Director/Principal Investigator - Michael W. Williams, Ph.D.

Michael W. Williams, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology. He holds a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience from Morehouse College. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology with a focus in Clinical Neuropsychology and Advanced Statistical Methods from Wayne State University. Dr. Williams completed his Clinical Psychology internship on the Behavioral Medicine/Neuropsychology track at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the Adult Rehabilitation and Clinical Neuropsychology program at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is a licensed clinical psychologist. The goal of his research program is to improve patient centered outcomes for those who have suffered a brain injury. His research examines neuropsychological characteristics (e.g., cognition, mood, pain) that are associated with long-term functional outcomes (e.g., independence, return to work, etc.) to identify novel targets of intervention and to develop tailored interventions for optimizing medical rehabilitation and functional recovery. 

Active Collaborators

TIRR Memorial Hermann Brain Injury Research Center
Angelle M. Sander, PhD
Shannon Juengst, PhD, CRC

Graduate Students

Nathalie Dugas is a first-year student in UH's clinical psychology Ph.D. Program (clinical neuropsychology major). She received her B.S. in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in 2021. Before coming to UH, Nathalie worked as a research coordinator at UCSD in the Neurocognition of Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Recovery (NSTAR) lab. Her research interests include the impact of both affective (mood and anxiety) and cognitive symptoms on functional outcomes following brain injury.

Ariel Pruyser is a second-year student in UH’s clinical psychology Ph.D. program (clinical neuropsychology major). She received her B.A. in Psychology from Loyola Marymount University in 2021. Before coming to UH, Ariel worked as a clinical research coordinator at Mount Sinai’s Brain Injury Research Center in New York City. Her research interests include cognitive and functional outcomes following a traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as racial and ethnic disparities in the pain experience among individuals with a TBI.

Rylea Ranum is a third-year student in UH’s clinical psychology Ph.D. program (clinical neuropsychology major). She received her B.A. in both Psychology and Neuroscience from Luther College in 2022. Before coming to UH, Rylea worked as a research assistant at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. Her research interests include optimizing functional outcomes for individuals with an acquired brain injury and gaining insights into factors that influence recovery.

Emily Dudek is a fourth-year student in UH’s clinical psychology Ph.D. program (clinical neuropsychology major). She received her B.S. in Brain & Cognitive Sciences from the University of Rochester in 2019. Before coming to UH, Emily worked as a clinical research coordinator at Mount Sinai’s Brain Injury Research Center in New York City. Her research interests include rehabilitation neuropsychology, with a primary focus on improving long-term outcomes for those living with brain injury, and the impact of cognitive factors on rehabilitation.

Master's Thesis: "The Interaction Between Cognitive and Motor Functioning in Predicting 1-Year Functional Outcomes Among People with Traumatic Brain Injury"

Past Students/ Graduates

Alyssa Day-Gorman
Master's Thesis: "Dementia Outcomes Among Individuals with a History of Traumatic Brain Injury: Differences by Race and Sex"
Dissertation: "Role of Pain and Cognition in Functional Outcomes Among Individuals with Psychogenic Non- Epileptic Seizures (PNES) and Chronic Pain"

Tobiloba "Tobi" Quadri
Master's Thesis: "The Link Between Personality Traits and Successful Cognitive Aging in Older Adults Living with HIV/AIDS"