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 . He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology with a focus in Clinical Neuropsychology and Advanced Statistical Methods from . Dr. Williams completed his Clinical Psychology internship on the Behavioral Medicine/Neuropsychology track at the . He completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the Adult Rehabilitation and Clinical Neuropsychology program at . 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
Ariel Pruyser is a first-year student in UH’s clinical psychology Ph.D. program (clinical neuropsychology
major). She received her B.A. in Psychology from in 2021. Before coming to UH, Ariel worked as a clinical research coordinator at
Mount Sinai’s 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 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 in 2022. Before coming to UH, Rylea worked as a research assistant at the 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 in 2019. Before coming to UH, Emily worked as a clinical research coordinator at
Mount Sinai’s 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"
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 (GSU). Following her graduation from GSU, she worked as a research technician at
. 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 . Following the completion of her undergraduate studies, she worked as a research
assistant at 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"
Dissertation: "Role of Pain and Cognition in Functional Outcomes Among Individuals with Psychogenic Non- Epileptic Seizures (PNES) and Chronic Pain"
Active Collaborators
TIRR Memorial Hermann Brain Injury Research Center / Baylor College of Medicine