Dr. Alison Cernich is the Deputy Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and works to support the Institute’s mission to lead research and training to understand human development, improve reproductive health, enhance the lives of children and adolescents, and optimize abilities for all. Prior to this position, Dr. Cernich was the Director of the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) at NICHD, Deputy Director of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury in the Department of Defense, and multiple roles in the Department of Veterans Affairs. She received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University and completed post-doctoral training in cognitive neuroscience at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, DC. She is a board-certified neuropsychologist and is the lead or contributing author on multiple peer-reviewed articles and conference presentations, with an emphasis on disability and pregnancy, traumatic brain injury and computerized neuropsychological assessment.