Pediatric Neuropsychology Fellowship

*This track recruits every other year. We will NOT be accepting applications in 2024.

At Children’s Hospital Colorado, we are uniquely equipped to provide specialized training opportunities in Spanish bilingual assessment given our diverse faculty and growing multicultural populations. This track will provide training in broad ‐based pediatric neuropsychology, with additional training opportunities in Spanish/English bilingual assessment. The goal is to provide the trainee with the background and clinical experiences sufficient to conduct competent and ethical evaluations with Spanish bilingual children and adolescents.

The fellow matched to the bilingual track will spend the majority of their training within the Division of Neurology, with one 6 month rotation in The Department of Rehabilitation. Clinical expectations for this track include completion of two outpatient evaluations and participation in one multidisciplinary clinic per week. During two of the rotations (one the first year and one the second year), one to two of the outpatient evaluations each week will be conducted with Spanish bilingual and multicultural populations. Additional opportunities for Spanish/multicultural evaluations may also be available. The fellow will become familiar with appropriate Spanish assessment measures, as well as conduct interviews and feedbacks with families in Spanish. In addition to considering the medical diagnosis/etiology, referral questions often include diagnosing language disorders and learning disabilities in children learning English as a second language, and evaluations will involve providing recommendations regarding language of instruction and level of support needed for special education/ intervention in the educational environment. Throughout training, the fellow will be expected to have an understanding for and incorporate knowledge of bilingual language development and impact of cultural influences into their interpretation and formulation of diagnostic impressions. Four neuropsychologists (Drs. Berrios‐Siervo, Boada, Martin, and Connery) complete bilingual (Spanish/English) evaluations and fellows will have the opportunity to work with multiple supervisors in this area. 

The fellow is expected to be fluent in Spanish and pass an oral exam as part of their onboarding at Children’s Hospital Colorado in order to be cleared to work with Spanish speaking patients and their families. Applicants are not expected to have had extensive experience administering tests in Spanish prior to the start of their fellowship and will be allowed time to gain extra experience in this area. Fellows will be expected to be able to complete Spanish test administration, clinical interviews and parent feedback sessions in Spanish with minimal support from their supervisor by the end of their first 6 month rotation.

Clinical Rotations

While the fellow will see a wide range of referrals over the course of the year, the program is structured to provide more focused experiences during specific rotations. During each rotation, the fellow will receive more referrals with children with those specific diagnoses and will be supervised by faculty with expertise in that area. Anticipated rotations and descriptions are as follows:

Research

The fellow will participate in clinical research under the supervision of a faculty member. At the beginning of fellowship, we will discuss with the fellow ongoing research projects, and the fellow will choose the one in which they would like to participate.

A research mentor will be assigned.

Ongoing projects include:

• Involve children with complex congenital heart conditions (Wolfe)
• Epilepsy (Berrios-Siervo, Wilkening)
• Sex chromosome aneuploidy (Janusz, Hutaff-Lee)
• Spinal muscular atrophy (Miele)
• Cancer (Wilkening, Hutaff-Lee)
• Neuroimmunological disorders (Hutaff-Lee)
• Perinatal stroke (Peterson)
• Moderate/severe TBI (Kirkwood, Tlustos-Carter, Peterson, Petranovich)
• Nonaccidental brain injury (Connery)
• Concussion/mild TBI (Kirkwood, Connery, Baker, and Peterson)
• Spina bifida/hydrocephalus (Peterson)
• Performance/symptom validity testing (Kirkwood, Connery, Baker, and Peterson)

Research expectations will vary by trainee, but by the end of fellowship the minimum expectation is that the fellow will have contributed to at least two different scholarly products (e.g., poster presentation at national conference, talk at a regional/national conference, authorship on a manuscript, involvement in a quality improvement project, pilot grant submission, etc...).

