Michael Drexler, Ph.D., CPRP

Associate Professor, School of Psychology (SOP)
SOP Director of Academic and Student Affairs

Dr. Drexler is a neuropsychologist and is an Associate Professor at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont California, where he serves as Director of Academic and Student Affairs, and Chairs the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

He is also Adjunct Professor of Neuropsychology and Neuropsychological Assessment at the California School of Professional Psychology of Alliant International University (CSPP of AIU), Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco (USF).

He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, and board certified by the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.

Background

Dr. Drexler worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) from 2001 through 2023. While with DVA, he served in a number of capacities including as the VA Sierra Nevada Network (VISN 21) Director of Organizational Development and Wellness and Chief Wellbeing Officer, VA VISN 21 Chief Mental Health Officer, Acting VISN 21 Chief Medical Officer, and for the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS), he served as Director of the Telemental Health Section of the Mental Health Service, Coordinator of the Workplace Violence Prevention Program at SFVAHCS, Psychologist for Mental Health in inpatient medicine, Clinical Director of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center, Local Psychosocial Recovery Coordinator (LRC) for Severe Mental Illness, Hospice Psychologist, Mental Health Manager for Compensation and Pension, Geriatric Neuropsychologist and Geropsychologist.

Before moving to DVA, he worked for the SF Department of Public Health and was stationed at Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in San Francisco, serving as Director of the Neuropsychology Service, Program Director of Psychosocial Units (with a focus on SMI), and Psychosocial Coordinator of the Dementia Cluster. During that time, he was also on staff at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Dr. Drexler has worked as the consulting neuropsychologist for Geriatric Services of San Francisco, Garfield Geropsychiatric Hospital in Oakland, Morton Bakar Geropsychiatric Center in Hayward, and Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco.

Dr. Drexler served as Chair of the Continuing Education Committee of the National Academy of Neuropsychology and on the Ad Hoc Education Committee of the International Neuropsychological Society. He served as President of the Northern California Neuropsychology Forum.

Education

Postdoctoral Residency/Fellowship. Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology; (Laurel Grove Rehabilitation Hospital-Eden Hospital, Hayward California, 1990)
Psychology Internship (San Francisco VA Health Care System, 1986-1988)
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology. Dissertation: A Comparative Neuropsychological Study of Recognition of Facial Affect in Dementia and Depression; (California School of Professional Psychology of Alliant International University, 1988)
Master’s Degree, Clinical Psychology. Research Topics: Prototypic Norms for a Children’s Version of the California Verbal Learning Test; Longitudinal Study of Progression in Dementia; (California School of Professional Psychology of Alliant International University, 1984)
Bachelor’s Degree, Psychology. (University of Colorado, Boulder, 1980)

Courses Taught

Lifespan Development (NDNU)
Clinical Assessment & Treatment Planning (NDNU)
Research Methods & Proposal Design (NDNU)
Dying, Death, & Bereavement (NDNU)
Cross-Cultural Issues (NDNU)
Gerontology Focus courses (NDNU)
Neuropsychology and Neuropsychological Assessment (CSPP of AIU)
Brain, Mind, & Behavior (Interdisciplinary Studies (UCSF)
Individual & Systems Assessment (USF)
Individual & Family Psychopathology (USF)
Neuroanatomy and Psychopharmacology (AIU MS in Clinical Psychopharmacology Program)

Research and Interests

Neuropsychology of normal and pathological developmental processes
Attitudes of Mental Health Professionals
Memory and Trauma
Cross-cultural neuropsychology
Environmental interventions with dementia syndromes
Schizophrenia and Severe Mental Illness
Brain trauma
Workplace Safety

Selected Publications

Bush, S., & Drexler, M.L. (Eds.) (2002). Ethics in neuropsychology. Netherlands: Swets & Zeitlinger.

Drexler, M.L. (2014). Psychological assessment of veterans in long-term care. In S.S. Bush (Ed.), Psychological assessment of veterans. New York: Oxford University Press. (Chapter 3).

Drexler, M.L. & Walker, W. (2003). Geropsychology: Emerging practice and training. In M.B. Kenkel, L. Winfrey, L. Collins, & J. Yalof (Program Committee), NCSPP pre-conference book of readings (cited on-line at NCSPP website). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Drexler, M.L., Walker, W.L., Krackov, B., & Wyman, M. (2004). Geropsychological services for Palliative Care/Hospice patients in a VA nursing home care unit. Psychologists in Long Term Care Newsletter, 18, 3-8.

