Leadership
Sandra Bond Chapman, PhD
Chief Director Dee Wyly Distinguished Professor, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences Co-Leader, The BrainHealth Project
Dr. Sandi Chapman is one of the nation’s preeminent cognitive neuroscientists furthering society's understanding of what makes the brain stronger, faster and last longer.
Stephen B. White, JD
Chief Operating Officer
With over 15 years as an executive in commercial healthcare products and services, combined with experience as a commercial attorney and CPA, Steve White sees brain health and performance as the next “big thing” to improve how all people think, work and live.
Daniel Krawczyk, PhD
Deputy Director of Research Debbie and Jim Francis Chair and Professor, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
A professor of psychology and neuroscience, Dr. Dan Krawczyk focuses on research aimed at improving reasoning and decision-making and, having explored this interest for the past 20 years as a professor, author and podcaster.
Alfred Abundo, CPA, CGMA
Director of Finance
A strong advocate of Center for BrainHealth's mission, Al Abundo plays a critical role in the center's success and life-changing discoveries, working in finance and HR operations as a member of the Executive Team.
Ruth Fitzgibbons
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Ruth Fitzgibbons joined the Executive Team of Center for BrainHealth in 2019 to help shepherd its bold vision of unlocking human potential around the globe through improved brain health and performance.
Danny Girton
Co-Leader, Philanthropy
Danny Girton helps oversee the philanthropy program’s pursuit of gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations to advance BrainHealth investigations and translational efforts.
Laura Bloom Gordon
Chief Marketing Officer
Laura Bloom Gordon is a transformational marketing leader who brings her growth mindset to organizations at points of inflection, helping to change the conversation around brain health through strategic initiatives, such as the first-ever BrainHealth Week in February 2023.
Jeremy Gray, PhD
Director of Information Technology
In an evolving career as a research scientist, educator and IT executive, Dr. Jeremy Gray seeks to systematize knowledge and empower people across formal and informal groups. Technology both liberates and constrains how people work, and how they work together.
Andrew S. Nevin, PhD
Inaugural Director, Brainomics Venture Research Professor
Dr. Nevin leads the Brainomics™ Venture, a multi-disciplinary effort to unlock vast human potential by examining the economic impact of interventions to improve brain health and performance.
Jane Wigginton, MD
Medical Science Research Director
As chief medical science research director, Dr. Jane Wigginton serves as the “go-to” medical expert at Center for BrainHealth, assiting with clinical trials, research protocols, client evaluations and recommendations for care.
Jennifer Zientz, MS, CCC-SLP
Director of Programs, Head of Clinical Services
Jennifer Zientz’s work focuses on the translation of Center for BrainHealth research to improve how people think, work and live, in order to empower individuals across the lifespan to take the lead in strengthening their focus, mental efficiency, reasoning and possibility thinking.
Tandra Allen, MS, CCC-SLP
Assistant Director of Research
Tandra Allen has led and developed social-cognitive research studies focused on advancing overall social health. Her clinical research areas include using virtual technology to train social-cognitive skills as well as evaluating the brain systems that change as result of high-level reasoning training.
Vince Calhoun, PhD
Jane and Bud Smith Chair
Dr. Vince Calhoun leverages data in unprecedented ways to help improve individual cognitive function and optimize the performance of the human brain.
Sandra Bond Chapman, PhD
Chief Director Dee Wyly Distinguished Professor, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences Co-Leader, The BrainHealth Project
Dr. Sandi Chapman is one of the nation’s preeminent cognitive neuroscientists furthering society's understanding of what makes the brain stronger, faster and last longer.
Lori Cook, PhD, CCC-SLP
Director of Clinical Research Head of Research, The BrainHealth Project Adjunct Assistant Professor, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Dr. Lori Cook, in her roles as both a clinician and research scientist, has focused largely on the long-term recovery of youth after brain injury, including supporting athletes with persistent effects of concussion.
