Director
Nathan E. Cook, Ph.D.
Dr. Cook is a clinical neuropsychologist who obtained his PhD in clinical psychology from URI in 2014. He completed his internship training at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS). He completed a three year clinical and research fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, MGH, and HMS. He worked as a staff neuropsychologist at MGH and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at HMS prior to joining that faculty at URI in 2024.
Dr. Cook’s research is focused on improving brain health and providing more personalized, effective, and accessible neuropsychological care to address developmental or acquired brain dysfunction, and to promote recovery, restoration of function, and academic achievement. Topics of interest and areas of recent research and publications have included improving neuropsychological assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation for youth and young adults who sustain concussion as well as those with neurodevelopmental conditions, primarily attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and associated cognitive vulnerabilities, such as processing speed and executive functioning. Current and recent work also involves examining health disparities and social determinants of health related to concussion and neurodevelopmental conditions, as well as developing ways to promote brain health equity and seeking to identify ways to reduce health disparities in clinical neuropsychological care.
Graduate Students
Emily Carter, M.A.
Emily is a 5th year clinical psychology PhD student. Her research interests include exploring clinical neuropsychology in older adult populations and the cognitive impacts of exposure to air pollution. Further, she is focused on translating research findings to real-world clinical application. In the fall, Emily will be completing her predoctoral internship at the Bronx VA.
Sydney Iacoi, M.A.
Sydney is a 3rd year clinical psychology PhD student. Her research interests consist of understanding how adverse childhood events, social determinants of health, and substance use impact cognition.
Jewelia Ferguson, M.A.
Jewels is a 3rd year clinical psychology PhD student. Her research interests include using strength based approaches to understand how individuals cope with ableism and discrimination. Additionally, Jewels is interested in strategies and interventions for promoting inclusivity and decreasing ableist experiences in pediatric and adult populations.
Alyssa Behuniak, B.A.
Alyssa is a 1st year clinical psychology PhD student. Her research interests include understanding how the frequency and severity of concussions impact cognition in pediatric populations. Additionally, Alyssa is interested in exploring how social determinants of health serve as barriers to youth receiving neuropsychological care, and how these barriers translate to challenges later in life.
Issac Portillo, B.S.
Issac is a second year interdisciplinary neuroscience masters student. His research interests consist of understanding brain health literacy and stigma related to mental and neurological conditions. Further, Issac is interested in understanding how social determinants of health affect access to neuropsychological care in underserved communities.
Incoming Graduate Students
- Zaina Alkurdi
- Lilian Klein
Undergraduate Research Assistants
- Cindy Ayuninjam
- Alex Bolland
- Taylor Ferraro
- Nora Gianfrocco
- Sydney King
- Sydney Lipman
- Ava Randazzo
- Kylie Swett
- Julie Wichtendahl