Dr. Alasantro is accepting new patients. Please schedule online or call 760-631-3000.
Dr. Alasantro is a Licensed Clinical Neuropsychologist (PSY25817) and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry (voluntary) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine.
Dr. Alasantro completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with neuropsychology specialization from the APA-accredited doctoral training at the San Diego State University/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology.
During her pre-doctoral training, she received a full array of didactics in neuroanatomy and neuropsychology. In addition, she completed 6 years of specialized clinical training in clinical neuropsychology, providing brief and comprehensive neuropsychological assessment to a variety of medical, psychiatric and neurologic populations. During her pre-doctoral internship at the UCSD/VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS), she received specialized training in neuropsychological assessment and cognitive rehabilitation for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In addition to her clinical expertise, Dr. Alasantro is also a neuroscientist. She has 19 peer-reviewed publications and 2 book chapters. She has presented research at numerous national and international conferences. In 2012, she was awarded a competitive NIMH-funded T32 Biological Psychiatry and Neuroscience Fellowship at UCSD. As part of her fellowship, she examined the neural mechanisms underlying stress-resilience and optimal performance in elite performers, and their modification through mindfulness training. She has worked closely with a number of different elite performers including Special Operations Forces, elite adventure racers, Olympic Swimmers, Olympic Cyclists, and RedBull Athletes.
Following her 2.5-year fellowship, she worked as a staff psychologist at the VASDHS in a residential treatment facility for homeless Veterans with histories of PTSD and TBI. As part of her clinical responsibilities, she provided evidenced-based psychotherapy for PTSD, neuropsychological assessment and cognitive rehabilitation, and supervised doctoral and post-doctoral level students.
Dr. Alasantro joined the Neurology Center of Southern California in January 2016. She provides comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations for adults with dementia, movement disorders, traumatic brain injury, and stroke, as well as other medical and psychiatric conditions. In addition, she provides pre-surgical evaluations for deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, and behavioral interventions for cognitive deficits and psychological disorders. She is passionate about providing best practices for cognitive and psychological disorders to help improve day-to-day functioning and quality of life.
She is a member of American Psychological Association, International Neuropsychological Society, and the National Academy of Neuropsychology. When not working, she enjoys times with family, running, surfing, reading and traveling.