The team of accomplished scientists provide actionable insights into:

Paul Maruff, PhD

Professor Paul Maruff is one of the founders of Cogstate and served as Chief Science Officer before taking on the role of Chief Innovation Officer. He is a neuropsychologist with expertise in the identification and measurement of subtle behavioural 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, 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 450 research articles in international peer-reviewed scientific journals, and has co-authored 15 book chapters.

Pamela Ventola, PhD

Dr. Ventola is Chief Science Officer at Cogstate, an Associate Professor at the Yale Child Study Center, and a licensed clinical neuropsychologist. Dr. Ventola leads Cogstate’s science team 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.

Dr. Ventola received her Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology from the University of Connecticut and completed her clinical training and Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Yale University School of Medicine. She serves on the editorial review board of multiple academic journals and has authored numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, and scientific presentations.

Kaycee Sink, MD, MAS

Dr. Sink is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine with over 20 years of experience in clinical care and research in aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders. She obtained her medical degree at the University of CA, San Francisco, and subsequently trained in internal medicine followed by clinical and research fellowships in geriatrics, also at UCSF.

Dr. Sink joins us from Genentech where she was Principal Medical Director in Neurodegeneration, having leadership roles in the late stage development of several molecules being studied for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders as well as digital applications for the same. She joined Genentech in 2017 after 13 years on faculty at Wake Forest School of Medicine, where she rose to tenured Full Professor of Medicine, Neurology, and Public Health Sciences. At Wake Forest School of Medicine, Kaycee served as interim Chief of Geriatrics, the Director of the Memory Assessment Clinic, and was the PI of the Clinical Core for the NIH funded Alzheimer’s Disease Center as well as an investigator/PI on multiple NIH and industry sponsored clinical trials in aging and Alzheimer’s disease.

In her spare time she enjoys hiking, traveling, pickleball and being a sideline cheerleader at her son’s soccer matches and daughter’s gymnastics events. She also continues to see patients and teach in the Memory Assessment Clinic as adjunct faculty at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston Salem, NC.

Chris Edgar, PhD

Dr. Chris 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.

Prior to joining Cogstate in 2018, Dr. Edgar oversaw clinical endpoint strategy for multiple neuroscience indications in the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research group at Roche. Dr. Edgar has held other key industry positions including Principle Scientist at Roche, Senior Clinical Lead at Bracket/UBC, and Scientific Director at Cognitive Drug Research Ltd. He holds a PhD in psychopharmacology from Northumbria University and has 20 years of pharmaceutical industry experience.

Annamarie Vogt, PhD

Dr. Annamarie Vogt is a cognitive psychologist with expertise in neuropsychological assessments and clinical endpoints and 16 years of drug development experience in pharmaceutical companies. Prior to joining Cogstate, as Associate Vice President, AD Study Design and Endpoint Quality in 2024, Dr. Vogt has held positions as Senior Principal Scientist, Clinical Expert Team Lead, Clinical Science Franchise Lead, in Neuroscience Research and Early Development, at Roche. She has held other scientific positions at Novartis Neuroscience, working on phase II studies in Parkinson’s disease, Fragile X syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Vogt holds an MSc in Psychology and a PhD in Cognition and Brain Sciences from the University of Basel. She was also a lecturer on empirical research, biopsychology, memory and attention and a rater reviewer, assessing outcome measures in clinical trials. Prior to studying psychology, she has obtained a degree in social education and was working with children and adolescents with mental disorders.

Jason Cromer, PhD

Jason A. Cromer, PhD, Senior Director of Data & Scientific Services at Cogstate, is responsible for oversight of Cogstate’s clinical science, biostatistics, and data management teams. Dr. Cromer has over 25 years of experience in computational and cognitive science. He 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 an Adjunct Assistant 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 Senior Director of Data & Scientific Services at Cogstate, Dr. Cromer enjoys combining his neuropsychological and computational expertise to support Cogstate’s teams and customers.

Edward Bartolic, PhD

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.

Svenja Wacker, PhD

Svenja Wacker, PhD is a bilingual (German/English), licensed clinical neuropsychologist with expertise in global clinical trial management and consultation, as well as extensive experience in hospital-based rehabilitation neuropsychology, neuropsychological assessment and intervention, program development, and medical staff training.

