinical practice emphasizes diagnosis and treatment of cognitive disorders resulting from traumatic brain injury. She provides professional development consultation and supervision of residents with a specific emphasis in neuropsychology.

Lauren Edwards, PhD, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), received her PhD in 2010 from University of Tennessee. Her major interests are in emotion dysregulation, attachment, personality disorders, and mood/anxiety difficulties. She is also interested in the business side of psychology and owns a group practice, Edwards Psychological Associates, and co-owns Daily DBT.  She supervises postdoctoral residents in the provision of a DBT skills training group.

Glenn Egan, PhD, Assistant Professor Emeritus (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), consults to the Psychiatry and Law Service at Grady Health System, provides assessment supervision for residents doing forensic psychology work. Dr. Egan received his PhD in 1989 from Georgia State University. His major interests are forensic psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and schizophrenia. 

Adriana Flores, PhD, Adjunct Associate Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), received her Clinical Psychology Ph.D. in 2000 from Miami University and her postdoctoral residency at Emory. She is a Forensic Psychologist in private practice and routinely consults and testifies in high profile court cases. She supervises forensic psychology postdoctoral residents.

Sobha P. Fritz, PhD, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), serves as a mentor for residents in the program. She received her degree in 2003 in clinical psychology with a focus in clinical child/pediatric psychology from the University of Florida. Dr. Fritz is a psychologist in Endocrinology, primarily providing services in the areas of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Her areas of interest include adherence to the medical regimen and coping with a chronic illness.

Noelle Santorelli, PhD, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) received her PhD in 2010 from Georgia State University. Her major interests are in anxiety, depression, personality disorders, parent-child relations and DBT. She supervises postdoctoral residents in the provision of a DBT skills training group.

Adjunct Faculty

The following is a representative group of adjunct faculty and community members who serve as off-site supervisors and/or job mentors for the postdoctoral residents.

Vivian Auerbach, PhD, ABPP, Adjunct Associate Professor (Rehabilitation Medicine and Psychology) received her doctorate in 1983 from the University of Houston in clinical neuropsychology. Her clinical practice emphasizes diagnosis and treatment of cognitive disorders resulting from traumatic brain injury. She provides professional development consultation and supervision of residents with a specific emphasis in neuropsychology.

Lauren Edwards, PhD, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), received her PhD in 2010 from the University of Tennessee. Her major interests are in emotion dysregulation, attachment, personality disorders and mood/anxiety difficulties. She is also interested in the business side of psychology and owns a group practice, Edwards Psychological Associates, and co-owns Daily DBT.  She supervises postdoctoral residents in the provision of a DBT skills training group.

Glenn Egan, PhD, Assistant Professor Emeritus (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), consults to the Psychiatry and Law Service at Grady Health System, provides assessment supervision for residents doing forensic psychology work. Egan received his PhD in 1989 from Georgia State University. His major interests are forensic psychology, clinical neuropsychology and schizophrenia. 

Adriana Flores, PhD, Adjunct Associate Professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), received her Clinical Psychology PhD in 2000 from Miami University and her postdoctoral residency at Emory. She is a Forensic Psychologist in private practice and routinely consults and testifies in high profile court cases. She supervises forensic psychology postdoctoral residents.

Sobha P. Fritz, PhD, Assistant Professor (Pediatrics), serves as a mentor for residents in the program. She received her degree in 2003 in clinical psychology with a focus in clinical child/pediatric psychology from the University of Florida. Fritz is a psychologist in Endocrinology, primarily providing services in the areas of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Her areas of interest include adherence to the medical regimen and coping with a chronic illness.

Noelle Santorelli, PhD, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) received her PhD in 2010 from Georgia State University. Her major interests are in anxiety, depression, personality disorders, parent-child relations and DBT. She supervises postdoctoral residents in the provision of a DBT skills training group.