Michael Lopez

Biography

Michael Lopez, Ph.D., is Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor, Step II, in the Department of Neurology at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. He serves as Co-Director of Clinical Training for the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology at UCI Health, Director of Neuropsychology for the Neurology & Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic (NTBIC), and Director of Neuropsychology for the Spanish Language Neuropsychology Clinic. Lopez received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University, Los Angeles, completed a neuropsychology internship at VA Central Iowa, and a neuropsychology fellowship at the University of Utah Medical School.

Lopez's research focuses on traumatic brain injury, with particular emphasis on developing technology-based neuropsychological assessments and examining social determinants of health in TBI recovery. He developed the KeyStrokes test, an online neuropsychological assessment for attention, processing speed, and executive function, published in the Journal of Neuropsychology in 2025. His work has also examined iPad-based neurocognitive testing for acute mild traumatic brain injury triage in trauma center settings. As principal investigator and co-investigator on multiple IRB-approved studies, Lopez has contributed to research on performance validity measures, comprehensive neurocognitive testing in TBI patients, and the relationship between social determinants of health and disability outcomes following brain injury.

Lopez has established clinical programs serving diverse patient populations, including the NTBIC and Spanish Language Neuropsychology Clinic at UCI. He co-founded the UCI Health Latino Physician's Group and serves on multiple professional committees, including the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee of the International Neuropsychological Society and as Co-Chair of the Task Force on Cognitive Remediation for Spanish Speakers at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Lopez supervises six to nine graduate students annually in neuropsychology practicum training and provides clinical supervision for postdoctoral fellows in the APPCN-accredited fellowship program he helped develop.

Education

• BA in Political Science, University of California Irvine, 2012
• MA in Clinical Psychology, Alliant International University, Los Angeles, 2017
• PhD in Clinical Psychology, Alliant International University, Los Angeles, 2020

Distinctions

• Highlighted for Professional Contributions to UCI and the Community, Hispanic Heritage Month at UCI, 2024