MSK neuropsychologist Elizabeth Ryan

Elizabeth L. Ryan, PhD

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Chemo brain
  • Memory and concentration problems
  • Attentional Disorders

My Specialties

  • Neuropsychological assessment
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
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Get to Know Me

I am a clinical neuropsychologist with expertise in assessing the cognitive effects of cancer and its treatment. As the neuropsychology liaison to Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Breast Cancer Medicine Service, I provide assessment services to patients with cognitive problems.

Working with members of the Neurocognitive Research Laboratory, I study the cognitive and neurophysiologic aspects of cancer and its treatment with a focus on ameliorating cognitive problems. I am the principal investigator on a study of rehabilitation of cancer-related cognitive problems. I also study whether ethnic-minority women with breast cancer experience cognitive problems after chemotherapy as well as any electrophysiologic (EEG) changes that may occur.

I am a member of many scientific societies including the International Neuropsychological Society, the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, the National Academy of Neuropsychology, and the American Psychological Association, all organizations of specialists in my field. Additionally, I am a member of the junior investigators in cancer survivorship group at Memorial Sloan Kettering.

What I Do at MSK

I'm a neuropsychologist (NOOR-oh-sy-KAH-loh-jist). This is a doctor with special training in evaluating how brain problems affect behavior and cognition (mental processes).

  • Associate Attending Neuropsychologist
  • Co-Director, Neuropsychological Assessment Service
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Chemo brain
  • Memory and concentration problems
  • Attentional Disorders
  • Cognitive disorders
  • Cognitive changes
  • Confusion
  • Delirium

My Specialties

  • Neuropsychological assessment
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Education & Honors

Education

  • PhD, Washington University in St. Louis

Residencies

  • Yale School of Medicine

Fellowships

  • Weill Cornell Medical College

Board Certifications

  • Clinical Neuropsychology

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Contact and Location

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
160 East 53rd Street New York NY 10022

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Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

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Clinical Trials

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Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

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Research and Publications

Ryan EL, Skinner CS. Risk beliefs and interest in counseling: focus-group interviews among first-degree relatives of breast cancer patients.. Journal of Cancer Education 1999; 14 :99-103

Mortimer JE, Boucher L, Baty J, Knapp DL, Ryan E, Rowland J.. Effect of tamoxifen on sexual functioning in patients with breast cancer.. Journal of Clinical Oncology 1999; 17(5) :1488-1492

Filippi CG, Ulug AM, Ryan E, Ferrando SJ, van Gorp W. Diffusion tensor imaging of patients with HIV and normal-appearing white matter on MR images of the brain.. American Journal of Neuroradiology 2001; 22 :277-283

Smith CA, van Gorp WG, Ryan ER, Ferrando SJ, Rabkin J. Screening subtle HIV-related cognitive dysfunction: the clinical utility of the HIV dementia scale.. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome 2003; 1:33(1) :116-8

Woods SP, Rippeth JD, Frol AB, Levy JK, Ryan E, Soukup VM, Hinkin CH, Lazzaretto D, Cherner M, Marcotte TD, Gelman BB, Morgello S, Singer EJ, Grant I, Heaton RK. Interrater reliability of clinical ratings and neurocognitive diagnoses in HIV.. Journal of clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology 2004; 26(6) :759-778

Ryan EL, Morgello S, Isaacs K, Naseer M, Gerits P; The Manhattan HIV Brain Bank. Neuropsychiatric impact of hepatitis C on advanced HIV.. Neurology 2004; 62(6) :957-62

Morgello S, Estanislao L, Simpson D, Geraci A, DiRocco A, Gerits P, Ryan E, Yakoushina T, Khan S, Mahboob R, Naseer M, Dorfman D, Sharp V; Manhattan HIV Brain Bank. HIV-associated distal sensory polyneuropathy in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy: the Manhattan HIV Brain Bank.. Archives of Neurology 2004; 61(4) :546-51

Morgello S, Estanislao L, Ryan E, Gerits P, Simpson D, Verma S, DiRocco A, Sharp V; Manhattan HIV Brain Bank. Effects of hepatic function and hepatitis C virus on the nervous system assessment of advanced-stage HIV-infected individuals.. AIDS 2005; 19 Suppl 3 :S116-22

Ryan EL, Baird R, Mindt MR, Byrd D, Monzones J, Bank SM; Manhattan HIV Brain Bank. Neuropsychological impairment in racial/ethnic minorities with HIV infection and low literacy levels: effects of education and reading level in participant characterization.. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 2005; 11 :889-898

Sigal SH, Stanca CM, Kontorinis N, Bodian C, Ryan E. Diabetes mellitus is associated with hepatic encephalopathy in patients with HCV cirrhosis.. American Journal of Gastroenterology 2006; 101 :1490-1496

Morgello S, Holzer CE 3rd, Ryan E, Young C, Naseer M, Castellon SA, Frol AB, Atkinson JH, Gelman BB, Grant I, Singer EJ. Interrater reliability of the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders in an HIV-infected cohort: experience of the National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium.. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric research 2006; 15 :131-138

van Gorp WG, Rabkin JG, Ferrando SJ, Mintz J, Ryan E, Borkowski T, McElhiney M. Neuropsychiatric predictors of return to work in HIV/AIDS.. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 2007; 11 :889-898

Murray J, Fishman SL, Ryan E, Eng FJ, Walewski JL, Branch AD, Morgello S. Clinicopathologic correlates of hepatitis C virus in brain: a pilot study.. Journal of Neurovirology 2008; 14 :17-27

Mindt MR, Byrd D, Ryan EL, Robbins R, Monzones J, Arentoft A, Germano KK, Morgello S, Henniger DE. Characterization and sociocultural predictors of neuropsychological test performance in HIV+ Hispanic individuals.. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology 2008; 14 :315-325

Ryan EL, Byrd D, Mindt MR, Rausch WJ, Morgello S. Understanding the neuropsychological profile of HIV+ participants with low literacy: role of the General Ability Measure for Adults (GAMA).. The Cilnical Neuropsychologist 2009; 22 :1018-1034

Weiss J.J., Osorio G., Ryan E., Marcus S.M., Fishbein D.A. Prevalence and patient awareness of medical comorbidities in an urban AIDS clinic.. AIDS Patient Care STDS 2010; 29 :34-48

 

Disclosures

Members of the MSK Community often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community. These activities outside of MSK further our mission, provide productive collaborations, and promote the practical application of scientific discoveries.

MSK requires doctors, faculty members, and leaders to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public. Not all disclosed interests and relationships present conflicts of interest. MSK reviews all disclosed interests and relationships to assess whether a conflict of interest exists and whether formal COI management is needed.

Elizabeth L. Ryan discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

No disclosures meeting criteria for time period


If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.


This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2024 through disclosure submission in spring 2025). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


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