Maria Schultheis, PhD

Schulthies’ clinical and research experience have been focused on the rehabilitation of cognitively impaired populations, including traumatic brain injury, stroke and multiple sclerosis. Specifically, she has specialized in 1) the application of technologies to the clinical, research and education of psychology and 2) studying the demands (physical, cognitive and behavioral) of driving following neurological compromise. Recently, she has focused on the development of new driving assessment protocols for individuals with disabilities. This includes research focusing on the application of Virtual Reality (VR) technology. Schultheis is also investigating the development of VR as a tool for ecologically valid assessment and retraining of everyday activities in rehabilitation. Schultheis' overall interest is in research related to the investigation and development of methodologies that have functional significance and can improve the quality of everyday life for persons with disabilities.

Schultheis’ approach is interdisciplinary and her work cuts across the fields of Clinical Psychology, Rehabilitation, Engineering and Transportation. She has published over 35 manuscripts, chapters and other publications and has presented her work at various international and national forums. She is active in several professional organizations related to these areas and currently serves on the National Research Council, as a member of the Transportation Research Board.