BrainSPORT

Clinical Sports Neuropsychology Fellowship

Clinical Neuropsychology of Brain Injury and Sports Concussions Track

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Neuropsychology Fellowship

This fellowship track is one of several available through the UCLA Semel Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship, and is part of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, a multidisciplinary and comprehensive center for concussion management. This partnership allows fellows in this track to take on leadership roles in providing clinical care, research opportunities (laboratory and clinical), community outreach, and education. Graduates of this track will be prepared to meet the pressing need for timely, evidence-informed, comprehensive assessment and treatment of this growing population.

  • The program has a primary clinical emphasis designed to prepare its graduates for the independent clinical practice of neuropsychology as a specialty, with additional clinical and research expertise working with sports related concussions as well as more severe head injuries.
  • The track also meets the guidelines for APA’s Society for Clinical Neuropsychology (Division 40), preparing fellows for a path towards Board Certification in Clinical Neuropsychology.
  • This fellowship provides exposure to a multidisciplinary team (including neurology, occupational therapy, sports medicine, and clinical dietician), and provides trainees a significant amount of protected time (~30%) to participate in clinical research in concussion/head injury.

Current research projects include:

  • A brief remote cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention with biofeedback for individuals with persistent post-concussion symptoms.
  • Several multi-site clinical research programs found on our website.
  • Basic science research programs in coordination with the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center.
  • Approximately 50% of the fellow’s time will be spent providing direct clinical services.
    • ~30% of clinical hours will be spent working in a multidisciplinary team, providing brief neuropsychological screens in concussion clinic as well as psychotherapy and multidisciplinary intervention for patients with a history of concussion.
    • The remainder of the clinical hours (~20%) will include taking a general neuropsychology clinical case (roughly 1 complex/pediatric or 2 brief evaluations a month) through UCLA Semel Institute’s Medical Psychology Assessment Center (MPAC), providing the fellow exposure to greater clinical breadth and a more well-rounded training.
  • Fellowship training also involves a rich, weekly didactic curriculum (~20%) including lectures on Functional Neuroanatomy, Neuropsychology Syndromes, and Professional Development. Fellows have the opportunity to take part in Wada procedures, observing brain-cutting didactics, cortical grid-mapping, and language mapping.