Harrison, M., Haney-Chambers K., Drexler, M., Lyon-Bramhall, A., & McQuaid, J. (2020, July). Lessons learned from a service-wide transition to tele mental health: We have overcome challenges, made mistakes, and learned a great deal. VA Section Newsletter, APA Division 18, Psychologists in Public Service.

Heaton, R.K., & Drexler, M. (1987). Clinical neuropsychological findings in schizophrenia and aging. In N.E. Miller & G.D. Cohen (Eds.), Schizophrenia and aging: Schizophrenia, paranoia, and schizophreniform disorders in later life (pp. 145-161). New York: The Guilford Press.

Karlin, B.E., Teri, L., Shealy-McGee, J.S, Sutherland, E.S., Asghar-Ali, A., Crocker, S.M., Smith, T.L., Curyto, K., Drexler, M. & Karel, M. (2017). STAR-VA Intervention for managing challenging behaviors in VA Community Living Center residents with dementia: Manual for STAR VA behavioral coordinators and nursing champions. Community Living Center Mental Health Providers. Washington, DC: VACO publications.

Purcell, N., & Drexler, M.L. (2018, March). Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management: Lessons Learned in One VA Health Care System. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tam0000093

Purcell, N., Shovein, E., JD; Hebenstreit, C., & Drexler, M. (2017). Violence in a U.S. Veterans Affairs healthcare system: Worker Perspectives on prevalence, causes, and contributors. Policy and Practice in Health & Safety, DOI: 10.1080/14773996.2016.1266439.

van Zyl, M., Shumaker, E., & Drexler, M. (2022, March). Telehealth: Benefits, barriers, and burnout– VA providers share their experiences with telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and invite you to join the conversation. VA Section Newsletter, APA Division 18, Psychologists in Public Service.

Vinogradov, S., Kirkland, J., Poole, J.H., Drexler, M.L., Ober, B.A., & Shenaut, G.K. (2003). Both processing speed and semantic organization account for verbal fluency in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 59 (2-3), 269-275.

Selected Presentations

Drexler, M., Nguyen, D., Juanamarga, J., Reddy, S., Shumaker, E., Kotte, A., Lyon-Bramhall, A., & Ma, F. (2019, May). VA mental health clinicians’ perceptions of delivering behavioral interventions using telemental health technology (TMH): data to help support the important VA initiative for remote treatment. Presented at the Association of Veterans Affairs Psychology Leadership (VAVAPL) Annual Conference, San Antonio, Texas.

Drexler, M.L., Rizzo, T., Sutherland, E.S., Yuger, F., & Cheng, E. (2007, February). A preliminary study of the incremental validity of quantified process-related features from the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) to diagnostic classification of cognitive disorder in a geriatric sample. Presented at the annual convention of the International Neuropsychological Society, Portland, Oregon.

Glezerman, A., & Drexler, M.L. (2001, November). The Russian Adaptation of the CERAD Battery (CERAD-RA). Presented at the Annual Conference of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, San Francisco, California.

Juanamarga, J., Shumate, S.K., Drexler, M.L., & Reddy, S., (2017, April). Theoretical orientation and technology: Telemental health use in clinical practice within VA facilities. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Clinical Issues Paper Session II, Sacramento, CA.

Lang J.A., Drexler M.L., Riley N., DeCristoforo L., & Sedo M.A. (2002, October). A Stroop Alternative for Non-English Speakers: Investigation of the Clinical Utility of an Automatic-Controlled Processing Model Applied to the Five Digit Test. Presented at the Annual Conference of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, Miami, Florida.

Ma, F., Drexler, M., Shumaker, E., Reddy, S., Larkins, D., Juanamarga, J., & Burns, R. (2018, April). Telemental Health: Innovative Practice to Enhance Care for Veterans. Presented at the APA Technology, Mind, & Society: An interdisciplinary conference, Washington, D.C.

Miele, A., Benigno, A., Gunner, J., Leigh, K., Lynch, J., Drexler, M., McCaffrey, R., & Weiss, E. (2010). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive power, and negative predictive power of 15 Embedded Symptom Validity measures among litigants: Caution, dangerous curve ahead! Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 25, 502.

Nguyen, D., Mendoza, C., Joseph, K., Drexler, M., Mendoza, R. (2019, April). Telehealth care for women combat veterans. Presented at the Annual California Psychological Association Conference, Long Beach, California.

Poggesi, R. M., Reddy, S., Drexler, M., Shumaker, E. (2018, May). Case report for technology-mediated delivery of CBT for Insomnia yields promising results. Presented at the meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, San Francisco, California.

