Scientific Consulting

Paul Maruff

Professor Paul Maruff is one of the founders of Cogstate. He is a neuropsychologist with expertise in the identification and measurement of subtle behavioral and cognitive dysfunction. Paul’s research integrates conventional and computerized neuropsychological testing with cognitive neuroscientific methods to guide decision making in drug development and in clinical medicine.

He has worked extensively on method to identify subtle neurocognitive impairment, and to assess the efficacy of pharmacological treatment, in Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment and the HIV dementia complex. He has extended this approach to identify cognitive dysfunction, and monitor treatment efficacy in psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression in adults, and attention deficit disorder, developmental dyspraxia and substance abuse in children.

Paul remains an active researcher. He is appointed Professor at the Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health. He is currently clinical co-chair of the Australian Imaging Biomakers and Lifestyle (AIBL) study. Paul has published over 250 research articles in international peer-reviewed scientific journals, and has co-authored 10 book chapters.

Eric Siemers

Dr. Siemers’ experience in clinical trials of neurodegenerative disease spans over 25 years, with a research focus on the use of biomarkers in investigational drug research, the development of trial designs that fully characterize the effects of investigational drugs on chronic diseases, and more specifically, the development of strategies for treating individuals before the onset of symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Siemers most recently served as Distinguished Medical Fellow for Eli Lilly and Company’s Alzheimer’s Disease Global Development Team, where he was responsible for the design and implementation of 5 large phase III clinical studies of AD sponsored by Lilly, in addition to playing a major collaborative role in 2 public-private partnership studies. Prior to his appointments at Lilly, Dr. Siemers founded and headed the Indiana University Movement Disorder Clinic; his research there included investigations of Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease, and he established one of the first centers for surgical PD treatments in the US.

Dr. Siemers is a member of the NIA/Alzheimer’s Association working group that will evaluate biomarkers and clinical symptoms in the nomenclature used for research of the entire Alzheimer’s disease continuum, and was previously a member of the working group that proposed criteria for preclinical Alzheimer’s disease in 2011. He also served on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Experimental Neurotherapeutics, as founding member and Chair of the Alzheimer’s Association Research Roundtable, and Steering Committee member for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Dr. Siemers earned his MD with highest distinction from the Indiana University School of Medicine, where he completed an internship in the Department of Internal Medicine and residency in the Department of Neurology.

Chris Edgar

Dr. Edgar is an experienced leader in cognitive assessment and clinical endpoint strategy who provides expert guidance to Cogstate’s pharmaceutical customers throughout all stages of trial conduct, from study design and test selection through final analysis. Dr. Edgar is also a key advisor to Cogstate’s commercial and product teams for the development of new technologies and approaches in line with industry needs.

Dr. Edgar joins Cogstate from Roche where he oversaw clinical endpoint strategy for multiple neuroscience indications in the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research group. He holds a PhD in psychopharmacology from Northumbria University and has nearly two decades of pharmaceutical industry experience. Dr. Edgar has held other strategic positions including clinical scientist at Roche on Schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease drug development programs, senior clinical lead for rater training and data quality at Bracket, and scientific director at Cognitive Drug Research Ltd., a computerized cognitive assessment company. His current research interests include defining clinically meaningful progression and meaningful change estimates in neurodegenerative disease, cognitive screening for Alzheimer’s disease, application of survival analysis to neuroscience clinical trials, defining treatment benefit for negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia and measurement science topics relevant to regulators.

Pamela Ventola

Dr. Ventola is Senior Science Director at Cogstate and Assistant Professor at the Yale Child Study Center. Dr. Ventola leads Cogstate’s pediatric and rare diseases portfolio, providing Cogstate customers with strategic oversight and expert guidance throughout all stages of their study planning and execution – from endpoint selection, rater training and strategic monitoring to final statistical analysis.

As a licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Ventola’s primary clinical expertise is in pediatric neuropsychology and specifically developmental and genetic disorders. Her research interests involve developmental disabilities, and among her recent research is a study on brain-based mechanisms of treatment response in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She is also utilizing eye-tracking paradigms as a novel outcome of clinical trials in ASD and is involved in studies on novel pharmacological therapeutics in individuals with ASD.

Dr. Ventola received her Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology from University of Connecticut and completed her clinical training and Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Yale University School of Medicine, Child Study Center. She serves on the editorial review board of multiple academic journals. Specifically, she serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Journal of the American Academy Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology Review, and the Autism International Journal of Research and Practice. Dr. Ventola has authored numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters and scientific presentations.

