People
Director
Steven Paul Woods, Psy.D.
Professor Woods is a licensed psychologist whose scientific and clinical work primarily focus on the ways cognition can hinder and support daily activities, health, and well-being in adults with chronic medical conditions. For example, his research has highlighted the importance of prospective memory (i.e., remembering to remember) in everyday functioning (e.g., medication adherence) among older adults and persons with HIV disease, psychiatric conditions, and neurological disorders. Other areas of scientific interest include health literacy, apathy, intra-individual variability, and internet navigation skills. More details on Professor Woods’ research can be viewed at Google Scholar or ResearchGate. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 40, Society for Clinical Neuropsychology) and an Associate Editor for Neuropsychology and The Clinical Neuropsychologist.
Junior Faculty
Gunes Avci, Ph.D.
Dr. Avci is a Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Houston. She received her B.A. and M.A. in psychology from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2002 and 2005, respectively. Avci obtained her Ph.D. in cognitive psychology with a specialization in learning and memory from Rice University in 2011, where she received the prestigious Gardner Award for the best dissertation in social sciences. She completed her postdoctoral training in the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory in the department of physical therapy medicine and rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine. Avci’s research spans different facets of human cognition, with a particular focus on ways to enhance memory functions in the laboratory and in real-world settings, which she examines in both healthy and clinical populations (e.g., traumatic brain injury and HIV patients). Recently, her research interests have expanded to include cognitive risk factors interfering with daily functioning (e.g., health behavior).
Active Collaborators
University of Houston
University of Western Australia
- Romola S. Bucks, Ph.D., School of Psychology
- Shayne Loft, Ph.D., School of Psychology
- Michael Weinborn, Ph.D., School of Psychology