Shiratori, Y., Leigh, K, & Drexler, M.L. (2012, April). Sensorimotor Group treatment of Severe Mental Illness and other Sensory Processing Disorders: Procedures and observations. Presented at the annual convention of the California Psychological Association, Monterey, California.

Spaminato, L., Drexler, M.L., & Tanno, C. (September, 2023). Neuropsychological Constructs: Factor Structure of a Standard Battery Revisited. Presented at the Annual California Psychological Association Conference, San Diego, California.

Spaminato, L., Henn-Haase, C., Cooper, B., & Drexler, M. (2024, March). Deception: Worth Paying Attention To? Clinician Perceptions and Interviewee Endorsement of Response Bias in Violence Risk Assessment. American Psychology Law Society Conference 2024, Los Angeles, California.

Walker, W.L & Drexler, M.L. (2004, July). Color Trails & Five-Digit Tests: Education Effects in Modern Greek Speakers. Presented at the joint meeting of the Australia Society for Brain Impairment and the International

Wortman, K. M., Drexler, M.L., & Casey, S. C. (2018, June). Using the NEO to assess and describe personality in mild TBI: Results and implications. Presented at the Federal Interagency Conference on TBI (FICTBI), Washington, DC.

Young, R., Drexler, M., & Chiu, E. (2018, March). What Are We Missing in Person-Centered Dementia Care: The Care Burden of Being a Caregiver. Presented at the 2018 ASA Aging in America Conference, San Francisco, California.

Notre Dame de Namur University is an equal opportunity employer firmly committed to non-discrimination in its hiring and other employment practices and personnel policies. In compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, except where a bona fide occupational qualification exists, NDNU will make employment decisions irrespective of the staff member’s race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age (except for minors), sex, marital status, citizenship status, military service status, sexual orientation, medical condition (a cancer-related or genetic condition), disability and/or any another status protected by law. When necessary, the NDNU will reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities if they are otherwise qualified to perform all essential functions safely and do it without undue hardship to the NDNU. Inquiries regarding the College’s equal opportunity policies should be directed to the Human Resources Department via email at hr@ndnu.edu. NDNU admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.

Mark Dee

Magellan Solutions USA launched under the visionary leadership of Mark A. K. Dee, Chief Executive Officer – a consultant and service provider for healthcare administrative support, IT development, energy, call center, and business process outsourcing. Mark has served in various multi-level management positions in his 21 years of service in the United States Air Force (USAF). He performed as Immunology and Microbiology department manager, Medical Laboratory Assistant Director, Facility and Security Manager, and finally retiring in the military in 2008 as Superintendent/Assistant Chief of Operations of 330 personnel Medical Group. Mark has experiences in the services industries since he retired, including running a restaurant chain as the CEO. He has also developed other businesses in the Martials Arts studio and 3d-printing industries. He has a BS in Health Sciences and Hospital Administration, Board Certified in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Graduated in the Senior Executive Leadership School from the USAF, Master’s in Business Administration, and a Master’s of Science in Systems Management at Notre Dame De Namur University.

Chosen Cheng

Chosen Cheng is owner of CMC Group, a privately held engineering and marketing consultancy for small business startup ventures. He currently works with project teams developing patented award-winning solar roofing systems and patent pending drone-based augmented reality geological and thermal mapping solutions. He was formerly a Silicon Valley marketing and innovative corporate training manager. As an avocation and a way to “pay it forward” he enjoys teaching and career coaching college and graduate MBA students many of whom are pioneering first generation college students from underserved communities. He and his wife, a Notre Dame alum, celebrated their wedding reception at the Ralston Mansion in the 70’s and have two stupendously successful, married adult children who between them have four stupendously adorable grandchildren.

Arthur Chait

Entrepreneur, Executive, Engineer, Investor, Professor, Mentor. Founder & CEO EoPlex Inc. ($31 million VC funded startup acquired by ASTI Singapore). President Stanford Research Institute (SRI) Consulting Division (800 staff worldwide). SVP Flextronics (responsible for $8 Billion in global accounts). President Zitel Software. Principal Booz Allen. R&D Director Halliburton. Adjunct Professor Menlo College, Visiting Professor Universidad Francisco Marroquin (Guatemala), Mentor Draper University, Judge Startup Chile. BS Engineering Rutgers, MBA Strategy University Pittsburgh.

