Dr. John Gunstad - The neuropsychology of aging and disease, with a particular interest in cardiovascular disease and obesity.
Dr. Joel Hughes - The role of psychological and social factors in cardiovascular health and disease.
Clinical students complete their practicum requirements by taking the general practicum in their second year, and selecting an advanced or specialty practicum in their third year. It is recommended that students choose a third-year specialty practicum related to their research focus, if one is available. In addition, students may request that they be assigned cases related to their area of interest when it is possible and feasible for the Clinic to do this.
Students complete all departmental and clinical core course requirements, as well as the clinical program's requisite number of elective credits. Students can take additional health focused courses within and outside the department. Students may choose to have some of their elective requirements waived so that they can involve themselves in additional research projects.
Clinical health psychology research is broadly defined as investigation into the interaction between psychological and physical health. It can focus on how diseases impact people psychologically or how psychological processes impact disease. Work can range from laboratory to medical/health to community settings. The training for the research focus in clinical health psychology involves engagement in research, in collaboration with a faculty mentor, on a topic related to health psychology, which may range from rather basic research to more applied investigations.
Dr. William Lechner - Neurocognitive deficits in individuals with Substance Use Disorders, including the study of bi-directional effects of executive function deficits and addictive behaviors.
Dr. Yossef S. Ben-Porath - Objective personality assessment with emphasis on the MMPI instruments, including applications in a variety of settings (clinical, correctional, forensic, and pre-employment screening) and computerized adaptive testing.
Dr. John Gunstad - Clinical neuropsychology, including the effects of disease on neurocognitive function and strategies to promote healthy brain aging.
Assessment Psychology students are exposed to a wide variety of clinical problems and procedures during the second year clinical practicum. While the emphasis is on psychotherapy, assessment is an integral part of the training provided. Brief assessments are conducted with all adult clients, and more comprehensive assessments are conducted with selected clients. Students can select a third year specialty practicum that focuses on personality and neuropsychological assessment.
Students interested in the Assessment Psychology research focus are expected to complete departmental and clinical core course requirements. In addition, they should register for elective assessment courses related to their research interests and career goals. Advanced courses include Child Assessment, Behavioral Assessment, and Neuropsychological Assessment. Some other elective courses may be waived to give students more time for involvement in additional research projects.
Assessment research focuses on the development and validation of ways to gauge important individual differences. At Kent State, we concentrate on widely used psychological tests designed to assess personality and psychopathology in adults and adolescents (MMPI-3, and MMPI-A-RF) and neuropsychological tests to determine the impact of age and disease on brain function and behavior. Students are involved in grant-funded studies and have opportunities to present their own research at national scientific meetings.