Jason Cromer

Jason A. Cromer, PhD, Director of Clinical Science at Cogstate, is responsible for scientific operations of all clinical trials that use Cogstate computerized tests. Dr. Cromer earned his BS in Computer Science from Lafayette College and his PhD in Biomedical Science with a specialty in Neuroscience from the University of Connecticut Health Center. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurophysiology at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Cromer then worked in the Department of Neurology at Yale University School of Medicine before joining Cogstate in 2011.

Dr. Cromer’s academic career focused on the neural basis of cognition. His publications examined cognitive processes included executive functioning, categorization, processing speed, and sensory-to-motor transformation in combination with electrophysiological recordings of neural activity from multiple brain regions. His work appears in scientific journals including Neuron, the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, the Journal of Neurophysiology, and The Clinical Neuropsychologist.

Dr. Cromer maintains an active academic appointment as a Visiting Professor at the Yale University School of Medicine, Child Study Center. As part of this work, he directs a joint Cogstate-Yale summer internship program which gives students the opportunity to gain exposure to cognitive testing and its application in clinical trials. Dr. Cromer’s current research focuses on cognitive testing methodologies, validation, and application in both pediatric and adult populations.

As Director of Clinical Science at Cogstate, Dr. Cromer enjoys combining his neuropsychological and computational expertise to support the Cogstate operations team and Cogstate’s customers.

Edward Bartolic

Edward I. Bartolic, PhD, is Senior Science Director at Cogstate and a clinical neuropsychologist with 20 years of postdoctoral clinical research experience. Nearly 15 of those years have been in various scientific positions within global contract research organizations, including the Director of CNS Research and Scientific Director for the Rater Training Services department at i3 Research and Director of Clinical Assessment Technologies at Worldwide Clinical Trials.

For the past 9 years, in his roles with rater training groups, Dr. Bartolic functioned as clinical/therapeutic lead, providing oversight of the development and management of global rater training and data monitoring/rater surveillance programs for studies in psychiatry and neurology. He has served as lead rater trainer at numerous investigators meetings for studies in indications that include Alzheimer’s disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI)/prodromal AD, multiple sclerosis, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder-mania, bipolar depression, schizophrenia, and generalized anxiety disorder.

He has designed customized methodologies for remote monitoring of clinical trial assessments, including review of source documentation and assessment results for verification of study eligibility criteria during the screening period and confirmation of proper administration and scoring of cognitive and other neurobehavioral assessments. He also has the unique experience of having coordinated and managed two different committees consisting of independent clinical neurologists and geriatric psychiatrists responsible for adjudicating investigator-determined progression to AD endpoints in prodromal AD/MCI trials.

Dr. Bartolic graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and specialization in Neuropsychology. Prior to working in the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Bartolic served for five years as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University in Philadelphia (currently known as Drexel University College of Medicine). During that time, he was also the Director of Neuropsychology at the Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital and the Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, leading an active inpatient and outpatient clinical service and supervising neuropsychology students, interns and post-doctoral fellows. He has numerous publications and invited presentations in the area of neuropsychological assessment and cognitive disorders.

Lisle Kingery

Lisle Kingery, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist (neuropsychologist) with 20 years’ clinical and research experience in clinical psychology and neuropsychology. Dr. Kingery completed a PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Maine, an internship in clinical neuropsychology at the Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System/University of Michigan, and a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatric and Behavioral Sciences.

After teaching neuropsychological assessment and biopsychology for one year at Loyola University of Maryland, Baltimore, Dr. Kingery joined the Clinical Training and Assessment division of i3 research in 2006. During his six years at i3, Dr. Kingery advanced to Scientific Director and contributed to both the operational and scientific components of clinical assessment services in global clinical trials.

Dr. Kingery’s primary areas of interest are Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, with expertise and experience providing neuropsychological test training, central monitoring of neuropsychological test data, and tracking rater reliability in global clinical trials. He has directed rater training programs in over 20 Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials, three Parkinson’s disease trials, and several other trials for other CNS indications.

He has evaluated and trained raters globally at dozens of clinical trial investigator meetings. Dr. Kingery also has significant experience producing training videos for neuropsychological tests and for the assessment of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. Dr. Kingery’s scientific interests include computerized cognitive assessment, reliability and validity of neuropsychological assessments, and effectiveness of rater training methodologies for neuropsychological tests in clinical trials.

