President:  Karen M. Lau, Ph.D., ABPP-CN

Bio coming soon. Email: president@ncnf.org

Immediate Past President: Ankhesenamun Ball, Psy.D.

Dr. Ankhesenamun Ball is an experienced, culturally sensitive, licensed clinical psychologist. Her work is patient-centered, utilizing a thoughtful blend of techniques to support her clients in better understanding their abilities. Originally trained in Applied Behavioral Analysis, Dr. Ball felt driven to provide more comprehensive services and went forward to expand her knowledge in clinical psychology. In 2010, she received her Psy.D in clinical psychology from the Alliant International University's California School of Professional Psychology. Her training focused on neuropsychological assessment and forensic issues impacting families, particularly those in underserved communities. Working with community mental health agencies she focused on understanding mental health across the lifespan and designed inclusive treatment approaches to support all ages across family systems. Dr. Ball completed her predoctoral training at Access Institute where she served completed neuropsych assessments with seniors and disabled adults and conducted therapy with a diverse range of diagnoses. Dr. Ball completed her postdoctoral internship at Westcoast Children's Clinic conducting comprehensive assessments using Steve Finn's Collaborative Therapeutic Assessment model.  Additionally, she provided psychodynamic therapy to children, adolescents, and families. Presently based in Berkeley, Dr. Ball is the founder of Being Integrative Clinical Solutions.  In her group practice, she and her team provide comprehensive assessment services and conduct therapy with patients suffering from a multitude of challenges. Email: pastpresident@ncnf.org 

President Elect: Catherine Marreiro, PhD, ABPP-CN

Dr. Marreiro (PSY26835) is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist with over 13 years of experience in the assessment of neurological and psychological conditions affecting adolescents and adults. She is the Director of Neuropsychology at the Ray Dolby Brain Health Center (RDBHC) at California Pacific Medical Center.  

Dr. Marreiro remains actively involved in research as a Sub-Investigator for clinical drug trials targeting Alzheimer’s disease within the RDBHC as well as serving as a clinical rater for clinical trials through Elligo Health Research. She has been actively involved in supervision and mentorship of neuropsychology trainees. Within the Ray Dolby Brain Health Center, she has served as a supervisor for practicum, internship, and post-doctoral trainees.

Her clinical expertise extends across a wide range of lifespan conditions, including but not limited to, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, movement disorders, stroke, cancer, traumatic brain injury/concussion, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, sleep disorders, ADHD/Learning disorders, and mood problems.

Dr. Marreiro earned her Master’s degree and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Arizona State University. Her Master’s thesis focused on the psychosocial and cultural predictors of maternal and infant health outcomes. Her dissertation work was recognized with an APA Dissertation Research Award and examined how stress impacts neuropsychological and physiological reactivity within young adults with Type 1 Diabetes.

Dr. Marreiro completed an APA approved pre-doctoral internship in Clinical Neuropsychology at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, IL and her two-year postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology within the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at the University of California, Davis.

Secretary: Chelsea Vilinskas, PsyD

Chelsea Vilinskas, PsyD is a licensed clinical psychologist, a graduate of Adler University and is finalizing her second year of postdoctoral residency in neuropsychology at Kaiser Permanente. Currently, her training is focused on adult outpatient medical neuropsychological assessment. During her years of pre-doctoral work she has trained with the Family Institute at Northwestern University and Rush Neurobehavioral center in Chicago.  She also has clinical experience working in health psychology, specifically primary care psychology and psychoncology. Within the field of neuropsychology Dr. Vilinskas’s areas of interest include the effects of varying chronic illness on cognition and pediatric neuropsychology. Email: secretary@ncnf.org

Treasurer: Viktoriya Samarina, Ph.D.

Dr. Viktoriya (Vika) Samarina is a licensed clinical neuropsychologist and a national co-director of the VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center. She is involved with the Stanford/VA Alzheimer’s Clinic and provides neuropsychological didactics for the geropsychiatry fellows. She earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Palo Alto University, and completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center. She later completed a two-year fellowship at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. She was a staff adult/geriatric neuropsychologist at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA for 2.5 years before relocating home to the Bay Area to be closer to family. Dr. Samarina has vast experience working with an adult and geriatric population with various neurodegenerative diseases, as well as medical and psychiatric conditions. She also previously served as a member-at-large for the Massachusetts Neuropsychological Society. Email: treasurer@ncnf.org

Member at Large:  Silva Hassert, PhD

Dr. Silva Hassert (she/her) is a licensed psychologist living and working in Mill Valley, California. She opened a private practice in 2018 and dedicated her work to helping families find answers to complex questions through the use of psychodiagnostic assessment. Much of her training, interests, and prior work experiences have focused on child and young adult neuropsychological assessment. She enjoys working with teens with learning differences and complex emotional needs. 

