University
of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Academic email ricker@pitt.edu
Academic phone: 412-648-6666
Clinical email rickerjh@upmc.edu
Clinical phone: 412-648-6848
_____________________________________________________________________
Dr. Joseph Ricker is a tenured Associate Professor and Vice
Chair for Neuropsychology & Rehabilitation Psychology in the Department of
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh School
of Medicine. Dr. Ricker’s overall
program of research is in the examination of the correlates and outcomes of
cognitive impairment, recovery, and rehabilitation following human traumatic
brain injury (TBI) and other neurological disorders (e.g., multiple
sclerosis). Current research projects
include the examination of altered cerebral blood flow, in conjunction with
functional connectivity studies, as they relate to impaired episodic and
working memory after brain injury.
Research programs include the use of technologies such as functional MRI
(FMRI), positron emission tomography (PET), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and
functional near infrared spectroscopy (FNIRS).
Since 2003, he has been the Principal Investigator of four NIH-funded
grants that have examined human brain injury, including two NIH R01 projects
that use FMRI and FMRI+DTI to study cognitive and functional aspects of
traumatic brain injury. Dr. Ricker is
the author of over 62 peer-reviewed scientific publications, 20 published or in
press book chapters, editor or co-editor of 3 books, and has authored numerous
abstracts and other professional publications.
He is a member of the editorial boards of 4 scientific journals,
including the Journal of Head Trauma
Rehabilitation, the Journal of
Clinical & Experimental Neuropsychology, The Clinical
Neuropsychologist, and
Rehabilitation Psychology. He serves as a grant reviewer for
multiple private and federal agencies, including the National Institutes of
Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Ontario Neurotrauma
Foundation.
Dr. Ricker received his PhD in Clinical Psychology in 1992 from
the APA-accredited Clinical Psychology program at Wayne State University. Following an APA-accredited Veterans Affairs
Medical Center Clinical Psychology internship encompassing training in
inpatient and outpatient psychiatric, behavioral health and neuropsychology units
and clinics, he subsequently completed formal postdoctoral residency training
in both Clinical Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology. He has been licensed as a Psychologist in 5
states, and holds board certification in the specialty areas of Clinical
Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology, both granted by the American
Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP; www.abpp.org ). He has been a member of the Board of
Directors of each specialty board and is currently an oral boards examiner for
both specialties. In 2010, he was
elected to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Clinical
Neuropsychology (www.theaacn.org ). Dr. Ricker has been the recipient of several national
awards and honors in psychology, including two separate Early Career Awards in
2001 from the American Psychological Association (in Clinical Neuropsychology
and Rehabilitation Psychology). In 2003,
he was elected as a Fellow of the American Psychological Association through
the Division of Clinical Neuropsychology (Division 40). In 2004, he was endorsed again as a Fellow
through a second APA Division, Rehabilitation Psychology (Division 22).
In addition to providing inpatient neuropsychological and psychological
evaluation and treatment services at UPMC Rehabilitation Institute’s Montefiore
Hospital (http://www.upmc.com/Services/rehab/rehab-institute/experts/Pages/experts.aspx ), Dr.
Ricker performs outpatient clinical neuropsychological and psychological
evaluations with adults that have experienced neurological injury (e.g., traumatic
brain injury, neurosurgical intervention), neuromedical
conditions (e.g., multiple sclerosis, stroke, other cerebrovascular
conditions) or psychiatric disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety disorders,
bipolar disorder, PTSD). He is also
available to provide independent neuropsychological and psychological
evaluations (IMEs), record reviews, and consultation in relation to civil
forensic and disability matters.
Russell KC, Arenth PM, Scanlon JM, Kessler LJ, & Ricker
JH. (in press). Hemispheric and executive influences on
low-level language processing after traumatic brain injury. Brain Injury.
Wagner AK, Brett CA, McCullough EH, Niyonkuru C, Loucks TL,
Dixon CE, Ricker JH, Arenth PM, Berga Sl.
(in press). Persistent hypogoandism influences estrogen synthesis,
cognition and outcome in males after severe TBI. Brain Injury.
Arenth PM, Russell KC, Scanlon JM, Kessler LJ, & Ricker
JH. (2012). Encoding and recognition after TBI:
Neuropsychological and FMRI findings. Journal
of Clinical & Experimental Neuropsychology, 34(4): 333-344.
Ricker JH. (2012). Functional neuroimaging in forensic
neuropsychology (Chapter 6; pp 160-178).
In G Larrabee (ed.) Forensic neuropsychology: A scientific approach.
New York: Oxford University Press.
Russell KC, Arenth PM, Scanlon JM, Kessler LJ, & Ricker
JH. (2011). An FMRI investigation of episodic memory after
TBI. Journal of Clinical &
Experimental Neuropsychology, 33(5): 538-547.
