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Dr. Watson (she/her) is a clinical neuropsychologist who cares for patients with a variety of cognitive health needs. She is licensed in the state of California and conducts neuropsychological evaluations for adults ages 18 and up. She helps diagnose neurological and psychiatric disorders, identify each patient's strengths and weaknesses, and makes individualized recommendations to support mental and cognitive health. She also provides therapeutic adjustment to patients and their loved ones after an evaluation.
As a clinician, Dr. Watson's goal is to provide affirming, person-centered, and evidence-based care. Since 2016, Dr. Watson has trained and provided clinical services to patients at UC San Francisco, Palo Alto Veteran's Hospital, and UC San Diego/San Diego State University. She is queer, mixed race Chinese American, and bilingual (Spanish/English) with medical certification to provide cognitive services in Spanish. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she loves gardening, hot springs, and poetry.
Training and Education
Training and Education
Licensure PSY 34742, California Board of Psychology
Clinical Neuropsychology Fellowship, UC San Francisco
Clinical Neuropsychology Internship/Residency, VA Palo Alto Health Care System
PhD in Clinical Psychology with specialization in Neuropsychology, UC San Diego/San Diego State University
BA in Psychology and Urban Studies, Columbia University
Areas of Expertise
Areas of Expertise
Dr. Watson has clinical expertise in assessing adults with cognitive concerns due to a wide range of neurological, medical, mood, and developmental conditions including:
Neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Vascular dementia, Lewy Body dementia, behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia, primary progressive aphasias, etc.)
Movement disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease)
Stroke, traumatic brain injury/concussion, HIV, epilepsy, cancer
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Learning disorders (e.g., dyslexia/reading disorder, dysgraphia/writing disorder, dyscalculia/math disorder)
Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorders
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Community-based Work
Community-based Work
Dr. Watson has worked in community-based clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area to provide culturally-adaptive neuropsychological services to diverse communities.
She is also a member of national and international neuropsychology organizations including the International Neuropsychological Society (INS), Asian Neuropsychological Association (ANA), and Hispanic Neuropsychological Society (HNS).
At UC San Diego, she served on the Department of Psychiatry's LGBTQ+ Diversity Committee and organized CE trainings such as: “Understanding the Rainbow: LGBTQ+ Terms and Gender Affirming Care” and developed a program for UC San Diego psychiatry providers to earn LGBTQ+ clinical care competencies.
Clinical Research
Clinical Research
Dr. Watson has published over 25 peer-reviewed scientific publications examining factors that influence cognitive and mental health across the lifespan. Selected publications below.
Watson, C. W.-M., Sundermann, E. E., Helm, J., Paolillo, E.W., Hong, S., Ellis, R.J., Letendre, S., Marcotte, T.D., Heaton, R.K., Morgan, E.E., & Grant, I. (2023). A longitudinal study of cannabis use and risk for cognitive and functional decline among older adults with HIV. AIDS and Behavior. 27(10), 3401-3413. doi: 10.1007/s10461-023-04056-6
Watson, C. W.-M., Pasipanodya, E., Savin, M. J., Ellorin, E. E., Corado, K. C., Flynn, R. P., Opalo, C., Lampley, E., Henry, B. L., Blumenthal, J. S., Bolan, R., Morris, S., & Moore, D. J. (2020). Barriers and facilitators to PrEP initiation and adherence among transgender and gender non-binary individuals in Southern California. AIDS Education and Prevention, 32(6), 472-485. doi: 10.1521/aeap.2020.32.6.472
Zahodne, L. B., Watson, C. W.-M., Seehra, S., & Martinez, M. (2017). Positive psychosocial factors and cognition in ethnically diverse older adults. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 24(3), 294-304. doi: 10.1017/S1355617717000935
Watson, C.W.-M., Manly, J.J. & Zahodne, L.B. (2016). Does bilingualism protect against cognitive aging? Methodological issues in research on bilingualism, cognitive reserve, and dementia incidence. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism: Special Issue on Bilingualism and Executive Function: An interdisciplinary approach, 6(5), 590-604. doi: 10.1075/lab.15043.wat
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