Sept. 11, 2020

This is part of a New Faculty Spotlight series in which we introduce all new faculty members for the 2020-2021 academic year. See the full list of new faculty. 

What is your title with Health Professions?

I am an Assistant Professor of Health Psychology.

What classes are you teaching this semester?

I will not be teaching this semester, but will be involved with supervising trainees in our Clinical Psychology Internship and Clinical Neuropsychology Fellowship programs.

What do you love about teaching?

I love mentoring students/trainees and seeing them get interviews and jobs. It’s very rewarding to play a role in someone’s career success.

Tell us a bit about yourself! What’s your background?

I grew up in the Philadelphia area. I got my undergraduate degree in psychology at The College of New Jersey and then obtained my PhD in clinical psychology from the University of South Florida. For my clinical training in neuropsychology, I held positions at the Miami VA Healthcare System and Baylor Scott and White Health.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I really enjoy the outdoors and do a lot of hiking, biking, and camping, along with my wife and our golden doodle. I also love sports and am an avid 76ers and Eagles fan (Go birds!). I’m big into movies as well and will watch anything with Christian Bale or Leonardo DiCaprio.

What brought you to Mizzou?

I was attracted to the position because it would allow me to do a mixture of research, clinical work, and supervision, giving me a lot of variety at work. The staff in our department were all extremely friendly during the interview, and I knew they’d be great future colleagues. Plus, it did not hurt that CoMo is a super cool, affordable place to live.

Tell us about your research interests/area of focus. What made you interested in this area within your field?

My research focuses on detecting and managing cognitive declines associated with Alzheimer’s disease. I first became interested in this area through my clinical training in neuropsychology, doing evaluations in a memory disorders clinic. The interest was cemented when both my grandfathers developed dementia, and I became more personally invested in solving this major health care problem.

What are you most excited about in regards to the upcoming semester/working at Mizzou/your research?

I’ve been impressed by how easy it has been to find collaborators here. I’ve already got a project under development with folks from neuroscience, neurology, gerontology, engineering, and biostats. It will be great to work with experts from so many different backgrounds.