Mark D’Esposito, MD
Co-Leader, The BrainHealth Project
In his medical career, Dr. Mark D'Esposito has seen the amazing success that has been achieved promoting cardiac health. Researchers now have the technology and tools to achieve this same kind of success promoting health for the most important organ in the body – the brain.
Francesca Filbey, PhD
Bert Moore Endowed Chair and Professor, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences Director, Neuroimaging of Reward Dynamics (NiRD) Lab
Dr. Francesca Filbey is a world-renowned expert in the brain mechanisms of addictive disorders. The significance of her research is in advancing the understanding of brain mechanisms to identify targets for prevention and intervention.
Jacquelyn Gamino, PhD
Director of Adolescent Reasoning Initiative Assistant Research Professor
A lead researcher in adolescent brain development and executive function remediation, Dr. Jacquelyn Gamino has worked with middle and high schools to enhance student academic performance in the near term and ultimately, lifelong success.
Kevin Gatley
Operations Officer, Optimal BrainHealth for Warfighters
Kevin Gatley leads the vision for improving cognitive capacity in the military, leveraging his own experience to ensure that the application of our tools is thoughtful, integrated and successful.
Maria Johnson, MA, CCC-SLP
Director, Youth and Family Innovations Lead Research Clinician and Trainer, Charisma Virtual Social Coaching
Maria Johnson is committed to connecting and assisting youth and young adult organizations, clinicians, teachers and families discover how to best support social, emotional and cognitive brain health of neurodiverse minds.
Daniel Krawczyk, PhD
Deputy Director of Research Debbie and Jim Francis Chair and Professor, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
A professor of psychology and neuroscience, Dr. Dan Krawczyk focuses on research aimed at improving reasoning and decision-making and, having explored this interest for the past 20 years as a professor, author and podcaster.
David Lary, PhD
BrainHealth Investigator Professor of Physics, Hanson Center for Space Sciences Founding Director, MINTS
Dr. David Lary's research primarily focuses on machine learning and data driven insights using observation and automation with a focus in human health.
Geoff Ling, MD, PhD
Jean Ann Brock BrainHealth Project Co-Leader
Physician, researcher and veteran, Dr. Geoff Ling sees cognitive neuroscience as where some of the most exciting, transformative discoveries happen today.
Michael Merzenich, PhD
Distinguished BrainHealth Collaborator
Dr. Michael Merzenich believes researchers can truly change how our society manages brain health. Novel, small-scale training programs have shown it is possible to improve cognitive performance and real-world function in healthy adults as well as people with clinically significant cognitive disorders.
Andrew S. Nevin, PhD
Inaugural Director, Brainomics Venture Research Professor
Dr. Nevin leads the Brainomics™ Venture, a multi-disciplinary effort to unlock vast human potential by examining the economic impact of interventions to improve brain health and performance.
Bonnie Pitman
Director Art-Brain Innovations Distinguished Scholar in Residence for The Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History (EODIAH)
As director of art-brain innovations at the UT Dallas Center for BrainHealth, Bonnie Pittman expands her research and teaching of the art of observation, meditation and compassion. Her Power of Observation initiative connects neurological research with the experience and process of seeing, looking and observing.
Audette Rackley, MS, CCC-SLP
Director, Strength-Based Programs Research Clinician
As director of strength-based programs, Audette Rackley currently focuses on impacting the broader Alzheimer’s community via online delivery of the center's strength-based program for early Alzheimer’s and spearheading an online research initiative targeting brain health for caregivers.
Ian Robertson, PhD
T. Boone Pickens Distinguished Chair Co-Leader, The BrainHealth Project
Dr. Ian Robertson is a leading researcher in the field of mind's attention systems to maximize and reshape the capacity giving every person sense of control over their emotions.
Bart Rypma, PhD
Principal Investigator Professor, Behavioral and Brain Sciences at UT Dallas Meadows Foundation Endowed Chair in Behavioral and Brain Sciences Director, Sammons BrainHealth Imaging Center
Dr. Bart Rypma’s research is aimed at exploring the cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms of human memory and how these are affected by aging and disease. He uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe the activity of younger and older adults as they perform cognitive tasks.
