Assistant Professor
Psychology
Academic Credentials
B.A., University of Auckland, New Zealand
M.A., University of Auckland, New Zealand
Ph.D., The George Washington University
Post-doctoral : Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences); National Institute of Mental Health (Clinical Brain Disorders Branch)
Licensed Psychologist, Maryland (currently inactive)
Biography
Dr. Diaz-Asper is a cognitive neuropsychologist by training, with a background and interest in teaching about the brain and behavior and conducting clinical research. Prior to coming to Marymount University, she worked both as a clinician and researcher, completing two different post-doctoral internships, at Johns Hopkins Hospital and the National Institutes of Mental Health. During this time, she conducted neuropsychological evaluations of cognitively-impaired adults, and also designed and implemented a number of research studies.
Most recently, her research has focused on applying computational methods like natural language processing and machine learning to the speech of older people to predict cognitive decline and dementia. She has authored several articles and received grant funding from the National Institutes of Health and Rotary USA’s CART Fund for this work.
Teaching Area
- Biological Bases of Behavior
- Learning & Cognition
- Abnormal Psychology
- Research Design for Psychology
- Senior Seminar
Research Interests
- Memory and cognition in dementia and mental illness
- Health disparities in aging ad dementia
- Using automated analyses of language to predict cognitive function and mental state
Publications
For the most current listing, please check: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/catherine.diaz-asper.1/bibliography/public/
Diaz-Asper, C., Chandler, C., Turner, R. S., Reynolds, B., & Elvevåg, B. (2021). Acceptability of collecting speech samples from the elderly via the telephone. Digital Health. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076211002103
Rosenstein, M., Diaz-Asper, C.M., Foltz, P.W., Weinberger, D.R., & Elvevåg, B. (2014). A computational semantic and syntactic approach to prose recall in schizophrenia. Cortex,55, 148-66. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2014.01.021
Gulyn, L.M., & Diaz-Asper, C. (2018). Exploring Perceptions of Blame for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Developmental & Physical Disabilities, 30(5), 587-600. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-018-9604-2
Rosenstein, M., Diaz-Asper, C.M., Foltz, P.W., Weinberger, D.R., & Elvevåg, B. (2014). A computational semantic and syntactic approach to prose recall in schizophrenia. Cortex, 55, 148-166. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2014.01.021.
Nicodemus, K.K., Elvevåg, B., Foltz, P.W., Rosenstein, M., Diaz-Asper, C., & Weinberger, D.R. (2014). Category fluency, latent semantic analysis and schizophrenia: a candidate gene approach. Cortex, 55, 182-91. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2013.12.004.
Dean, C., Elvevåg, B., Storms, G., & Diaz-Asper, C. (2008). Perception of self and other in psychosis: a method for analyzing the structure of the phenomenology. Psychiatry Research, 170(2-3), 128-31. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2008.12.017.
Diaz-Asper, C.M., Malley, J., Genderson, M., & Elvevåg, B. (2008). Context binding in Schizophrenia: effects of clinical symptomatology and item content. Psychiatry Research, 159(3), 259-270. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2007.02.018.
Diaz-Asper, C.M., Goldberg, T.E., Kolachana, B.S., Straub, R.E., Egan, M.F., & Weinberger, D.R. (2008). Genetic variation in COMT: effects on working memory function in Schizophrenic patients, their siblings & healthy controls. Biological Psychiatry, 63(1), 72-79. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.03.031.
Cascella, N.G., Testa, S.M., Meyer, S.M., Rao, V.A., Diaz-Asper, C.M., Pearlson, G.D., & Schretlen, D.J. (2008). Neuropsychological impairment in deficit vs. non-deficit schizophrenia. Journal of Psychiatry Research, 42(11), 930-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2007.10.002.
Diaz-Asper, C.M., Goldberg, T.E., Kolachana, B.S., Straub, R.E., Egan, M.F., & Weinberger, D.R. (2008). Genetic variation in catechol-O-methyltransferase: effects on working memory in schizophrenic patients, their siblings, and healthy controls. Biological Psychiatry, 63(1), 72-9. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.03.031.
Tippett, L.J., Meier, S.L., Blackwood, K., & Diaz-Asper, C. (2007). Category specific deficits in Alzheimer’s disease: fact or artefact? Cortex, 43(7), 907-20. doi: 10.1016/s0010-9452(08)70690-7.
Schretlen, D.J., Cascella, N.G., Meyer, S.M., Kingery, L.R., Testa, S.M., Munro, C.A., Pulver, A.E., Rivkin, P., Rao, V.A., Diaz-Asper, C.M., Dickerson, F.B., Yolken, R.H., & Pearlson, G.D. (2007). Neuropsychological functioning in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry, 62(2), 179-86. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.09.025.
Genderson, M.R., Dickinson, D., Diaz-Asper, C.M., Egan, M.F., Weinberger, D.R., & Goldberg, T.E. (2006). Factor analysis of neurocognitive tests in a large sample of schizophrenic probands, their siblings, and healthy controls. Schizophrenia Research, 94(1-3), 231-9. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2006.12.031.
Diaz-Asper, C.M., Weinberger, D.R., & Goldberg, T.E. (2006). Catechol-O-Methyltransferase polymorphisms and some implications for cognitive therapeutics. NeuroRx, 3(1), 97-105. doi: 10.1016/j.nurx.2005.12.010.
Diaz-Asper, C.M., Dopkins, S., Potolicchio, S.J., & Caputy, A. (2006). Spatial memory following temporal lobe resection. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 28, 1462-1481. doi: 10.1080/13803390500434359.
Diaz-Asper, C.M., Schretlen, D.J., & Pearlson, G.D. (2004). How well does IQ predict neuropsychological test performance in normal adults?. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 10(1), 82-90. doi: 10.1017/S1355617704101100.
