Monica Mindt

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Monica Rivera Mindt is the President of the Hispanic Neuropsychological Society (HNS), a Professor of Psychology at Fordham University with a joint appointment in Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a board-certified neuropsychologist. Her NIH- & Alzheimer’s Association-funded transdisciplinary research focuses on the intersection between cultural neuroscience, neuropsychology, and health disparities utilizing a novel community-based approach.

Her work is dedicated to three lines of inquiry: 1) the identification of resilience and modifiable factors to promote brain health and improve neurocognitive functioning in vulnerable and underserved populations (e.g., culturally/linguistically diverse older adults, persons with opioid use disorder or HIV); 2) how sociocultural factors impact the expression of neurologic disease, cognition, and health behaviors; and 3) the underlying mechanisms driving the effects of brain health disparities and cognitive decline in persons of culturally/linguistically diverse backgrounds.

She has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. Dr. Rivera Mindt is an appointed member of the National Institute of Aging – Neuroscience of Aging Study Section, inaugural Editor for the Culture & Gender in Neuropsychology Department of The Clinical Neuropsychologist journal, and a member of the International Neuropsychological Society’s Continuing Education Committee. She is also a deeply committed mentor who has chaired 20+ dissertations and 9 training awards from NIH or NSF.

Dr. Rivera Mindt is the recipient of several awards for her research, teaching, and contributions to the field, including the 2019 Hispanic Health Leadership Award from the National Hispanic Medical Association; Lifetime Achievement Award from SMART University (a community-based organization for HIV+ women); the Early Career Award from American Psychological Association’s (APA) Society for Clinical Neuropsychology (Division 40); the Early Career Service Award from the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN); the Distinguished Alumna Award for Psychology from Pepperdine University; the Early Career Award & Pilot Research Award from the Northeast Consortium for Minority Faculty Development; the National Center on Minority Health & Health Disparities Scholar Award from NIH; and the Professor of the Year Award from Fordham University. She is also a Fellow of APA and NAN.

In her spare time, she enjoys surfing and traveling all over Latin America with her husband and two children.

EDUCATION

• 1992 BA in Psychology, California Polytechnic University, Pomona
• 1994 MA in Clinical Psychology, Pepperdine University
• 2000 PhD in Clinical Psychology, University of Nebraska
• 2002 Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Overview of Research Program

The overarching aim of my work is to reduce health disparities among disenfranchised and underserved populations by utilizing my research to inform culturally-tailored interventions and ultimately improve health outcomes among these populations. To this end, my research is dedicated to investigating the effects of HIV, aging, substance use, and substance use treatment on the brain, functional outcomes, and health disparities - particularly among U.S. Latina/o and Afro-Caribbean populations. Moreover, the methodology of much of my work is novel in that it incorporates a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework, and I have developed meaningful partnerships with community-based organizations in Harlem through the course of my years working and living in this underserved neighborhood. Subsequently, I believe that I have emerged as a unique voice in neuropsychology due to my research and scholarship on cultural issues and health disparities.

Current Projects

My research is funded by NIH & the Alzheimer’s Association. My work incorporates both assessment- and intervention-oriented studies, with rigorous cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. I conduct my research at two different academic medical centers in NYC.

Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS). I am part of multidisciplinary research team at Mount Sinai, and have closely collaborated with my colleagues across disciplines to investigate the neurocognitive and functional impacts of HIV, aging, substance use, and health disparities within an ethnically diverse and disfranchised population of persons living with HIV/AIDS. This population also has high rates of medical and psychiatric comorbidities. All of my work at Mount Sinai has focused on assessment and is observational in nature. Currently, I am launching a new study aimed at examining genetic, neuroimaging, and neurocognitive factors in aging HIV+ adults.

Montefiore Medical Center (MMC)/Albert Einstein College of Medicine (AECOM). My work at MMC/AECOM has been completely interventional in nature. My work with my MMC/AECOM colleagues (including Dr. Julia Arnsten) has resulted in three NIH-funded projects. For the first two projects, I have served as Subcontract PI (P20DA026149) and PI (R01DA032552; respectively). For our third and current NIH-funded project, we are conducting a longitudinal randomized clinical trial investigating the neurocognitive effects of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) among ethnically diverse HIV+ and HIV- opioid users (R01DA032552). In these studies, we are particularly interested in a relatively new, but underutilized, medication to treat opioid addiction (buprenorphine).

HONORS

Dr. Rivera Mindt is the recipient of several awards for her research, teaching, and service to the field and community, including: SMART University’s Lifetime Achievement Award (CBO for HIV+ women); Society for Clinical Neuropsychology – American Psychological Association’s (APA) Division 40’s Early Career Award; National Academy of Neuropsychology’s (NAN) Early Career Service Award; Pepperdine University’s Distinguished Alumna Award for Psychology; and Fordham’s Teacher of the Year Award. She is also a Fellow of APA and NAN.