Division of Neuropsychology

The Division of Neuropsychology focuses on the provision of clinical care for patients who are most neurologically impacted by their disease and treatment, collaborative clinical investigation that seeks to mitigate the impact of neurobehavioral change on quality of life, and facilitating the training of future neuropsychologists. The Division is home to all clinician and clinician-scientist neuropsychologists and neuropsychology clinical fellows at St. Jude. We embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in all clinical, research, and didactic activities to ensure competence in professional practice relevant to cultural and individual differences.

Clinical care offered by providers within the Division include neuropsychological assessment, consultation, and intervention, with the shared goal of lessening the influence of brain dysfunction on academic and social outcomes. Primary populations served include pediatric oncology, sickle cell disease and other hematological disorders, infectious diseases, rare genetic disorders, and neurological insults associated with immunocompromised status. We provide care to patients that range in age from birth through young adulthood and their families. 

Division faculty develop research initiatives in collaboration with the Department’s Neuropsychology/Neuroscience Research Section. These initiatives include investigation of neurocognitive effects of childhood cancer and sickle cell disease as well as the development and evaluation of cognitive rehabilitation approaches. Research aims include improving specification of cognitive deficits following treatment, discovering mechanisms of disease- and treatment-related brain injury, delineating risk/resiliency factors with respect to cognitive outcomes and developing empirically valid interventions that ameliorate cognitive deficits. 

The neuropsychology fellowship program is a two-year, full-time, fellowship designed to meet the International Neuropsychological Society (INS) Division 40, Houston Conference, and American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) Diploma in Clinical Neuropsychology preparation guidelines. Fellows spend 50-70% of their time in delivery of clinical services, 10-20% time in educational activities, and 20-40% of time dedicated to research with individualized time distribution based on the fellow’s interests and training needs. Division faculty are actively engaged in mentorship of undergraduate students, graduate students and residents conducting clinical and/or research work.

Heather Conklin, PhD
Member, Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Services
Chief, Division of Neuropsychology
Heather.Conklin@stjude.org