Clinical Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Clinical Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Fellowship program's clinical and educational experiences are modeled after the guidelines identified by the Houston Conference on Specialty Education and Training in Clinical Neuropsychology. In addition to receiving training in clinical neuropsychology, the fellowship also offers engagement in research relevant to clinical outcomes.

Referrals from within the Department of Neurology include diagnoses such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, movement disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), brain tumors, CNS infections, epilepsy and psychiatric disorders. Other referral questions include mild cognitive impairment versus dementia and memory disorder cases, as well as differential diagnosis of neurologic versus psychiatric contributions. Outside referral sources include geriatric medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry and primary care, among others.

The two primary training locations are the UCI Medical Center in Orange and the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care in Irvine. Depending on their major and/or minor rotation days, fellows will be expected to travel between locations.

View our fellowship brochure (PDF) for additional information about the program. 

Please include the following materials with your application.

SUBMIT APPLICATION

Aholibama Ruiz, PhD

Neuropsychology postdoctoral fellow Aholibama Ruiz, PhD, earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in cognitive science from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Before pursuing graduate studies, she contributed to research at UCSD focused on pediatric traumatic brain injury, neuroimaging and cognitive assessment.

Ruiz completed her doctoral training in Clinical Psychology at Alliant International University, San Diego, an APA-accredited program. Her dissertation explored the role of executive functioning, impulsivity, and perceived risk for falls in individuals with acquired brain injury and stroke during acute rehabilitation. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, in the Cultural and Bilingual Neuropsychology Lifespan track. Ruiz's clinical and research interests center on traumatic brain injury and bilingual neuropsychological assessment, with a particular emphasis on the cultural, linguistic and contextual factors that influence cognitive functioning.

Michael Lopez, PhD

Co-Director of Training

Michael Lopez, PhD, is a clinical neuropsychologist, the director of neuropsychology at the Neurology and Traumatic Brain Injury (NTBIC) & Stroke Clinic in the Department of Neurology, and an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Neurology.

He completed his internship at the VA Central Iowa Healthcare System in the Neurology Consult Service. Following this, he completed a two-year ABPP/CN Neuropsychology fellowship at the University of Utah in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) with a primary focus on neurotrauma, neurological disorders and aging. Concurrently, he completed a two-year rotation working with children and adolescents with various medical conditions, with a specialization in spina bifida. Lopez conducts research related to traumatic brain injury and performance validity in his current clinics. He also focuses on multicultural assessment, particularly with Spanish-speaking populations, and conducts comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations in Spanish in a newly founded clinic called the Neuropsychology Spanish Language Clinic at UCI (NSLCUCI). Along with Hayley Kristinsson, PsyD, he is an active member of the Community Outreach subcommittee of the Neurology Department’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-Racism and Social Justice (IDEAS) committee. 

Clinic Summary

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is clinically diverse and life changing. It occurs when an external force — a bump, blow, jolt or penetrating object – injures the brain. A TBI can result in a broad spectrum of symptoms and disabilities depending on the severity and complexity of the injury. In the outpatient clinic setting, the NTBIC program offers individualized and comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations utilizing the latest research, technology, and literature to develop an ongoing treatment plan and assessment report. In addition, the NTBIC team helps connect patients to a unique collaborative network of UCI Health TBI-dedicated specialists across TBI symptoms, which can include fatigue, headache, cognitive symptoms, vestibular symptoms, ophthalmologic symptoms, and mood or sleep issues. This rotation also has a minor focus on surgical evaluations (NPH and DBS evaluations) and memory disorders. An optional cognitive compensatory training (CCT) rotation is available for fellows who have an interest in treatment. Lastly, fellows will have the opportunity to participate in Spanish language assessments as part of the developing Spanish Language Neuropsychology Clinic. All aspects of neuropsychological evaluation, including interview and feedback, are conducted in Spanish to provide evaluations to a growing and underserved population in this field. Fluent Spanish speakers are encouraged to apply. Lopez sees patients at the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care in Irvine and at the UCI Medical Center in Orange.

Hayley B. Kristinsson, PsyD, ABPP-CN

Co-Director of Training

Hayley Kristinsson, PsyD, is a board-certified neuropsychologist and assistant clinical professor in the Department of Neurology. She obtained her PsyD at the Wright State University School of Professional Psychology and completed internship at the Wallace Kettering Neuroscience Institute. She completed her two-year fellowship in neuropsychology at the Sports Concussion Institute in Culver City.

She is passionate about working with older adults who have neurodegenerative disorders and providing accurate diagnoses to inform treatment planning. Her focus is on offering thorough assessment of patients’ cognitive functioning to improve the quality of life of older adults with neurodegenerative disorders. Kristinsson’s research interests include clinical trials in neurodegenerative disorders and examining cognitive markers that can be used to predict conversion to dementia in older adults. She is the Director of Clinical Training for Adult Neuropsychology in the UCI Lifespan Psychology Practicum Training Program. Kristinsson is passionate about community service and is the Chair of Community Outreach for the Neurology Department’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-Racism and Social Justice (IDEAS) committee.

Clinic Summary

Kristinsson’s adult neuropsychology clinic is located at the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care. Her clinic’s focus is on the neuropsychological assessment of adults with an emphasis on neurodegenerative disorders. Most of Kristinsson’s referrals come from the Memory Disorders program but she also receives general neurology referrals. Common conditions include Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy Body dementia, long COVID, psychiatric conditions, and occasionally movement disorders, stroke and TBI. Fellows who rotate with Kristinsson will work with adults with a wide range of neurological and psychiatric conditions.