UK HealthCare

Middle Schooler Shadows UK Neuropsychologists After Winning National Contest

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 19, 2015) -- Thirteen-year-old Abby Gottesman watched through the glass as the pineapple was strapped into place and made its way through the center of an enormous donut.

It sounds like something from the school cafeteria, but in fact Abby was enjoying her dream day learning from neuropsychologists from UK HealthCare.

Most 13-year-olds aren't really certain what they want to be when they grow up, or their career aspirations are more generic: nurse, fireman, lawyer.  But Abby's career goal to be a neuropsychologist puts her in rarefied company.  Her essay outlining her life's pursuit and why she felt she would be a good neuropsychologist made her one of only five middle schoolers in the country chosen to shadow people in their chosen discipline through the DreamUP! Program.

The DreamUP! Program is a no-cost career exploration program and contest for middle school students across the United States sponsored by Office Depot and USA TODAY. The program is designed for students to follow a set of career exploration lessons and concludes with students writing a 500-word essay about their dream job/career.

"When I read Abby's essay entry I was blown away," said Amelia Anderson-Mooney, Ph.D., the neuropsychologist who planned Abby's dream day.  "This young woman will achieve anything she puts her mind to."

Neuropsychologists specialize in assessing the cognitive and behavioral effects of neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Down syndrome, and Alzheimer's disease.  By using standardized testing to assess behavior and cognition, coupled with technology such as MRI, neuropsychologists aim to understand how brain function influences the cognitive and behavioral symptoms of neurological disease.  They work hand-in-hand with neurologists and other physicians to assist patients in managing their situation safely and effectively.

Anderson-Mooney wanted to make sure that Abby learned about essential brain functions and the tools neuropsychologists use to measure those functions.   So the seventh grader from Lexington Traditional Magnet School started her day with the Neurocognitive Service team at UK HealthCare's Kentucky Neuroscience Institute, learning about their educational backgrounds and gaining hands-on experience with the cognitive tests neuropsychologists use with their patients. 

The group then discussed a case study so that Abby could to see how those tests are used in real life  The day concluded with a visit to UK's Magnetic Resonance Imaging/Spectroscopy Center (MRISC), where they put a pineapple through an MRI to demonstrate how the technology helps assess brain structure.  Finally, with the MRISC’s Dave Powell, Ph.D. at the controls, Anderson-Mooney served as a human volunteer for fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), which demonstrates in real time which parts of the brain are responsible for motor control as Anderson-Mooney followed simple instructions presented to her on a screen.  

"I was extremely excited because this is a big deal," said Abby. "It's great exposure so I can know what I'm going to do when I grow up."

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And Abby wasn't the only one who enjoyed the experience.

"It’s my opinion that I have the best job in the world with the best people in the world, and I was very proud to introduce Abby to it,” Anderson-Mooney said. 

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