Laura Lacritz

Laura Lacritz is a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she has served since 1997. She directs the Psychological Services, Neuropsychology Clinic, and Neuropsychology Training programs, and participates in faculty development, clinical training, admissions, research, and enhancement committees for the Clinical Psychology doctorate program.

• BA in Psychology (UT Austin, 1989)
• PhD in Clinical Psychology (UT Southwestern, with Chief Resident distinction)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuropsychology (UT Southwestern, 1995-1997)

Her clinical expertise centers on neuropsychological assessment of neurological disorders including dementia, epilepsy, movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, and head injury. Research foci include early detection of Alzheimer's disease, risk factors for cognitive decline, and psychometric assessment validation.

Recent publications examine telephone-based cognitive assessment methods, cross-cultural cognitive screening norms, and the relationship between traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative disease onset. She has contributed extensively to validation of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) tool and understanding progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.