In addition to her clinical work, she has taught and lectured at the undergraduate, graduate, and community college levels.  She has a research interest in women's health and published several peer-reviewed articles on postpartum depression as well as co-authored a book chapter on midlife women. Email: membersatlarge@ncnf.org

Member at Large: Rayna Hirst, Ph.D.

Dr. Rayna (Macher) Hirst is an Assistant Professor and Director of Neuropsychology at Palo Alto University, a doctoral program in clinical psychology. She teaches courses on biological psychology and neuropsychological assessment. She also conducts research in neuropsychology and clinical assessment on topics including effort testing and motivation, the effects of chronic marijuana use, sport concussion and recovery, and health-related factors that impact cognitive function in an aging population. She also has a part-time private practice conducting clinical neuropsychological assessments for a broad range of patients. She completed her undergraduate education at Penn State University, where she worked in the Neuropsychology Lab with Dr. Peter Arnett and Dr. Frank Hillary on the Penn State Sport Concussion Study. She completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University at Albany, SUNY, with a focus on Neuropsychology and Addictions with Dr. Mitch Earleywine. Her predoctoral internship in psychology/neuropsychology was completed at the VA Ann Arbor/University of Michigan Healthcare System, under the supervision of Dr. Kenneth Adams, Dr. Linas Bieliauskas, and Dr. Henry Buchtel. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Dartmouth Medical School in the Brain Imaging Lab, working with Dr. Laura Flashman, Dr. Robert Roth, and Dr. Heather Wishart. Email: membersatlarge@ncnf.org

Marketing Chair: Madison Wright, M.S.

Madison Wright, MS, is a fourth-year PhD candidate in the clinical psychology Ph.D. Program at Palo Alto University. She is currently working with veterans at the Palo Alto VA Memory Clinic. Her previous training experiences include pre- and post-surgical evaluations for patients with epilepsy, and providing bilingual psychotherapy at a community mental health outpatient clinic. As a bicultural Nicaraguan American, Madison is passionate about providing equal services to Spanish-speaking and Latinx/hispanic clients, specifically within neuropsychology. Her research interests are the influence of emotion on cognition, Spanish assessment, and assessment in neurosurgery/epilepsy treatment. Madison received her bachelors in Psychology with a minor in Language Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.  Email: events@ncnf.org 

ECNC chairperson: Lyndsay Dell, PsyD

Lyndsay Dell, PsyD, completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. Her training experiences have included clinical neuropsychology and geriatric psychology in UCSF research, private practice and VA hospital settings with foundations in cognitive behavioral therapies and treating children and adults. She recently completed her post-doctoral residency in clinical neuropsychology and adult outpatient psychiatry at Kaiser San Francisco. Dr. Dell received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Legal Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She remains actively engaged in both professional and mental health advocacy organizations, having held seats on the Wright Institute’s diversity committee and student leadership roles on California Psychological Association. Email: studentrepresentatives@ncnf.org

Student Representatives: 

Saira Malik, M.S. 

Saira Malik, M.S., is a Ph.D Candidate in Clinical psychology at Palo Alto University. She is currently working with underserved geriatric populations at San Mateo Medical Center. Her previous training experience include clinical neuropsychology evaluations for lifespan populations and geropsychology with Veteran populations. Saira is passionate in developing expertise in cultural neuropsychology and her research interest focus on acculturation and executive functions. Saira completed her bachelors in biopsychology at University of California, Davis. Email: smalik@paloaltou.edu

Lexie Thomas, MA, LMFT

Lexie Thomas, MA, LMFT, is a third-year doctoral student of Clinical Psychology with a focus on neuropsychological assessment at the Wright Institute. She is an extern in Neurocognitive Rehabilitation at the VA Northern California Health Care System and a clinical interviewer for the San Francisco VA’s Stress Health and Research Program. She has clinical and research experience working with various populations that have faced challenges related to acute and complex trauma, the criminal justice system, severe mental illness/serious emotional disturbance, and chemical dependency. 

Ashlynn Steinbaugh, B.S.

Ashlynn Steinbaugh, B.S., is a third-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at Palo Alto University. She is currently working with pediatric populations at a community mental health clinic and conducting neuropsychological assessments with children and adults for the UCSF BrainLens Research Lab. Ashlynn’s clinical and research interests include neuropsychological assessment, neurological disorders and injuries, and substance use. Ashlynn received her bachelor's in Psychology with a minor in Biology from Portland State University. Email: asteinbaugh@paloaltou.edu

Devon Taylor- bio coming soon

For more information about our organization please email our Secretary Chelsea Vilinskas, PsyD at secretary@ncnf.org