ABOUT ROBERT J. SPENCER, PhD, ABN, ABPP-CN
I am a board-certified neuropsychologist in Ann Arbor serving Washtenaw County and surrounding areas. I am Chief of Neuropsychology at the Ann Arbor VA Hospital and am on faculty at the University of Michigan as a Clinical Associate Professor. I have contributed to the field of neuropsychology through research, clinical work, and education. Spencer Neuropsychology allows me to serve a diverse clientele who are in need of psychological assessment and the behavioral treatment of insomnia.
I completed formal graduate training at Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, The Johns Hopkins University, and Clifton T. Perkins Forensic Hospital. I graduated from Loyola University in Maryland (M.S. in Clinical Psychology) and received my PhD from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (Clinical Psychology & Behavioral Medicine). My internship and post-doctoral fellowship were completed through the Ann Arbor VA with a focus in neuropsychology.
My research has included contributions as a scientist, reviewer and presenter. I have authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications in journals such as: The Clinical Neuropsychologist, Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, and Military Medicine. I have written 4 book chapters (Neuropsychological Practice with Veterans; Neuropsychology: A Review of Science and Practice, Vol. 2 ; APA handbook of clinical psychology: Roots and branches, Vol. 1; Medical Neuropsychology and Behavioral Health), and made over 130 presentations at local, national, and international venues. I am on the editorial boards of the journals Applied Neuropsychology and Perceptual & Motor Skills and am a frequent ad hoc reviewer of journal articles for many other neuropsychology journals.
My work with patients has blended assessment, psychotherapy, and health psychology interventions. I have worked as a licensed psychologist in the Ann Arbor Area since 2010 serving Veterans as a neuropsychologist and a health psychologist. My clinical duties included performing neuropsychological evaluations (with an emphasis on traumatic brain injury and adult ADHD) and pre-surgery evaluations (with an emphasis on bariatrics) as well as conducting group and individual psychotherapy (primarily CBT for insomnia).
My educational contributions include supervision, mentorship, and classroom teaching. I am the co-director of the post-doctoral Michigan Medicine-Ann Arbor VA Neuropsychological Training Consortium. Currently I mentor post- doctoral fellows, pre-doctoral interns, and graduate students. I have participated as a training consultant for the National Insomnia Program at the VA. I teach a weekly class on the interpretation of neuropsychological tests and have helped to create training videos on the assessment of traumatic brain injury, use of diagnostic statistics, and a guide for physicians on how to use neuropsychological services.