Dr. Wacker graduated from George Mason University with a PhD in clinical psychology and a fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at Yale University School of Medicine. She completed a postdoctoral residency at Harvard Medical School in neuropsychological assessment.

Dr. Wacker has supported a diverse research portfolio in international clinical trials. As a cultural-linguistic expert consultant she contributed to the training, certification, and remediation of site raters and data validation protocols. As Associate Director of Clinician Network with Cogstate, she grew a global expert consultant pool of 150 neuropsychologists, and managed all aspects of recruitment, training, certification, performance monitoring, and operational logistics for their work on a broad portfolio of clinical trials.

In her 15 years of clinical practice, Dr. Wacker focused on the assessment of neuropsychological functioning in adult patients. She aimed to guide clients to a place of personal resilience and empowerment through an array of brain-based therapeutic techniques.

Robyn Leventhal, PhD

Dr. Robyn Leventhal 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. Leventhal 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. Leventhal’s 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.

Laura Miller, PhD

Laura Miller, PhD, leads Cogstate’s pediatric and rare diseases portfolio as a senior member of the science team. She uses her extensive experience in pediatric and rare diseases to provide expertise and oversight to on-going clinical trials, offering input into the design and implementation of clinical development programs of pharmaceutical products. Laura is also a licensed pediatric neuropsychologist at Hopewell Health Solutions.

Previous positions include working as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the UConn School of Medicine, and as a Pediatric Neuropsychologist at Child and Family Psychological Services.

Laura received her PhD from Syracuse University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Mass General for Children (North Shore Medical Center) and at Child and Family Psychological Services. She received her MS in Psychology from Syracuse University and a BA in Psychology and Spanish from Vanderbilt University.

Erin Jacobstein, Psy.D

Erin Lasher Jacobstein, Psy.D. is Principal Scientist at Cogstate, and a clinical neuropsychologist with over 15 years of postdoctoral clinical experience. For 10 years, she was the Director of Neuropsychology and Behavioral Medicine at a large, hospital-affiliated neurology practice. She has expertise in neurodegenerative diseases, with particular emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. She served as a member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee for the Alzheimer’s Association, Connecticut Chapter, for four years. Throughout her clinical career, she was a cognitive and clinical rater for numerous clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, and Multiple Sclerosis.

Dr. Jacobstein received her Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree from the University of Hartford, and she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Department of Neurology.  She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland, graduating from the University’s Honor’s Program, and she obtained her MS in Clinical Psychology from Towson University.

Aaron Vederman, PhD

Aaron Vederman, Ph.D. is a neuropsychologist and Principal Scientist for Cogstate’s biotech portfolio. Aaron first joined Cogstate to work in the clinical division of their Alzheimer’s disease research program before transitioning into the role of Principal Scientist for the biotech division. Aaron brings an extensive breadth of experience in conducting complex and nuanced assessments with a wide array of neurological and psychiatric conditions through his work in academic research, neurosurgery centers, inpatient psychiatry, forensics and correctional facilities, child protective services, vocational rehabilitation, and outpatient settings.

Aaron received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Boston University and his Ph.D. from Yeshiva University. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology at the University of Michigan. For the following 10 years he maintained a private practice while also serving as assistant professor in the neurosurgery department of Oregon Health and Science University.

Sara Goodnow, MA

Sara Goodnow is a clinical scientist working primarily within the pediatric and rare diseases portfolio at Cogstate. Sara provides support in the areas of rater qualification, training content development, central monitoring, and central rating.

Sara received her Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling and Human Development from University of Rochester and is a certified specialist in psychometry. Prior to joining Cogstate, Sara spent more than a decade working in pediatric rare disease clinical trials at Seattle Children’s Hospital, the National Institute of Health, and Bioclinica Research.

Gabriel Stellman

Gabriel Stellman, Associate Director of Clinical Science at Cogstate, is responsible for oversight of Cogstate’s Clinical Science team with a focus on the Cogstate digital cognitive assessments. He also serves as a primary science subject matter expert with respect to the development of the Cogstate digital assessments. In this capacity, he works hand-in-hand with the Cogstate Product Development team to ensure all scientific requirements are captured, met, and followed.

Gabriel has more than 10 years of experience working directly with Cogstate clients to ensure the digital cognitive assessments and solutions needed are both fit for purpose and producing data that is of the highest quality possible to achieve their research goals.

Gabriel received his BS in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor).