Neuropsychology
Aimee Karstens, PhD
Clinical Neuropsychologist — Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation Assistant Professor, Department of Neurological Sciences
Dr. Aimee Karstens is a clinical neuropsychologist and Assistant Professor within the Movement Disorders Division of the Department of Neurological Sciences at Rush University Medical Center. She specializes in the cognitive and emotional aspects of movement disorders and plays an important role in the multidisciplinary evaluation and longitudinal care of patients undergoing advanced neuromodulation therapies such as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) and MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound.
Dr. Karstens received her PhD from the University of Illinois Chicago and completed her internship in the neuropsychology track at Brown University. She then completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Medical Psychology with a neuropsychology focus at Mayo Clinic, where she remained on faculty as an Assistant Professor prior to joining RUSH.
Her clinical work focuses on helping patients and families better understand the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes that can accompany neurologic disease and advanced treatment decisions. Within the movement disorders program, she is particularly interested in identifying and tracking cognitive risk factors before and after neuromodulation procedures, including the risk for postoperative cognitive decline and the use of innovative approaches for long-term cognitive monitoring.
Dr. Karstens currently serves as the Co-Principal Investigator of RUSH's Lewy Body Center of Excellence, co-leads the Movement Disorders clinical neuropsychology externship, and is the North American co-chair of the International Neuropsychological Society's Cultural Special Interest Group. Her research interests include multicultural neuropsychology, digital and self-administered cognitive assessment tools, modifiable and biologic risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia, and non-pharmacologic interventions for older adults with and without dementia.
What Dr. Karstens values most about her work is the opportunity to support patients and families through every phase of neurologic disease — from diagnosis and treatment planning to some of the most emotionally difficult moments patients may encounter.
Outside of medicine, she enjoys painting, singing and dancing with her family, playing sports with her children, and tending to what she affectionately describes as their "sad little garden." She also shares her home with a calico cat named Nolie (short for Magnolia). Dr. Karstens enjoys traveling and especially loves visiting Taiwan, Norway, and Mexico. Her personal philosophy is simple: always lead with kindness and curiosity.
David A. Gonzalez, PhD, ABPP
Clinical Neuropsychologist — Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation
Dr. David A. Gonzalez is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist who has been part of the RUSH Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Care Program since 2022. He specializes in the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of movement disorders and works closely with patients undergoing evaluation and treatment for advanced neuromodulation therapies including Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) and MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound.
Dr. Gonzalez received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Texas and completed both his specialty internship and fellowship training at the Audie L. Murphy VA. His clinical work focuses primarily on neuropsychological evaluations designed to better understand how neurologic disease may affect thinking, memory, mood, behavior, and day-to-day functioning.
In addition to neuropsychological assessment, Dr. Gonzalez is particularly interested in helping patients beyond the testing environment itself. His interests include cognitive rehabilitation strategies, short-term therapeutic interventions, and practical approaches aimed at helping patients adapt to the daily cognitive and emotional challenges that can accompany movement disorders and neurodegenerative disease.
His research focuses on improving how clinicians diagnose and monitor cognitive and behavioral changes associated with neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease. He is also interested in understanding how factors such as social connection, environment, and lifestyle may influence movement symptoms and overall well-being.
Dr. Gonzalez is deeply committed to education and mentorship and leads a doctoral practicum training program focused on neuropsychology and brain health. Patients and families frequently appreciate his thoughtful, approachable, and highly collaborative style.
Outside of medicine, David enjoys spending time with loved ones, exploring good food, enthusiastically — if imperfectly — playing music, cycling on his touring bicycle, photography, reading fiction, and hiking.
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Devin Ulrich, PhD
Clinical Neuropsychologist — Assistant Professor of Neurology
Dr. Devin Ulrich is a clinical neuropsychologist who performs the cognitive assessments that inform candidacy for advanced therapies, and repeats them afterward to monitor brain health over time.
Neuropsychological testing is one of the least understood parts of a DBS or focused ultrasound evaluation, and one of the most important. It establishes a careful baseline, identifies patterns that predict how someone is likely to do after treatment, and gives the team an objective way to follow cognition in the years that follow.