Adrian Schembri

Dr Adrian Schembri is a licensed clinical psychologist and Science Director of the Research and Development Division at Cogstate. Dr Schembri completed a Doctorate in clinical psychology at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, including a thesis that focused on the cognitive overlap between Eating Disorders and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. He has worked as a Senior Lecturer in the School of Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences, and Research Fellow in the Applied Psychology and Health Research Cluster in the School of Health Sciences at RMIT University. Dr Schembri was also a Statistics Consultant for staff and PhD students at RMIT University as well as industry partners, providing consultation in research design, and both quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Dr Schembri has published peer reviewed articles and conference papers in the areas of clinical, neuro, educational, developmental, and sports psychology, as well as ratings systems and predictive modeling. As a clinical psychologist, Dr Schembri has worked in metropolitan and rural hospitals, and in private practice settings with children, adolescents and adults in the treatment of a broad range of psychopathology, including depression, anxiety, stress, grief and loss, and eating disorders.

Dr Schembri joined Cogstate in 2012 and is responsible for supporting research teams internationally with the use of Cogstate within their studies. This work involves providing insight into research design, selection of appropriate batteries, and statistical analysis. Dr Schembri also supports new projects and innovations, and development of new computerized tests as well as screening and assessment tools within the Clinical Trials and Research and Development Divisions.

Dr Schembri is Secretary of the Victorian Section Committee of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists, and the Executive Committee of MathSport, a special interest group of Australian and New Zealand Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ANZIUM).

Robert McCue

Robert McCue, Psy.D., MSCP is a licensed psychologist with over 20 years’ experience in neuropsychology as well as 10 years’ experience in teaching assessment and psychopharmacology courses at the graduate level. Dr. McCue completed a Psy.D. in clinical psychology at the Nova Southeastern University, and an internship in clinical neuropsychology at the University of Miami / Jackson Memorial Medical Center. Additionally, he completed a master’s degree in clinical psychopharmacology.

After completing his internship, Dr. McCue completed his postdoctoral residency in neuropsychology at South Florida Neurology Associates, and then continued to work with this neurology group for 18 years assessing subjects with a wide variety of conditions, most notably Alzheimer’s, MCI, Parkinson’s, frontotemporal dementia, and depression related cognitive complaints.

Dr. McCue’s has developed expertise and experience training and monitoring the administration and scoring of neuropsychological evaluations and other clinical scales in clinical trials. Dr. McCue has published articles in peer reviewed journals in the area of Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia.

Robyn L. Powers

Dr. Robyn Powers completed her PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology from the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, as well as a Master’s degree at Columbia University in Clinical Psychology. She has worked clinically with diverse populations including pediatric, elderly, oncology, rehabilitative health, and epilepsy. Dr. Powers has worked within the pharmaceutical industry in multiple capacities.

As a Study Clinician in Clinical Development she has provided strategic oversight and leadership for clinical trials including protocol design and execution, assessment of subject eligibility, and data analysis. In addition, she has worked within Medical Affairs conducting post-marketing scientific exchange with thought leaders that involved the interpreting and communicating of relevant information to define, update, and support medical strategies.

Dr. Powers’ scientific interests include neurocognitive dysfunction in psychiatric disorders, psychophysiological and neurocognitive correlates of impulsivity, executive function in psychopathy, and effects of health and stress on cognition.

Ernest Fung

Ernest Fung, PsyD, ABPP is a clinical and forensic neuropsychologist, with expertise covering a broad spectrum of CNS indications, from traumatic brain injury to neurodegenerative disorders. He is board certified in clinical neuropsychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology. He provided consultation and expertise to Cogstate as one of the Local Expert Advisers (LEAD) and he later transitioned into his current full-time role as one of the key members of the scientific team. He continues to maintain a clinical and forensic private practice.

Outside of his formal work commitments, he provides mentorship and has been active in promoting education and accreditation in clinical neuropsychology. He is a regional representative of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology and a work sample reviewer for the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology. He is an ad hoc reviewer for the Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology. Most recently, he co-authored a chapter on posterior cortical atrophy in a neurology and neuropsychology text (Physician’s Field Guide to Neuropsychology).

Earlier in his clinical career, apart from providing inpatient and outpatient neuropsychological assessment, he spearheaded a consult paradigm to provide timely assessment, treatment, and symptom prevention for individuals with mild traumatic brain injury. Working with neurosurgery and neurology, he developed his practice to include pre- and post-surgical testing services for deep brain stimulation. In collaboration with Stanford Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, he co-developed a pediatric organ transplantation psychosocial assessment tool that has been utilized clinically.

He graduated from University College London with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. After spending several years in the business world, he returned to the field and obtained his doctorate in clinical psychology from California School of Professional Psychology. He was a neuropsychology intern at Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology at Boston University School of Medicine. He completed his APPCN postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at Shepherd Center, one of the top TBI rehabilitation hospitals in the United States.

He is bilingual in English and Cantonese and he is well connected within the multicultural clinical and neuropsychology communities.