Janet Niemeier
Presenter for Brain Injury Conference sponsored by CTAT.
Dr. Niemeier is and Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Director of Inpatient Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCUHS) in Richmond, Virginia. She has 25 years of experience in assessment, treatment, advocacy, teaching, and research about persons with brain injury and other disabilities. She has worked to improve quality of life and effectiveness of interventions for this client population in private practice, outpatient treatment facilities, and in inpatient hospital settings. Dr. Niemeier has a strong record of externally funded research with a primary focus on establishing effectiveness of treatments for persons with brain injury. She currently has support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Disability Rehabilitation and Research (NIDRR), and the Virginia Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Board (CNI) to do trials of her methods. Dr. Niemeier has developed comprehensive as well as skill-specific interventions, including the Lighthouse Strategy for improving visual neglect following stroke or traumatic brain injury and a manualized intervention for helping clients get back to work after brain injury. Findings of her trials of these methods are published in first tier scientific journals, giving clinicians the confidence that they are using evidence-based methods in their efforts to enhance cognitive and functional skills for their clients. Dr. Niemeier serves on grant application review committees for NIH as well as the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, advising committee members about the challenges and needs of persons with brain injury. She is active as a speaker in the Virginia Brain Injury Association and has served as their support group facilitator. Dr. Niemeier is author of the books, First Steps Toward Recovery From Brain Injury, Memory Matters, and Choosing, Finding and Keeping a Job after Brain Injury. She has authored dozens of articles in scientific journals, and has been invited speaker for hundreds of National and international conferences, seminars, lectures, papers, and workshops. She is Faculty sponsor for the VCUHS physician residents’ Journal Club. Dr. Niemeier is a Fellow, and current President-Elect, of Division 22, Rehabilitation Psychology, of the American Psychological Association. She is also Board Certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology as a Rehabilitation Psychologist and serves as Secretary of the Board. As Secretary she oversees the National Board certification process of Rehabilitation Psychologists.