Didactic experiences are geared toward preparing the fellow for board certification in clinical neuropsychology.  The fellow is required to take the APPCN Fellow Exam at the end of the first year. The fellow is strongly encouraged to complete the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) exam during the first year. A wide variety of didactic experiences are available including:

• Pediatric Neuropsychology Seminar: Weekly neuropsychology seminar includes topic-specific lectures, journal article discussions, and case presentations. Seminars are designed to focus on mini-series topics throughout the year including assessment, neuroanatomy, diversity/cultural topics, review of specific developmental disabilities and medical conditions, etc. Neuropsych trainees also have the opportunity to participate in mock fact findings. We have also included a number of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) as well as professional development topics in our seminar topics.
• Adult Neuropsychology Seminar: The fellow will attend the monthly Neuropsychology Seminar held jointly with the University of Colorado Denver adult neuropsychology fellowship program.
• Neuroradiology Rounds: The fellow will have the opportunity to join with neurologists, oncologists, and radiologists who review neuroimaging in relationship to clinical referral questions.
• Neurology Journal Club: The Neurology fellow will attend this journal club with Neurology faculty and trainees.
• JEDI (Justice Equity Diversity & Inclusion) Summer series and longitudinal training
• Rehabilitation Seminar & Journal Club: The Rehabilitation fellow will attend this series with the Rehabilitation Medicine faculty and trainees.
• Teaching and Supervision: The fellow will have the opportunity to develop their own supervisory skills through working with psychometricians and trainees. Fellows are provided with a focused rotation during which they supervise interns/externs during their fellowship under the supervision of a neuropsychologist.
• Second year fellows will be invited to join Neuropsychology Neurology faculty meetings to provide direct experience in departmental logistics.
• Other didactic opportunities include Neurology Grand Rounds, Neurology Case Conference, PM&R Grand Rounds, Brain Injury Research Group, Pediatrics Grand Rounds, Genetics Grand Rounds, Psychology Grand Rounds, Rehabilitation Psychology Seminar, and brain cutting.

Division of Neurology   

Gretchen M. Berrios-Siervo, Psy.D., ABPP/CN is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and serves as a Pediatric Neuropsychologist in the Division of Neurology at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Dr. Berrios-Siervo is bilingual in Spanish and has interests in the assessment and evaluation of Spanish speaking children and adolescents. Additional research interests include new onset epilepsy, epilepsy surgery outcomes, and issues of health equity. She is also the Director of Multicultural and Bilingual Training, overseeing the Spanish Bilingual/Multicultural Neuropsychology Training Track and is Co-Director of DEI in Neurology. She runs the New Onset Epilepsy (NOE) Clinic and provides consultation to the Tuberous Sclerosis Clinic and Epilepsy Surgery Clinics in Neurology. Dr. Berrios-Siervo received her bachelor’s degree (psychology) from Miami University and her doctoral degree from Carlos Albizu University in Clinical Psychology. She completed an internship in pediatric psychology/neuropsychology at Miami Children’s Hospital (Nicklaus Children’s Hospital) and a two-year fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology and neuroimaging at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center/Dartmouth College (Geisel School of Medicine). Dr. Berrios-Siervo is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology and subspecialty boarded in Pediatric Clinical Neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).
To Email Gretchen Berrios-Siervo

Yasmine Botto, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and a Pediatric Neuropsychologist in the Division of Neurology at Children's Hospital Colorado. As a generalist, she is interested in understanding neurocognitive profiles of children with various medical conditions and being both accessible and compassionate when working with families. She knows both French and American Sign Language, and is committed to conducting culturally sensitive evaluations. Dr. Botto received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, where she also completed her doctoral degree. She completed both her predoctoral internship and two-year fellowship at Children's Hospital Colorado/the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
To Email Yasmin Botto 

