pop up description layer

ISAP Researchers' Profiles

Sara Simon, Ph.D.

Sara Simon, Ph.D. Associate Research Psychologist. Sara Simon (Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology, Claremont Graduate University, 1990) is an Associate Research Psychologist at UCLA ISAP. Dr. Simon's primary research interests are in the long-term and immediate cognitive effects of drugs of abuse. Recently she has been investigating the time course of the recovery of cognitive function after the cessation of drug abuse. In collaboration with Dr. Edythe London, she is examining the cognitive functioning of methamphetamine abusers in early abstinence. Her collaborations also include several studies combining imaging and cognitive assessment with smokers with Dr. London, a World Health Organization study with Dr. Walter Ling, and a study of GHB abusers with Dr. Karen Miotto. Dr. Simon also has provided the cognitive expertise for the Methamphetamine Clinical Trials Group, and is the Regulatory Specialist for the Pacific Node of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network.

Education and Training

  • University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, B.A., 1970, Philosophy
  • California State University, Fullerton, CA, M.A., 1977, Theater Arts
  • The Claremont Graduate School, CA, M.S., 1985, Cognitive Psychology
  • The Claremont Graduate School, CA, Ph.D., 1990, Cognitive Psychology
  • Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, postdoc., 1990-1992, Cognitive Psychology

Specialties

  • Cognitive function in substance abusers

Contact Info

UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs
1640 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90025
ssimon@mednet.ucla.edu

Selected Publications

  1. Pezdek K, Lehrer A, Simon S.  The relationship between reading and cognitive processing of television and radio.  Child Development 1984; 55:2072-2982.
  2. Pezdek K, Simon S, Stoeckert J, Kieley J. Individual differences in television comprehension.  Memory & Cognition 1987; 15(5):428-435.
  3. Simon SL.  Expert-Novice Differences on Object Identification.  Cal Poly Scholar 1988; 1:66-72.
  4. Simon, SL, Walsh DA, Regnier VA, Krauss IK.  Spatial Cognition and neighborhood use:  The relationship in older adults.   Psychology and Aging 1992; 7(3):320-326.
  5. Leuchter A, Simon SL, Daly KA, Rosenberg-Thompson S, Abrams M, Dunkin JJ, Cook IA, Newton TF, Walter DO, Cummings JL.  Neurophysiologic Correlates of Outcome in Elderly Psychiatric Patients:  I.  Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Assessment of Patients with Dementia.  American Journal of Psychiatry 1994; 2(3):200-209.
  6. Leuchter A, Simon SL, Daly KA, Abrams M, Rosenberg-Thompson S, Dunkin JJ, Cook IA, Newton TF, Spar JE.  Neurophysiologic Correlates of Outcome in Elderly Psychiatric Patients:  II.  Two-year Follow-up of Patients with Depression.  American Journal of Psychiatry 1994; 2(4):290-299.
  7. Leuchter A, Cook IA, Uijtdehaage SHJ, Dunkin JJ, Lufkin RB, Anderson-Hanley C, Abrams M, Rosenberg-Thompson S, O'Hara R, Simon S, Osato S, Babaie A.  Brain structure and function and the outcomes of treatment for depression.  The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 1997; 58(16):22-31.
  8. Simon, SL, Domier C, Carnell J, Brethen P, Rawson R, Ling W.  Cognitive Impairment in Individuals Currently Using Methamphetamine.   American Journal on Addictions 2000; 9:222-231.
  9. Domier CP, Simon SL, Rawson RA, Huber A, Ling W.  A comparison of injecting and noninjecting methamphetamine users.  Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 2000; 32(2):229-232.
  10. Sim T, Simon SL, Domier CP, Richardson K, Rawson R.  Cognitive Deficits in Methamphetamine Abusers with ADHD Symptomatology.  (Journal of Addictive Diseases. 2002, 21(1): 75-90).
  11. Simon SL, Domier CP, Sim T, Richardson K, Rawson RA, Ling W.  Cognitive Performance of Current Methamphetamine and Cocaine Abusers. (Journal of Addictive Diseases. 2002,  21(1): 61-74).
  12. Simon SL, Richardson K, Dacey J, Glynn S, Domier CP, Rawson RA, Ling, WA.  Comparison of Patterns of Methamphetamine and Cocaine Use.  (Journal of Addictive Diseases. 2002, 21(1): 35-44).
  13. Rawson RA, Simon SL, Ling W. If a US drug abuse epidemic fails to include a major east coast  city can it be called an epidemic?  .  (Journal of Addictive Diseases. 2002, 21(1): 1-4).
  14. Cook IA, Leuchter AF, Morgan ML, Witte E, David S, Lufkin R, Babaie A, Dunkin JJ, O’Hara R, Simon S, Lightner A, Thomas S, Broumandi D, Badjatia N, Mickes L, Mody R, Arroyo S, Zheng A, Abrams M, Rosenberg-Thompson S. Cognitive and Physiologic Correlates of Sub-clinical Structural Brain Disease in Elderly Healthy Control Subjects. (Arch Neurol 2002, 59:1612-1620.).
  15. ED London, SL Simon, SM Berman et al. Regional cerebral dysfunction associated with mood disturbances in abstinent methamphetamine abusers. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2004;61:73-84.
  16. Cook, IA, Leuchter AF, Morgan ML, Dunkin JJ, Witte E, David S, Mickes L, O’Hara R, Simon S, Lufkin R, Abrams M, Rosenberg-Thompson S. Longitudinal progression of subclinical structural brain disease in normal aging. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2004 Mar-Apr; 12(2):190-200.
  17. Simon SL, Dacey JM, Glynn S, Rawson R, Ling W.  The effect of relapse on cognition in abstinent methamphetamine abusers. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment,2004, 27:59-66.
  18. Thompson P, Hayashi KM, Simon SL, Geaga JA, Hong MS, Sui Y, Lee JY, Toga AW, Ling W, & London ED. Structural abnormalities in the brains of human subjects who use methamphetamine. Journal of Neuroscience, June 30, 2004; 24(26):6028-6036.

Last updated - 06/22/2007

Click here to view other profiles.

Top of Page
UCLA Home Page ISAP Home Page