Psychology > Faculty > Desiree Byrd


Desiree Byrd

Desiree Byrd, PhD

Basic Information

Title: Associate Professor
Area: Clinical Psychology
PhD: University of California, San Diego/San Diego State University Joint Doctoral Program
Email: desiree.byrd@qc.cuny.edu
Office:
Office Phone: 718-997-3223
Lab:
Lab Phone:
Website:


Biography

Desiree is a board-certified neuropsychologist and a nationally recognized leader in cross-cultural neuropsychology. She is working to bring critical approaches to neuropsychology training, science, and practice. Her research explores on the roles of health disparities and culture in the expression of cognitive dysfunction in central nervous system disease. Her interests are in cultural identities, aging, dementia, HIV, substance use, and historically excluded populations. She is a board-certified neuropsychologist and a nationally recognized leader in cross-cultural neuropsychology. She is working to bring critical approaches to neuropsychology training, science, and practice. Her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Alzheimer’s Association.  She has served in leadership positions for the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, and the National Academy of Neuropsychology. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the National Academy of Neuropsychology and a sitting member of the National Institute of Aging-Neuroscience study section. She has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications and 10 book chapters. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on Culture, Neuropsychology, Psychopathology, and Decolonizing Psychology.

Pairing her research interests with a deep dedication to training and advocacy is a privilege that she has proudly, humbly, and enthusiastically devoted time to throughout her career.  She has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications and 10 book chapters.


Research Interests

  • Critical/cultural neuropsychology
  • Brain health disparities​

Selected Publications

  1. Byrd, D. & Rivera-Mindt, M. (2022). Neuropsychology’s race problem does not begin or end with demographically-adjusted norms. Nature Reviews Neurology, 18, 125-126.
  2. Byrd, D. A., Rivera Mindt, M. , Clark, U. S., Clarke, Y., Thames, A. D., Gammada, E. Z., & Manly, J. J. (2021). Creating an Antiracist Psychology by Addressing Professional Complicity in Psychological Assessment. Psychological Assessment. xjoint first authors 33(3), 279-285.
  3. Windon, C., Iaccarino, L., Allen, I. E., Boxer, A. L., Byrd, D., Okonkwo, O. C., … & Rabinovici, G. D. (2021). Comparison of plasma and CSF biomarkers across ethnoracial groups in ADNI.Alzheimer’s & Dementia17, e056590.
  4. Olsen, J.P., Fellows, R., Rivera Mindt, M., Morgello, S., Byrd, D.A., for the Manhattan HIV Brain Bank (2015). Reading ability as an estimator of premorbid intelligence: Does it remain stable among ethnically diverse HIV+ adults? The Clinical Neuropsychologist. 29(7):1034-52
  5. Byrd DA, Robinson-Papp J, Mindt MR, Mintz L, Elliott K, Lighty Q, Morgello S.(2013). Isolating cognitive and neurologic HIV effects in substance-dependent, confounded cohorts: a pilot study. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society,. 19(4):463-73.