Christa Hutaff-Lee, Ph.D., ABPP/CN is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and a Pediatric Neuropsychologist in the Division of Neurology at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Dr. Hutaff-Lee is the Training Director for the Neuropsychology Program in the Neurology Department, overseeing the Neuropsychology Rotation for the Internship and Externship Programs, as well as the APPCN-approved fellowship program in Pediatric Neuropsychology. She currently participates in a variety of inter-disciplinary clinics including the Neuroimmunology Clinic for Children for patients with neuroimmunological disorders and the Turner Syndrome clinic at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She is interested in the neurocognitive profiles of children with pediatric demyelinating and autoimmune disorders, pediatric brain tumor, cancer, and hematological disorders, and genetic disorders. She is particularly interested in educational and therapeutic interventions for children with neurological and genetic disorders, as well as potential factors affecting performance during neuropsychological evaluations. Dr. Hutaff-Lee received her bachelor’s degree (psychology) from the University of Denver and completed her doctoral degree at the University of Northern Colorado. She completed a predoctoral internship in neuropsychology at Children’s Hospital Colorado and a two-year fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Hutaff-Lee became board certified in clinical neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology in 2018.  
To email Christa Hutaff-Lee

Jennifer Janusz, Psy.D., ABPP/CN is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and serves as a Pediatric Neuropsychologist in the Division of Neurology at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Her clinical interests include the neurocognitive profile of children with genetic disorders, and she works closely with the Neurofibromatosis Program, the 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome Clinic, and the eXtraordinarY Kids Clinic. Dr. Janusz received her bachelor’s degree (psychology) from American University and her doctoral degree from the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology. She completed an internship in pediatric psychology/neuropsychology at Children’s Hospital of Michigan and a two-year fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital/ Ohio State University. Dr. Janusz became board certified in clinical neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology in 2004.  
To email Jennifer Janusz

Arianna Martin, Psy.D. is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and serves as a Pediatric Neuropsychologist in the Division of Neurology at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Dr. Martin is bilingual and has interests in the assessment of Spanish speaking children and adolescents. Her clinical interests include children and adolescents with various neurological and medical conditions including focal and generalized epilepsy, pediatric cancers, PKU, sickle cell disease, and craniofacial disorders. Her research interests involve examining cognitive factors (e.g., executive function) among pediatric populations and its impact on overall behavioral, academic and social outcomes.   Dr. Martin received her bachelor’s degree (Psychology and Computer Science) from Claremont McKenna College. She received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. She completed her internship in pediatric psychology at Children’s Hospital of Orange County and a two-year fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Children’s National Health System.
To email Arianna Martin

Andrea S. Miele, Ph.D. ABPP/CN is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and serves as a Pediatric Neuropsychologist in the Division of Neurology at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Dr. Miele has primary clinical interests in rare genetic disorders, and she specializes in working with children with neuromuscular diseases as well as developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. She also devotes a portion of her time following children with metabolic disorders, neurocutaneous disorders, and those who are preparing for, or who have already undergone, bone marrow transplant for hematology-oncology disease. Her research interests include neuropsychological functioning in children with the neuromuscular disease SMA (and especially Type 1), Batten Disease, the 8p and Ring14 Syndromes, and the STXBP1- and SLC6A1-related disorders. Dr. Miele received her bachelor’s degree (psychology with a biopsychology concentration) from the College of the Holy Cross and her doctoral degree from the University at Albany, State University of New York. She completed an internship in combined child and adult neuropsychology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and a two-year fellowship in combined pediatric and adult neuropsychology at Brown University. Dr. Miele became board certified in clinical neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology in 2022.
To email Andrea Miele

Ashley Nguyen-Martinez, PsyD, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and a Pediatric Neuropsychologist in the Division of Neurology at Children’s Hospital Colorado. While a generalist by training, Dr. Nguyen-Martinez is passionate about working with patients diagnosed with epilepsy and other seizure disorders. She is a part of the epilepsy team at CHCO, where she conducts pre- and post-surgical neuropsychological evaluations, Wada testing, brain mapping procedures, and provides consultations in the Epilepsy Surgery Clinic. She has held several leadership positions across larger neuropsychology organizations, where she leverages her positions to advocate for patients’ and neuropsychologists’ needs. Her current research primarily focuses on topics related to health equity, culturally sensitive care, and the tiered neuropsychological service model. Dr. Nguyen-Martinez received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California San Diego and completed her master’s and doctoral degrees at Pepperdine University. She completed a predoctoral internship in pediatric neuropsychology at the University of Minnesota Medical School and a two-year fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Children’s Hospital Colorado/ University of Colorado School of Medicine.
To email Ashley Nguyen-Martinez

