Jodi Heaps

Dr. Jodi Heaps-Woodruff is an Assistant Professor at the Missouri Institute of Mental Health, part of the University of Missouri–St. Louis. A research neuropsychologist, she specializes in NeuroAIDS and structural brain imaging, conducting studies on both local and international populations, including pediatric and adult groups. Her collaborative work with Washington University School of Medicine focuses on cognition and brain imaging in inflammatory and genetic disorders, while she also evaluates healthcare integration initiatives for mental health and chronic disease management.

• Education: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (2011) from the University of Missouri–St. Louis

Her research interests span structural neuroimaging, NeuroAIDS, cognitive neuroscience, and integrated health systems. Recent publications explore white matter integrity in aging, limbic system changes in HIV, and neuroimaging biomarkers for demyelinating diseases, with methodologies including quantitative and qualitative analyses of healthcare delivery systems.

Dr. Heaps-Woodruff has contributed to 36 research outputs, including peer-reviewed articles in journals like Brain Imaging and Behavior and Pediatric Neurology, focusing on neuroimaging techniques (e.g., DTI) for studying HIV-related neurological complications, inflammatory disorders, and differential diagnosis of demyelinating diseases.

She has developed clinical protocols, statistical analysis plans, and integrated databases combining neuroimaging, neuropsychological, and clinical data. Her work on the Missouri Healthcare Home Initiative highlights her commitment to improving health outcomes through systems-level research.