Lead M-Principal Investigator, Contact PI: Richard Gershon, PhD
Dr. Gershon is a Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Medical Social Sciences, and Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine-Health and Biomedical Informatics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Gershon is a leading expert in the development of outcome measurement, with significant experience in both educational and health applications. In response to the realization that the outcomes tools he was using in clinical practice were outdated and failed to cover the needs of patients, Dr. Gershon’s career has focused on the development of modern assessment tools. He strives to find new ways to assess health outcomes and methodologies and provide that information to clinicians in ways that can immediately impact treatment. As PI for the NIH Toolbox for the Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function, Dr. Gershon oversaw a team of over 200 researchers from around the world to create a large battery of instruments for clinical investigators to assess various areas within cognitive, motor, sensory, and emotional health, for longitudinal, clinical and comparative effectiveness research. He also serves as PI on the NIH Infant and Toddler Toolbox (aka Baby Toolbox) contract to develop a cognitive assessment battery for infants and children aged 1-42 months. Dr. Gershon is the MPI for the NIA sponsored grant Advancing Reliable Measurement in Alzheimer’s Disease and cognitive Aging (ARMADA), which validates the NIH Toolbox amongst Alzheimer’s populations and older age groups. In recently awarded grants, he is the contact PI for ToolBox Detect: Low-Cost Detection of Cognitive Decline in Primary Care Settings, and co-I for The MyCog Mobile Assessment: Development and Validation of a Telehealth Strategy for Routine Detection of Cognitive Impairment in Primary Care.
Dr. Gershon also serves as the MPI for the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) PRO Measurement Core. Additionally, in his former role as PI for the NIH Roadmap Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Technical Center, Dr. Gershon served as technology host for more than 2,000 researchers and clinicians who are registered users of AssessmentCenter.net, a test authoring and study administration portal. Dr. Gershon’s background is further augmented by his numerous publications and presentations, and role as a co-investigator and/or consultant on over 100 assessment development projects in health care, education, and certification.
M-Principal Investigator: Aaron Kaat, PhD
Dr. Kaat is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University. He has a broad background in psychology, with specific training in lifespan development, including neurodevelopmental disabilities, with a secondary emphasis in psychometrics and cognitive assessment. He has expertise in instrument validation using classical and modern test theory, latent variable models, and linking analysis methodology. He is a key methodologist involved with several large-scale nationally-relevant assessment systems. Many of his research projects involve instrument development, adaptation, and evaluation. Dr. Kaat was one of the primary psychometricians in the validation of the iPad version of the NIH Toolbox and in the normative revision and update to it. He is also involved in several studies evaluating the Toolbox in special populations such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, fragile X syndrome, down syndrome, and intellectual disability.
Co-Investigator: Cindy Nowinski, MD, PhD
Dr. Nowinski is a Research Associate Professor in the Departments of Medical Social Sciences and Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and measurement scientist with over 20 years of experience in the development of patient-reported outcome measures and performance-based cognitive assessments for use with both children and adults. She played central roles in several large-scale initiatives to develop standardized outcome measures including Neuro-QoLTM (Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders), the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) and the app-based NIH Toolbox for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function (NIH Toolbox®). Her current work focuses on cognitive aging, cognitive screening, and development and implementation of smartphone-based and other digital assessments.
Co-Investigator: Sarah Pila, PhD
Dr. Pila-Leiderman is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She holds a doctorate in Media, Technology, and Society from Northwestern University. Her research interests focus on the benefits of prosocial and educational media for young children, particularly in early childhood education. As a developmental scientist and researcher, Sarah is most interested in the intersection of technology and media for health and well-being across the lifespan. She has been published in such works as Computer & Education, Mobile Media & Communication, and Journal of Medical Internet Research.
Co-Investigator: Stephanie Ruth Young, PhD
Dr. Stephanie Young is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Social Science (MSS) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She earned her doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and is a licensed psychologist with clinical training in pediatric neuropsychology. Her research primarily focuses on the development and validation of neuropsychological measures, neurodiversity, and practical assessment issues. Much of her work has focused on technological advancements in assessment, including mobile and web-based assessments and telehealth. Stephanie is passionate about improving open sharing of materials within the research community. She has conducted several independent validations of the International Cognitive Ability Resource (ICAR), the first well-validated open-source cognitive assessment battery freely available to researchers.
Co-Investigator: Miriam Novack, PhD
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