Elise Turner, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Pediatric Neuropsychologist in the Division of Neurology at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Dr. Turner’s clinical interests include working with youth with complex medical conditions, including pediatric oncology, stroke, and solid organ transplantation. She also has interests in quality improvement work, including implementation of preventative and tiered neuropsychological services. She completed her graduate training at the University of Florida. Her internship was completed at Oregon Health & Science University, and her fellowship was completed at Children’s Hospital Colorado/University of Colorado School of Medicine.
To email Elise Turner

Greta N. Wilkening, Psy.D, M.Ed, ABPP/CN is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.  In addition to directing the Pediatric Neuropsychology service (within Neurology), she developed and directs the Neurodevelopmental Research Core.  Her primary clinical interests are the evaluation and follow-up of children with epilepsy and brain neoplasms. She is the lead neuropsychologist for the Urea Cycle Disorder Consortium Longitudinal Study. She is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology and Pediatric Clinical Neuropsychology.
To email Greta Wilkening

Kelly Wolfe, Ph.D., ABPP/CN is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, the Clinical Director of the Neuropsychology Program in the CHCO Neuroscience Institute, and the Director of the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program in the CHCO Heart Institute. She is board certified in clinical neuropsychology and subspecialty board certified in pediatric neuropsychology through the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology. Dr. Wolfe collaborates with multidisciplinary teams on outpatient and inpatient clinical, research, and quality improvement initiatives to better understand and improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in children and young adults with cardiac disease. Her research has included examining predictors of neuropsychological outcomes in single ventricle heart disease and heart transplantation. Dr. Wolfe also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Pediatric Neuropsychology and is a Co-Vice Chair of the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative.
To email Kelly Wolfe

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation:

Alison M. Colbert, Ph.D., ABPP/CN is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and is a Pediatric Neuropsychologist and Rehabilitation Psychologist in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Children’s Hospital Colorado. She works as a neuropsychologist and rehabilitation psychologist on the inpatient Neurotrauma/Rehabilitation unit and conducts outpatient neuropsychological evaluations. Her research interests focus on neurocognitive outcomes following central nervous system disruption, developmental or acquired. She is interested in identifying factors that predict risk and resilience, enhance diagnosis and treatment, and influence neurocognitive and psychological outcomes. Dr. Colbert received her Bachelor’s degrees (Psychology and Spanish) from Saint Francis University in Loretto, PA, and her Master’s degree in Clinical Health Psychology from Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. She earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, MI. Dr. Colbert completed an internship in Rehabilitation Psychology, as well as a two-year fellowship in Pediatric Neuropsychology at Children’s Hospital Colorado. 
To email Alison Colber  

Amy Connery, Psy.D., ABPP/CN is an Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.  She is a pediatric neuropsychologist in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Children’s Hospital Colorado.  She provides clinical services in Concussion Clinic, International Adoption Clinic (IAC), and the Non-Accidental Brain Injury Care Clinic (NABICC).  Her research interests include the effects of early adversity and neurologic insult on developmental outcomes. She provides bilingual Spanish assessments. Dr. Connery received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Loyola University of Chicago and her doctoral degree from The Wright Institute in Berkeley, California.  She completed an internship at the University of California, San Francisco, a one year postdoctoral fellowship at Children’s Hospital and Research Center in Oakland and a two year fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at the Neurodevelopment Center in Salt Lake City, Utah and the Idaho Elks Rehabilitation Hospital in Boise, Idaho.  Dr. Connery became board certified in clinical neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology in 2009.  She received the pediatric subspecialty designation in 2014.
To email Amy Connery