Jeffrey S. Spence, PhD
Director of Biostatistics
Dr. Jeff Spence’s research interest, for which he has received NIH funding, involves the development of theory and methodology applied to analyses of functional neuroimaging studies of the human brain.
Aaron Tate
Director of Emerging Technology
Aaron Tate is dedicated to getting the Center’s groundbreaking research out of the laboratory and into the hands of those whom it will benefit most. Aaron is a co-creator of the Charisma™ Training Platform and technology lead on The BrainHealth Project.
Erin Venza, MS, CCC-SLP
Head of Clinical Operations
Erin Venza’s work at Center for BrainHealth has centered on optimizing function and recovery in light of a brain disease or disorder, with much of her current efforts focused on overseeing content creation and support for The BrainHealth Project.
Stacy Vernon, MS, LPC
Head of Adult Assessment
As head of adult assessment and a lead clinician , Stacy Vernon leads the Concierge BrainHealth Index program and also trains and supervises The BrainHealth Project coaching team.
Jane Wigginton, MD
Medical Science Research Director
As chief medical science research director, Dr. Jane Wigginton serves as the “go-to” medical expert at Center for BrainHealth, assiting with clinical trials, research protocols, client evaluations and recommendations for care.
Jennifer Zientz, MS, CCC-SLP
Director of Programs, Head of Clinical Services
Jennifer Zientz’s work focuses on the translation of Center for BrainHealth research to improve how people think, work and live, in order to empower individuals across the lifespan to take the lead in strengthening their focus, mental efficiency, reasoning and possibility thinking.
Alfred Abundo, CPA, CGMA
Director of Finance
A strong advocate of Center for BrainHealth's mission, Al Abundo plays a critical role in the center's success and life-changing discoveries, working in finance and HR operations as a member of the Executive Team.
Jeremy Gray, PhD
Director of Information Technology
In an evolving career as a research scientist, educator and IT executive, Dr. Jeremy Gray seeks to systematize knowledge and empower people across formal and informal groups. Technology both liberates and constrains how people work, and how they work together.
Danny Girton
Co-Leader, Philanthropy
Danny Girton helps oversee the philanthropy program’s pursuit of gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations to advance BrainHealth investigations and translational efforts.
Julie Carter Heckmann
Co-Leader, Philanthropy
Julie Carter Heckman helps lead the philanthropy team in securing financial support from individuals, foundations and corporations for BrainHealth research and translational programming.
Stephanie Hoefken
Director of Communications and Marketing
Stories of transformation inspire Stephanie Hoefken. Working on – and even leading – innovative research has shaped the careers of emerging scientists. Participating in our programs has improved the quality of life for thousands of people, from all walks of life.
Cecilia Perez-Verdia
Digital Brand Manager
Cecilia Perez-Verdia enjoys using her strategy and marketing experience to build awareness of the Center's incredible mission.
Cindy Samuelsen
Assistant Director of Sponsored Research Research Sponsored Projects
Cindy Samuelsen has experience in research and healthcare administration. Her research expertise includes grant submissions, research regulatory issues, financial management and facility and personnel management.
Aaron Tate
Director of Emerging Technology
Aaron Tate is dedicated to getting the Center’s groundbreaking research out of the laboratory and into the hands of those whom it will benefit most. Aaron is a co-creator of the Charisma™ Training Platform and technology lead on The BrainHealth Project.
Stephen B. White, JD
Chief Operating Officer
With over 15 years as an executive in commercial healthcare products and services, combined with experience as a commercial attorney and CPA, Steve White sees brain health and performance as the next “big thing” to improve how all people think, work and live.
Jennifer Zientz, MS, CCC-SLP
Director of Programs, Head of Clinical Services
Jennifer Zientz’s work focuses on the translation of Center for BrainHealth research to improve how people think, work and live, in order to empower individuals across the lifespan to take the lead in strengthening their focus, mental efficiency, reasoning and possibility thinking.