Biography

Dr. Harder leads the Neuropsychology Service and Neuropsychology training program at Children’s Medical Center. She holds dual faculty appointments as Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at UT Southwestern. Dr. Harder is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology and is a board certified Subspecialist in Pediatric Neuropsychology. Nationally, Dr. Harder was elected President-Elect of the Association of Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology (APPCN). She has served on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology and two consecutive terms on the Board of Directors of APPCN. She also serves on the Board of Directors and Medical and Scientific Council of the Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association. Dr. Harder is a fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology.

Dr. Harder earned her doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin and completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  She completed post-doctoral fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine.  Dr. Harder has served as a Pediatric Neuropsychologist at Children’s Medical Center since 2008.  She was a founding member and is the current Co-Director of the Children’s Medical Center Pediatric Demyelinating Diseases Clinic. Inspired by her work evaluating children with rare disorders, Dr. Harder published the first study on pediatric tele-neuropsychology. Additional research interests include brain imaging correlates of neuropsychological functioning in demyelinating disorders, and longitudinal cognitive and psychosocial outcomes for pediatric multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and neuromyelitis optica. Dr. Harder also participates in a multi-site longitudinal investigation on the impact of cancer and its treatment on early development in infants and toddlers.

Education

Undergraduate
Southern Methodist University (2000), Psychology
Graduate School
University of Texas at Austin (2004), Psychology
Graduate School
University of Texas at Austin (2006), Psychology

Research Interest

  • Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
  • CNS Demyelinating Diseases
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO)
  • Pediatric Cancer
  • Tele-Neuropsychology
  • Transverse Myelitis

Publications

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Books

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Professional Associations/Affiliations

  • American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology
  • American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology Board of Directors (2018)
  • Association of Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology Board of Directors (2015)
  • International Neuropsychological Society
  • National Academy of Neuropsychology
  • Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association Board of Directors (2016)
  • Transverse Myelitis Association Medical and Scientific Council (2012)