Stephanie Hitti, Ph.D. is an early career Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado and is a Pediatric Neuropsychologist in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Children's Hospital Colorado. She provides clinical services in the Concussion Clinic and conducts bilingual (Spanish/English) outpatient neuropsychological evaluations. She grew up in Venezuela and England and is interested in multicultural neuropsychology. Her research interests focus on non-accidental traumatic brain injuries, barriers to neuropsychological assessment, and the translation/interpretation of neuropsychological tests. Dr. Hitti received her Bachelor’s degrees (Psychology and Child Development) from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN and then went on to complete her Master's and doctoral degrees in Child Clinical Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.  Dr. Hitti completed an internship in Neurorehabilitation, as well as a two-year fellowship in Pediatric Neuropsychology at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
To email Stephanie Hitti 

Michael Kirkwood, Ph.D., ABPP/CN is a Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. He is the Director of the Rehabilitation Psychology/ Neuropsychology Program, as well as the Co-Director of the Children’s Hospital Colorado Concussion Program. His clinical and research interests focus on acquired brain injury in children, particularly mild TBI, as well as the value of validity testing in pediatric assessment. He also has a primary interest in promoting and supporting board certification in clinical neuropsychology. Dr. Kirkwood received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and doctoral degree from DePaul University. He completed internship in pediatric psychology/neuropsychology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital / The Ohio State University and a two-year fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Boston Children’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School.
To email Michael Kirkwood

Paige E. Naylor, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She is a pediatric neuropsychologist in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Clinically, Dr. Naylor works as a generalist within the department, including in the Concussion Program. She also has an interest in the identification of neurodevelopmental disorders in rehabilitation patients. In terms of research, Dr. Naylor is interested in health equity and quality improvement work, including identifying barriers to patients accessing care. She received her bachelor’s degree from Trinity University in San Antonio and her doctoral degree from Palo Alto University. Dr. Naylor completed her internship at Duke University School of Medicine and a two-year pediatric neuropsychology fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin.
To Email Paige Naylor

Robin L. Peterson, Ph.D., ABPP/CN is an Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She is a pediatric neuropsychologist in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Children’s Hospital Colorado.  Her clinical and research interests include understanding developmental outcomes in children with language/learning disorders, spina bifida, and acquired brain injuries. She is the training director for neuropsychology in rehabilitation. Dr. Peterson received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and biology from Harvard University. She completed a Master’s in Education and worked as an elementary school teacher before pursuing doctoral training in clinical child psychology. She completed her PhD through University of Denver, her internship through Children’s Hospital Colorado, and a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in Pediatric Neuropsychology through University of Denver and Children’s Hospital Colorado/University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. Dr. Peterson became board certified in clinical neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology in 2015.  She received the pediatric subspecialty designation in 2018.
To email Robin Peterson 

Christine Petranovich, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and a clinical neuropsychologist in the Department of Rehabilitation at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Clinically, Dr. Petranovich is primarily interested in acute and long-term neuropsychological assessment of children and adolescents with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. From a research perspective, she is interested in identifying predictors of cognitive functioning, social competence, and behavior after traumatic brain injury. Dr. Petranovich is also interested in understanding protective and modifiable risk factors in the transition to adulthood for individuals with a history of rehabilitation-specific medical conditions.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and biological anthropology from the University of New Mexico and a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the University of Cincinnati. Internship and post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology were completed at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.
To email Christine Petranovich

Sarah Tlustos-Carter, Ph.D., ABPP/CN is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and a clinical rehab neuropsychologist in the Department of Rehabilitation at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Clinically, Dr. Tlustos-Carter provides services on the inpatient Neurotrauma/Rehabilitation unit and also conducts outpatient neuropsychological evaluations. Her interests include the cognitive and social-emotional outcomes after moderate/severe TBI and other acquired brain injuries, as well as determining best practices and predictors of recovery during acute recovery from brain injury.  Dr. Tlustos-Carter received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Visual Arts through the University of Northern Colorado. She then attended University of Cincinnati where she received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology with emphases in neuropsychology and child psychology. She completed her internship through Children’s Hospital Colorado and a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in Pediatric Neuropsychology through University of Denver and Children’s Hospital Colorado/University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. Dr. Tlustos-Carter became board certified in clinical neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology in 2018. 
To email Sarah Tlustos