Rate My Professor Elise Caccappolo

Elise A. Caccappolo, PhD, ABPP-CN, is Professor of Neuropsychology in the Department of Neurology and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She serves as Director of the Neuropsychology Service within the Division of Cognitive Neuroscience. Dr. Caccappolo earned her PhD from the New School for Social Research in New York, NY. Her postdoctoral training includes an internship at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, a fellowship at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, a postdoctoral fellowship in Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey studying the cognitive and psychological effects of Gulf War Syndrome and exposure to toxins, and a research fellowship in aging and dementia in Columbia’s Cognitive Neuroscience division examining the acquisition of language disorders. She was appointed to the faculty in the Department of Neurology at Columbia University in 2003.

As a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology with specialty certification in Clinical Neuropsychology, Dr. Caccappolo conducts evaluations and diagnoses of cognitive and emotional functioning across the lifespan. She specializes in adults and geriatrics presenting with memory disorders, mild cognitive impairment, dementia, movement disorders, concussion, psychiatric and medical illnesses, and other conditions; she also assesses children and adolescents with developmental delays, learning disabilities, and attentional disorders. Her research focuses on neuropsychological profiles associated with neurological disorders including early-onset Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, neuropsychological dysfunction following carotid endarterectomy, and cognitive profiles related to donor iron deficiency. Dr. Caccappolo has authored numerous book chapters and peer-reviewed articles, such as 'Neuropsychological profile of parkin mutation carriers with and without Parkinson disease: The CORE-PD Study' (2011), 'Cognitive performance of GBA mutation carriers with early-onset PD: the CORE-PD study' (2012), 'The neuropsychological profiles of mild Alzheimer’s disease and questionable dementia as compared to age-related cognitive decline' (2003), and 'Cognitive and Motor Function in Long-Duration PARKIN-Associated Parkinson Disease' (2014). In 2022, she was inducted into the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Academy of Clinical Excellence, recognizing her excellence in clinical care and training of young physicians. She is a member of APA Division 40 and the International Neuropsychological Society and serves as President of the New York Neuropsychology Group.