Joanne M. Hamilton, PhD, ABPP

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Dr. Hamilton received her doctorate in clinical psychology in 2000 from the San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology with a focus on neuropsychology. Her internship was completed at the Southwest Consortium Predoctoral Psychology Internship in New Mexico. She then completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology at the University of California, San Diego Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the VA San Diego Healthcare System. She was licensed as a psychologist in the State of California in 2003.

She received Board Certification in Clinical Neuropsychology in November, 2010. Dr. Hamilton completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and worked as a research neuroscientist at the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center studying cognitive changes associated with Lewy body spectrum disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and Dementia with Lewy bodies until 2012. Notable publications include “Early Visuospatial Deficits Predict the Occurrence of Visual Hallucinations in Autopsy- Confirmed Dementia with Lewy Bodies” and “Visuospatial Deficits Predict Rate of Cognitive Decline in Autopsy-Verified Dementia with Lewy Bodies.”

Currently, Dr. Hamilton is the director of adult neuropsychology at Advanced Neurobehavioral Health of Southern California and resident neuropsychologist in the Department of Neurology at the Scripps Health in San Diego. She focuses on diseases that affect older individuals such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke. However, Dr. Hamilton also evaluates individuals with multiple sclerosis, seizure disorder, and traumatic brain injury. She is available for medical legal evaluations.

Dr. Hamilton continues to be active in her research pursuits and is working with Advanced Brain Monitoring to develop new diagnostic tools for cognitive disorders. She is passionate about improving the quality of life of individuals with neurocognitive decline and contributes to the educational endeavors of the Davis Phinney Foundation for improving the lives of individuals with Parkinsons.