Arenth PM, Russell KC, Zafonte RD, Ricker JH. (2011).
CDP-Choline as a biological supplement during neurorecovery. PM&R: The Official Journal of the American
Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 3(6): 123-131.
Whyte E, Aizenstein H, Skidmore E, Ricker JH, Butters M. (2011).
Cognitive impairment in acquired brain injury: A predictor of
rehabilitation outcomes and an opportunity for novel interventions. PM&R: The Official Journal of the
American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 3(6): 45-51.
Morgan JE, Baron IS & Ricker JH (Eds.) (2011).
Casebook of Clinical Neuropsychology. New York: Oxford University Press.
Ricker JH. (2010).
Traumatic brain injury. In R.
Frank, M. Rosenthal & B. Caplan (eds), Handbook of rehabilitation
psychology (Chapter 3; pp 43-62).
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Zafonte RD, Friedewald WT, Lee SM, Levin B, Diaz-Arrastia R,
Ansel B, Eisenberg H, Timmons S, Temkin N, Novack T, Ricker JH, Merchant R,
Jallo J. (2009). The citicoline brain
injury treatment trial. Journal of
Neurotrauma, 26(12), 2207-2216.
Morgan JE & Ricker JH.
(2008). Textbook of Clinical
Neuropsychology. London: Taylor
& Francis Publishing.
Hanks RA, Millis SR, Ricker JH, Giacino J, Nakese-Richardson R,
Frol A, Novack T, Kalmar K, Sherer M, & Gordon W. (2008).
The predictive validity of a brief inpatient neuropsychological battery
for persons with traumatic brain injury.
Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 80(5),
950-957.
Kalmar K, Novack T, Nakase-Richardson R, Sherer M, Frol AB,
Gordon W., Hanks RA, Giacino JT, & Ricker JH. (2008).
Feasibility of a brief neuropsychological test battery during acute
inpatient rehabilitation after TBI. Archives
of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 80(5), 242-249.
Goldman Consensus Group (36 total contributors). (2006). Identification and treatment of depression in
multiple sclerosis. Multiple
Sclerosis, 11, 328-337.
Chiaravalloti ND, DeLuca J, Moore NB, Ricker JH. (2005).
Treating learning impairments improves memory performance in multiple
sclerosis: a randomized clinical trial. Multiple
Sclerosis, 11(1), 58-68.
Li Y, Chiaravalloti N, Hillary FG, DeLuca J, Liu WC, Kalnin AJ,
& Ricker JH. (2004). Differential cerebellar activation on
FMRI during working memory performance
in patients with multiple sclerosis. Archives
of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 85, 635-639.
Hillary FG, Chiaravalloti ND, Ricker JH, Kalnin AJ, Steffener J, Liu WC, Lange G. (2003).
An FMRI investigation of working memory rehearsal in multiple sclerosis.
Journal of Clinical & Experimental Neuropsychology, 25(7), 965-978.
Ricker JH (Ed.).
(2004). Differential Diagnosis
in Adult Neuropsychological Assessment.
New York: Springer.
Lengenfelder J, Chiaravalloti ND, Ricker JH, DeLuca J.
(2003). Deciphering the
components of impaired working memory in multiple sclerosis. Cognitive & Behavioral Neurology,
16(1), 28-39.
Hillary FG, Schatz P, Moelter S, Lowry JB, Ricker JH, Chute DL.
(2002). Motor vehicle collision factors
influencing the nature and magnitude of traumatic brain injury. Brain Injury 16(8), 729-741.
Ricker JH, Rosenthal M, Garay E, DeLuca J, Germain A,
Abraham-Fuchs K, Schmidt KU. (2002). Telerehabilitation needs: A survey of
persons with traumatic brain injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation,
17(3):242-250.
Millis SR, Rosenthal M, Novack TA, Sherer M, Nick TG, Kreutzer
JS, High WM, Ricker JH. (2001).
Long-term neuropsychological outcome following traumatic brain injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation,
16(4), 343-355.
Ricker, JH, Hillary, F. & DeLuca, J. (2001). Functionally Activated Brain Imaging
(O-15 PET and fMRI) in the Study of Memory after Traumatic Brain Injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation,
16(2), 191-205
Ricker, JH, Müller, R.A., Zafonte, R.D., Black, K., Millis,
S.R., & Chugani, H. (2001). Verbal
recall and recognition following traumatic brain injury: A [15O]-water positron
emission tomography study. Journal of Clinical & Experimental Neuropsychology,
23(2), 196-206.
Christodoulou C, DeLuca J, Ricker JH, Madigan N, Bly BM, Lange
G, Kalnin AJ, Liu WC, Steffener, J, Ni AC.
(2001). Functional magnetic resonance imaging of working memory
impairment following traumatic brain injury.
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 71, 161-168.