Rayna Hirst, PhD

Dr. Rayna Hirst's BRAIN lab (Behavioral Research and Assessment In Neuropsychology) conducts research on brain-behavior relationships,  neuropsychological assessment, and training in neuropsychology. Current research topics include the influence of chronic marijuana use on cognition,  factors that influence the valid and reliable neuropsychological assessment of patients, and education and training in clinical neuropsychology. Dr. Hirst’s research has focused on factors that can impact the validity of clinical neuropsychological assessment, such as the examinee’s motivation to perform well, as well as how clinicians assess effort. She has conducted surveys on culturally sensitive neuropsychological assessment, as well as training and education for doctoral students, interns, and postdoctoral fellows in neuropsychology. 

As Dr. Hirst is interested in all topics related to neuropsychological performance (e.g., memory impairment, executive dysfunction), as well as the clinical process of neuropsychological assessment (e.g., standards of practice in using effort testing during assessment), she is also open to exploring diverse research ideas with students in her research lab. Previous projects have examined aging and neurodegenerative disease, pediatric neuropsychological assessment, and neurodevelopmental disorders. 

Dr. Hirst completed her undergraduate education at Penn State University, and worked in the Neuropsychology Lab with Dr. Peter Arnett and Dr. Frank Hillary on the Penn State 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, and worked with Dr. Laura Flashman, Dr. Robert Roth, and Dr. Heather Wishart.

In her spare time, Dr. Hirst enjoys global travel (the farther away, the better!), running, hiking, skiing, cooking, music, and adventuring with her husband, daughter, and dog Maple.

• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuropsychology, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine (2012)
• Internship in Clinical Psychology, VA Ann Arbor/University of Michigan Healthcare System (2010)
• PhD Clinical Psychology, University at Albany, SUNY (2010)
• MA Clinical Psychology, University at Albany, SUNY (2008)
• BA Psychology, Penn State University (2005)