Melissa Sutcliffe, PhD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

Dr. Sutcliffe is the Clinical Director of Pediatric Neuropsychology at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Her primary responsibilities are not only clinical but also include managing day-to-day operations of the Pediatric Neuropsychology Clinic and the needs of the growing faculty and staff within the service.

Dr. Sutcliffe currently provides a wide variety of neuropsychological services to both inpatients and outpatients. She spends much of her time on the new Children’s Hospital Rehabilitation Unit, providing neuropsychological and school planning services to children with acute traumatic brain injury, stroke, brain tumors, and a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders. She also provides comprehensive outpatient neuropsychological evaluations to children with a variety of presenting problems. Common populations seen include children with epilepsy, brain tumors, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, and traumatic brain injury.

In addition to clinical work, Dr. Sutcliffe provides supervision and training to pre- and post-doctoral trainees in pediatric neuropsychology.

Board Certifications
Clinical Neuropsychology (American Board of Professional Psychology)
Pediatric Neuropsychology (American Board of Professional Psychology)

Clinical Interests: Executive functioning, secondary ADHD in children who have experienced traumatic brain injury

Why are diversity and inclusion important to me? Diversity and inclusion are important to me because I believe in equity in healthcare. Equity applies both to those who work in healthcare as well as those served by the system. Standing up for justice and equity in this system is as important as the actual care I provide.

Education & Training

  • BA, Psychology, Brandeis University, Magna Cum Laude, Waltham, MA, 2003
  • MS, Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 2007
  • PhD, Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 2011