Krystal K. Christopher, PhD, MA
- Assistant Professor, Children's Learning Institute
- Clinical Neuropsychologist, Dan L Duncan Children's Neurodevelopmental Clinic at the Children's Learning Institute
Biography
Krystal K. Christopher, PhD, MA, is an assistant professor of pediatrics at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in pediatric neuropsychology. She conducts comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations for children, adolescents, and young adults with oncologic, hematologic, neurological, and genetic conditions.
Dr. Christopher’s research has focused on neurocognitive and functional outcomes in children and adolescents with complex medical and neurological conditions, with a particular emphasis on pediatric oncology and brain-tumor survivorship. She has contributed to several NIH/NCI-funded studies examining symptom burden, neurocognitive outcomes, and functional outcomes among pediatric brain-tumor patients, including the effects of different radiotherapy approaches. Her research interests also include health disparities in pediatric psychology and factors that contribute to individual differences in neurocognitive and functional outcomes. Her work has been supported and recognized through the NIH/NCI Loan Repayment Program for Pediatric Research and an NIH/NCI Diversity Supplement.
Dr. Christopher is dedicated to advancing the understanding of neurocognitive and functional outcomes in children with complex medical conditions and translating this knowledge into improved assessment and care for pediatric patients and their families.
Education
- Graduate School
- Counseling Psychology PhD, University of Houston, Houston, TX 2016-2022
- Master of Arts (MA)
- Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 2012-2014
- Predoctoral Internship
- Neuropsychology, University of Florida Health Science Center, Gainesville, FL 2021-2022
- Research Fellowship
- Postdoctoral Associate, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 2023-2024
- Clinical Fellowship
- Pediatric Neuropsychology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 2024-2026
Areas of Interest
Clinical Interests
Dr. Christopher is a pediatric neuropsychologist specializing in the evaluation of children and adolescents with neurological and oncological conditions. Her clinical interests center on the neuropsychological assessment of children and adolescents with pediatric brain tumors, neurofibromatosis types 1 and 2, and epilepsy, as well as the cognitive and behavioral sequelae associated with neurological conditions and their treatment. She provides comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations that consider cognitive, psychosocial, and adaptive functioning within the context of each child’s developmental and medical history to provide individualized recommendations that support functioning across home, school, and medical settings.
Research Interests
Dr. Christopher’s research program examines neurocognitive and functional outcomes in children and adolescents with neurological and oncological conditions. Her primary research focuses on pediatric brain tumor survivorship, including the effects of disease and treatment on cognition, behavior, symptom burden, and health-related quality of life. She is particularly interested in identifying individual and treatment-related factors that contribute to variability in long-term outcomes and in improving the clinical assessment of cognitive functioning and performance validity in pediatric populations.
Her research also extends to pediatric epilepsy, with an emphasis on neuropsychological profiles and the use of cognitive data to inform presurgical evaluation and clinical decision-making. Ultimately, her work seeks to bridge neuropsychological assessment and outcomes research to improve individualized care for children and families.
Publications
Dr. Christopher’s Google Scholar profile (external link) has a list of publications.
Curriculum Vitae
Email the Children’s Learning Institute to request a copy.
Certification
Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, 2024