The Brain Injury Neuropsychology Laboratory, directed by Amanda Rabinowitz, PhD, is pleased to welcome Alissa Kerr into her new role as a research assistant. Prior to accepting this position at Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (MRRI), Alissa attended Fordham University where she majored in Integrative Neuroscience, with a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience.

During her time as an undergraduate student, Alissa served as a research assistant in the Fordham University Memory and Aging Laboratory, and she conducted independent research on the relationship between experience with music training and short-term memory capacity for melodies. Her research provided evidence that people who had received at least one year of music lessons could remember significantly longer melodies than people who had no experience with music lessons. However, overall working memory scores were not significantly different between the two groups. Beyond her research experience, Alissa also served as a teaching assistant for biology and physiology lab courses. At MRRI, Alissa is looking forward to contributing to three ongoing research projects which focus on different aspects of recovery following traumatic brain injury (TBI). These include investigations of how use of mobile technology can assist therapy, the impacts of physical activity on recovery, and detection of blood biomarkers relevant for recovery.