Kelly Cansler

Kelly completed both her BS (Finance/Economics) and MBA from NDNU. She utilized her business education to launch an insurance agency in 2008 with Farmers Insurance. It’s grown into multi-million-dollar agency, organically and through acquisition. She has been recognized by Farmers Insurance being ranked within the top 10% of agents nationwide, but also as a speaker, trainer, and mentor within the Farmers Insurance Community. Kelly is extremely connected with local businessowners through several networking channels.

Cliff Burnette

Cliff is the senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Rambus, a global chip and IP provider that advances data center connectivity and solves the bottleneck between memory and processing. Cliff has over 20 years of experience leading global human resources operations for publicly traded companies with expertise in employee relations, organizational development, and compensation strategy. Prior to Rambus, Cliff worked for several other high-tech companies in the semiconductor and medical device space and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Marketing from Texas State University and a master’s degree in Human Resources Management and Organization Development from the University of Texas at Austin.

Memo Morantes

Memo Morantes has been a San Mateo County resident for more than 45 years. He has been a three-term San Mateo County Board of Education incumbent, a Redwood City/San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce board member, a Sequoia Hospital Foundation member, a co-chair of the Latino Leadership Council of San Mateo, and a civic/community activist.

Sheryl Young

Sheryl serves as a director for Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, which provides $10M each year for innovative teachers and social entrepreneurs throughout the Bay Area. Prior Sheryl served as CEO of Community Gatepath and AbilityPath.org. She has over 30 years of managerial experience in operations, finance, and marketing. Young is a graduate of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders, earned an M.A. of Public Health from UC Berkeley, an M.A. in Special Education from Ball State University and a B.A. in Political Science from Purdue University.

Brian Schumacker

Brian manages South San Francisco-San Bruno’s wastewater treatment plant and with a dedicated staff of over 40 professionals who safeguard community health and protect the fragile San Francisco Bay ecosystem. Brian holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration, both from Notre Dame de Namur University. Brian has also earned the highest levels of professional certifications in wastewater treatment.

Mario Rendon

Mario Rendon serves as District Director for State Assemblymember Kevin Mullin. He develops the communications, public relations and constituent service strategy for the office and supervises a small team that represents Mr. Mullin in the 22nd Assembly District within San Mateo County. He has over twenty year’s experience working with elected officials at the local, state and federal level developing public policy.

Jerry Hill

Jerry’s public service started with his local neighborhood association that progressed to the California State Assembly and Senate where he authored legislation resulting in laws on issues related to consumer protection, utility safety, coastal protection, public health, education and the environment. Jerry was born and raised in San Francisco, receiving his BA from the University of California, Berkeley and a Teaching Credential from San Francisco State University.

Magda Gonzalez

Magda was most recently the City Manager for the City of Half Moon Bay, California. Prior she was the City Manager of East Palo Alto, California and Assistant City Manager, Redwood City. Magda was President of Cal-ICMA, representing the Local Government Hispanic Network and serves on the Board of Directors for the San Mateo Credit Union and the Latino Leadership Council of San Mateo County. Magda is also a member of ICMA and the State Bar of California and received several awards and recognitions, including Career Excellence Award (WLG) and the Ethical Hero Award from Cal-ICMA.

Jeremy Dennis

Jeremy currently serves as Portola Valley Town Manager. Previously, he’s worked for elected officials at all governance levels, including twice as District Director for local assemblymembers. He worked as the Palo Alto Long Range Planning Director, and for San Mateo County in management roles. Jeremy has a Masters in Urban Planning from the London School of Economics, and graduated from UC Davis studying US History/Political Science.

Kate Comfort-Harr

Kate is Executive Director of HIP Housing, a nonprofit specializing in creative affordable housing solutions throughout San Mateo County. Kate is a frequent speaker on a wide array of affordable housing topics and is passionate about the cultivation of collaborations between the private, public and social sectors. She serves on the Board of Directors for the San Mateo Credit Union and was awarded the Chamber San Mateo County’s 2020 Business Woman of the Year Award.

Jeff Cox

Program Director for Master of Public Administration

Jerome Nadel

Jerome Nadel is Internationally experienced design-led marketing executive (CMO and GM) with a track record of improved market position, revenue growth, and M&A. He is an advance degreed psychologist and user experience product/service design expert, board member and advisor. Jerome recently retired from Rambus as where he was CMO and GM of the security software division that he led the sale to Visa. He has had a variety of chief marketing officer and chief user experience officer roles at companies including Human Factors International, SLP InfoWare, Gemplus, and Sagem. He started his career in the IBM Human Factors Labs. He is also an avid cyclist with National and multiple California State Champion titles.