Mark Ettenhofer

Dr. Mark L. Ettenhofer, a renowned neuropsychologist and clinical scientist, with a background in brain health innovation, holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Michigan State University.

Following his doctoral studies, Dr. Ettenhofer completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Neuropsychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.

Currently, Dr. Ettenhofer serves as a Senior Research Neuropsychologist for the Defense Health Agency Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence (DHA TBICoE) at Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), and holds the position of Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

Dr. Ettenhofer's research primarily focuses on developing and assessing innovative techniques for the evaluation and treatment of neurocognitive deficits associated with conditions such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and neurodegenerative disorders.

His research is interdisciplinary and involves collaborations with specialists in various fields like neurology, psychiatry, rehabilitation medicine, radiology, and behavioral medicine, across federal, military, and public research institutions, as well as industry partnerships.

The research conducted by Dr. Ettenhofer covers a wide spectrum of neurocognitive conditions including TBI, ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, normal aging, and HIV-related neurodegeneration, exploring aspects like brain function, eye movements, neuroimaging, and functional abilities.

He has received funding for his research from multiple federal agencies such as the Congressionally-Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the DHA TBICoE, and the Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (CNRM).

Notable projects led by Dr. Ettenhofer include the Fusion Project focusing on differential diagnosis and monitoring of TBI and Alzheimer’s through eye-tracking technology and the NeuroDRIVE clinical trial targeting cognitive rehabilitation post-TBI using virtual reality.

In addition, he has been involved in the VA/DoD PACT trial aimed at enhancing cognitive training through telemedicine for military personnel and Veterans with TBI.

Dr. Ettenhofer's educational journey includes a B.A. in Psychology from Ohio University, a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Michigan State University, and a Post-Doc in Clinical Neuropsychology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

His professional experience involves roles such as Former Principal Investigator and Research Scientist at the San Diego VA Health Care System, Former Senior Research Neuropsychologist at DHA TBI Center of Excellence, Former Assistant Research Scientist at UC San Diego, Former Assistant Professor at USUHS, and Former Research Associate and Neuropsychology Fellow at institutions like West Los Angeles VA Healthcare System and University of California, Los Angeles respectively.