Erica Schmidt, Ph.D., is a new faculty member at UNMC.
- Name: Erica Schmidt, Ph.D.
- Hometown: Sioux Falls, S.D.
- Title and department at UNMC/Nebraska Medicine: Assistant professor, UNMC Department of Neurological Sciences; clinical neuropsychologist, Nebraska Medicine
Professional interests:
- Evaluation of cognitive and psychosocial functioning in individuals with neurological disorders. I have a special interest in memory disorders (e.g. mild cognitive impairment and dementia, neurodegenerative diseases) and movement disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s disease).
- Education of patients/caregivers on strategies to help cope with and compensate for cognitive and emotional changes resulting from neurological disease or injury.
How I fell in love with neuropsychology: In my second year of college, I was inspired by the subject matter in my psychology classes and fascinated by my anatomy lab experiences with the brain. When I learned there was an entire field devoted to the study of brain-behavior relationships (i.e., neuropsychology), I was hooked! I got my start in the field with the help of two outstanding teachers (thanks, Dr. Volbrecht and Dr. Shaffer), who provided invaluable learning experiences and encouragement to pursue further education. Training experiences in graduate school, internship and fellowship further fostered a love of working with patients and their families to “put together the puzzle” of cognitive functioning in the context of various medical and psychosocial circumstances.
Degrees:
- Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Fellowship, neuropsychology, UNMC
Memberships:
- International Neuropsychological Society
- American Psychological Association
Three things people may not know about me:
- I enjoy spending time outdoors. My favorite outdoor adventure involved camping in the Black Hills of South Dakota and hiking into Mount Rushmore National Park at dawn.
- I know a lot of useless information about celebrities.
- I am taking beginner French language classes for fun.
Clinic location: Clarkson Doctor’s Building North, 4242 Farnam St., Suite 460
For appointments and referrals: 402-552-6094