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Neuropsychology

neuropsych2.JPGThis fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences includes a wide range of clinical experiences with emphases on practical clinical training, didactic educational components, interdisciplinary collaboration, peer supervision, and research opportunities. The faculty includes a number of full-time clinical neuropsychologists who provide supervision, training, and research guidance. The individual course of study is tailored to each fellow's training needs.

University of Virginia and Western State Hospital
 Neurocognitive Assessment Laboratories

The Clinical Neuropsychology Fellowship is housed within the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences in the School of Medicine and consists of two core training sites: 1. University of Virginia Neurocognitive Assessment Lab in the School of Medicine and 2. Western State Hospital.

neuropsych1.JPGThe first core site, the UVA Neurocognitive Assessment Lab, forms the base of the fellow’s postdoctoral experience. Here, the fellow has an opportunity to learn a broad range of neuropsychological assessment procedures  including flexible battery approaches as well as classic approaches such as the Halstead-Reitan Battery. Fellows are exposed to virtually every neuropathological condition including the full spectrum of closed and penetrating head injuries, cerebrovascular diseases and accidents, degenerative neurological conditions, infections (e. g., HIV), neoplastic disease, epilepsy, organ transplant, learning disorders, and substance abuse. Fellows will solidify their knowledge of test administration, while gaining experience in data interpretation and conceptualization, report writing, treatment planning, communication with referral sources, and feedback sessions with patients. Fellows also have the opportunity to  participate in epilepsy surgery meetings, organ transplant selection meetings, and conduct collegiate athlete annual screenings. Exposure to the complexities of managed care contacts and billing is a large part of this educational experience. Fellows also have the opportunity to see 1-2 therapy patients at a time.  Therapy referrals are typically from the Athletics Department and presenting problems include postconcussion syndrome, adjustment to injury, depression, anxiety, insomnia, eating disorders, and other adjustment issues.  This site offers an array of formal didactic and research collaboration opportunities, which are outlined below.

wsh_new.JPGThe other core rotation is at the Western State Hospital Neuropsychology Laboratory, which is housed in the state psychiatric facility and affiliated with the University of Virginia Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences. Fellows conduct inpatient neuropsychological assessments, utilizing a flexible battery approach for patients with a complex array of neuropsychiatric syndromes. Referrals to the WSH Neuropsychology Laboratory typically involve complicated diagnostic questions in the context of comorbid severe mental illness, substance abuse, and neurological conditions such as traumatic brain injury, dementia, cerebrovascular disorders, and developmental disorders, as well as neurobehavioral sequelae of neurological diseases. The fellow interacts with multidisciplinary treatment teams to provide information on cognitive strengths and weaknesses for diagnosis, treatment, and discharge planning. Fellows learn to integrate psychiatric history with neurocognitive and personality data into neuropsychological reports.   There is exposure to a variety of populations, including  patients with hearing and communication deficits, very low levels of education, and different ethnocultural backgrounds. Fellows also gain experience in forensic issues (e.g. symptom validity testing, cognitive issues in trial competence and sanity). Fellows also participate in cognitive remediation programs that address cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and other major mental illnesses. Didactic and collaborative research opportunities are available and encouraged.

In addition to these two core sites, minor rotations may be arranged.  For example an optional rotation is available at Defense Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC)-Charlottesville, which is a rehabilitation and community re-entry program that is part of the Defense Centers of Excellence in Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. Neuropsychology fellows can gain experience in the assessment and treatment of the full spectrum of traumatic brain injury and PTSD with veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Other minor rotations may be arranged at UVA HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital, which is an acute neurologic setting, based on fellow interest and site availability.

Clinical Focus (70%)

Core Sites:

  1. UVA Neurocognitive Assessment Lab - inpatient and outpatient adult neuropsychological assessment and consultation.
  2. Western State Hospital Neuropsychology Laboratory- adult psychiatric inpatient assessment and consultation.

 

Optional Minor Rotation:

  1. UVa/Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital- post-acute inpatient neuropsychological consultation (optional minor rotation – see description under Rehabilitation Neuropsychology).
  2. DVBIC- assessment of TBI and PTSD with a veteran population

Educational & Professional Development (20%)

  • Medical School Neurosciences Course and Brain Pathology Lab
  • Neuroradiology and Epilepsy Surgery Rounds
  • Observation of Neurosurgery and/or organ transplantation
  • Neurology, Neurosurgery, Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Grand Rounds
  • Neuropsychology Fellows' Didactic Seminar Series and Journal Club
  • Western State Hospital Grand Rounds and Psychology In-services
  • Meetings with the Program Director and postdoctoral fellows across sub-specialty areas during the academic year to discuss administrative and professional development issues.

Research Focus (10 %)

  1. Development of original research in an area of clinical neuropsychology in which the fellow has a particular interest or
  2. Participation in ongoing research projects in mild, moderate, and severe traumatic brain injury; sports concussions; epilepsy surgery; effort and symptom validity testing; sleep disturbances; pulmonary dysfunction and lung transplantation; cerebrovascular disorder; cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, substance abuse, and dementia; attentional deficits and learning disabilities; rehabilitation strategies; clinical trials and neuroimaging studies
  3. Chapter writing opportunities, as available, and assist with peer-reviews of manuscript submissions.

Core Faculty

UVaHS Neuropsychology Service

  • Jeffrey T. Barth, Ph.D., ABPP-Cn
  • Scott D. Bender, Ph.D., ABPP-Cn
  • Donna K. Broshek, Ph.D.
  • Jason R. Freeman, Ph.D.


Western State Hospital Neuropsychology Laboratory

  • Beth Caillouet, Ph.D.

Affiliated Faculty

Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center

  • Gerald Showalter, Psy.D.

James Madison Univeristy

  • Bernice Marcopulos, Ph.D., ABPP-Cn

Current Fellows

  • Anthony DeMarco, Psy.D. (Chief Fellow)
  • Heidi Rossetti, Ph.D. (Chief Fellow)
  • Efland Amerson, Psy.D.
  • Jesse Brand, Ph.D.
  • John Porter Evans, Psy.D.
  • Judy Kelly, Psy.D.
  • Shawwna Lynch-Chee, Psy.D.
APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR NEUROPSYCHOLOGY: DECEMBER 15, 2011

All applicants must register for the APPCN match at www.natmatch.com/appcnmat

As an APPCN member program, this residency site agrees to abide by the APPCN policy that no person at this facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any resident applicant.

NOTE: Interviews for select applicants will be held at INS in Montreal.  Remote interviews can be considered for those not planning to attend INS.

DIRECT INQUIRIES AND MATERIALS TO:

Beth Caillouet, Ph.D.
 Western State Hospital
 P. O. Box 2500
 Staunton, VA 24401-2500
 Beth.Caillouet@dbhds.virginia.gov