Nathan Cook

  • Assistant Professor
  • Department of Psychology; Clinical Psychology
  • Phone: 401.874.2665
  • Email: nathan.cook@uri.edu
  • Office Location: Chafee 411

  • Google Scholar
  • Accepting Students: Ph.D.

PLEASE NOTE: Dr. Cook will be accepting new graduate students for the 2025-2026 academic year. 

Biography

Dr. Cook is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology specializing in neuropsychology/clinical neuroscience. He is the Director of the Brain Health Equity and Access to Clinical Neuropsychology (BEACON) Lab. He is also a faculty member in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program. Dr. Cook received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Rhode Island (URI). He completed pre-doctoral and post-doctoral clinical and research training at Massachusetts General Hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and Harvard Medical School specializing in clinical neuropsychology, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), concussion, and traumatic brain injury. Prior to joining the faculty at URI, Dr. Cook was a faculty member in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School and a staff neuropsychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Research

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.

Education

  • Clinical and Research Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology, Concussion, and Traumatic Brain Injury, Massachusetts General Hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 2015-2018
  • Internship in Clinical Psychology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical
    School, 2014-2015
  • Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Rhode Island, 2015
  • M.A., Forensic Psychology, Roger Williams University, 2008
  • B.A., Criminal Justice (Forensic Psychology minor), Bridgewater State College, 2006

Selected Publications

Cook, N. E., Kissinger-Knox, A., Iverson, I. A., Stephenson, K., Norman, M. A., Hunter, A. A., Saadi, A., & Iverson, G. L. (2024). Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity in the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Sport-Related Concussion: A Content Analysis of Intervention Research and Call-To-Action. Journal of Neurotrauma, 10.1089/neu.2023.0550. Advance online
publication. (Full text available here)

Gaudet, C. E., Cook, N. E., Kissinger-Knox, A., Liu, B., Stephenson, K., Berkner, P. D., & Iverson, G. L. (2024). Neighborhood Disadvantage and Clinical Outcome Following Concussion in Adolescents. Journal of Neurotrauma, 41(3-4), 475–485.
https://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2023.0243

Cook, N. E., Kissinger-Knox, A., Iverson, I. A., Liu, B. C., Gaudet, C. E., Norman, M. A., & Iverson, G. L. (2023). Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity in the Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Content Analysis of Research Underlying Clinical Guidelines. Journal of Neurotrauma, 40(19-20), 1977–1989. (Full text available here)

Cook, N. E., Gaudet, C. E., Zafonte, R., Berkner, P. D., & Iverson, G. L. (2023). Acute effects of concussion among adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Child Neuropsychology, 29(6), 973–996. https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2022.2144815

Cook, N. E., Gaudet, C. E., Van Patten, R., Kissinger-Knox, A., & Iverson, G. L. (2022). Clinical Outcome following Sport-Related Concussion among Children and Adolescents with a History of Prior Concussion: A Systematic Review. Journal of Neurotrauma, 39(17-18), 1146–1158. https://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2022.0078

Cook, N. E., Iverson, G. L. (2021). Concussion Among Children in the United States General Population: Incidence and Risk Factors. Frontiers in Neurology, 12, 773927. (Full text available here)

Cook, N. E., Iverson, G. L., Maxwell, B., Zafonte, R., & Berkner, P. D. (2021). Adolescents With ADHD Do Not Take Longer to Recover from Concussion. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8,606879. (Full text available here)

Cook, N. E., Huebschmann, N. A., & Iverson, G. L. (2021). Safety and Tolerability of an Innovative Virtual Reality-Based Deep Breathing Exercise in Concussion Rehabilitation: A Pilot Study. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 24(4), 222–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/17518423.2020.1839981

Cook, N. E., Iaccarino, M. A., Karr, J. E., & Iverson, G. L. (2020). Attention-
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Outcome After Concussion: A Systematic Review. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 41(7), 571–582.
https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0000000000000808

Cook, N. E., Kelshaw, P. M., Caswell, S. V., & Iverson, G. L. (2019). Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Perform Differently on Pediatric Concussion Assessment. The Journal of Pediatrics, 214, 168–174.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.07.048