Research Team
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.
Graduate Students
Rylea Ranum is a first-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 second-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.
Tobiloba "Tobi" Quadri is a third-year student in UH’s clinical psychology Ph.D. program (clinical neuropsychology major). She received her Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience from Georgia State University (GSU). Following her graduation from GSU, she worked as a research technician at Penn State University. Her research interests include examination of long-term neuropsychological outcomes following an acquired brain injury.
Master's Thesis: "The Link Between Personality Traits and Successful Cognitive Aging in Older Adults Living with HIV/AIDS"
Alyssa Day is a fourth-year student in UH’s clinical psychology Ph.D. program (clinical neuropsychology major). She received her B.A. in Psychology from Wake Forest University. Following the completion of her undergraduate studies, she worked as a research assistant at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD. Her research interests include neuropsychological outcomes following acquired brain injury and the role pain plays in those outcomes.
Master's Thesis: "Dementia Outcomes Among Individuals with a History of Traumatic Brain Injury: Differences by Race and Sex"
Active Collaborators
TIRR Memorial Hermann Brain Injury Research Center / Baylor College of Medicine