HNS is proud to recognize Dr. Christopher Nuñez as the September 2011 Member of the Month.
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Employer: University of California, Los Angeles. Associate Director, UCLA Cultural Neuropsychology Initiative.
Clinical populations you work with: While much of my training is with children, the shortage of Spanish speaking neuropsychologists, even in Los Angeles, makes it necessary for me to work with patients across the lifespan – children, adults, and older adults.
Research interests and/or current research projects: Multimodal neuroimaging (MRI, fMRI, DTI) of typically developing children and children with neurodevelopmental disorders, focusing on development of language and executive functions.
How did you get bitten by the Hispanic neuropsychology bug? I can’t say I was really bitten by the bug. Rather I was born with it, growing up in a bicultural and bilingual family. Ever since I decided to pursue a career in neuropsychology, my insights as a bicultural individual have informed both my research and clinical work.
Name one thing not many people know about you? In my early 20s I lived in Brussels, Belgium where I learned to speak French. So I’m actually trilingual in English, Spanish, and French.
What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday? There’s so much to do in a great city like L.A., that it’s hard to choose. There’s always enjoying the perfect weather at the beach, going on a hike with my dogs, or working in the garden. In the evening, I love to have a wonderful dinner followed by a movie, a show, or an evening with great friends.
If you could travel anywhere in the world and spend a week there, where would it be? I’ve never been to Italy and would love to spend a week in Florence.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Wouldn’t it be great to fly like Superman? I could probably avoid a lot long lines at security check points!