Bio
Shane Bierma, Ph.D. (2019, University of Tennessee, Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology; 2019, Post-Doctoral Fellow, LSUHSC).
Dr. Bierma specializes in comprehensive neuropsychological and psychological assessment of cognitive disorders, including early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and other neurocognitive conditions. Her work integrates evaluation, diagnosis, and psychotherapy for individuals experiencing cognitive decline across complex medical presentations. She maintains active collaborative projects with colleagues across LSUHSC and the School of Allied Health, and several other Southeastern Universities, supporting interdisciplinary research, training, and clinical initiatives related to people living with HIV (PWH), cognitive disorders/functioning, inflammation, and brain health.
Dr. Bierma teaches intersectionality of identity in healthcare settings, psychological assessment, and psychodynamic psychotherapy. She also specializes in working with gender and sexual minority (GSM) populations, providing evaluations and psychotherapy related to identity, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and gender-affirming surgery, as well as clinical supervision and training for trainees desiring to build competency in this area.
She currently serves as Director of the Assessment Clinic for LSUHSC interns, postdoctoral fellows, and external practicum students, teaching thorough comprehensive psychological assessment, conceptualization, and theory; Director of Research for the Department of Psychiatry https://www.medschool.lsuhsc.edu/Psychiatry/student_research.aspx, Director of the Cognitive Disorders Program within the HOP Clinic, and Associate Training Director of LSUHSC’s postdoctoral fellowship.
Dr. Bierma is recruiting a postdoctoral fellow for the 2026-2027 academic year with interests in the assessment and treatment of neurocognitive disorders, and PWH. Dr. Bierma’s fellowship track provides training in psychiatric inpatient, HIV Outpatient (HOP), and assessment. They participate in training didactics with interns and practicum students and provide consultation for psychiatry residents for psychotherapy cases. Fellows on this track are provided with administrative time to prepare for the EPPP, and most complete the exam by spring semester. Fellows have the options of working on existing research, completing their own research project, and complete a specialty rotation in their area of interest.
Dr. Bierma’s most distinguished academic honor is being the champion of the of the Section of Psychology’s Annual Cookie Challenge consistently since 2019.
Education
Undergraduate:
Bachelor of Science
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI
December 2011
Graduate:
Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology
Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
August 2019
Internship:
Pre-Doctoral Psychology Intern
LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans, LA
July 2018-June 2019
Clinical Fellowship:
Post-Doctoral Fellowship
Neuropsychology
LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans, LA
July 2019-November 2021
Research
My primary research interest investigates factors impacting medication adherence in people living with HIV (PLWH) such as stigma, health comorbidities, memory issues, and trauma. Additionally, my research examines neurocognitive decline in PLWH, especially in the aging population. Through neurocognitive assessment and imaging, my research is better able to diagnose HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). I also factor in viral loads and medication nonadherence in the HAND process and assess these factors longitudinally to create predictive models for HAND progression in high-risk individuals. Additionally, I research neuropsychological assessment approaches for early detection of Alzheimer’s/dementia. Lastly, I research differential diagnoses through psychological assessment of individuals with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) who present with psychotic symptoms but have an intellectual disability. Psychological assessment can clarify whether their reported psychotic symptoms are a true psychotic cognitive process or a possible misinterpretation of their own internal monologue.
Publications
Refereed
Garcia, D.J., Schmidt, M., Bierma, S., Shorter, R., Skadberg, R., Waugh, M. (March 2018). It's
not that Difficult: An Interrater Reliability Study of the DSM–5 Section III Alternative
Model for
Personality Disorders, Journal of Personality Assessment,
doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2018.1428982 . Impact Factor=2
Wolford-Clevenger, C., Bierma, S., Flores, L. Y., Cropsey, K. L., & Stuart, G. L. (March 2021).
Minority stress experiences and drug use among transgender and gender diverse adults:
A daily
diary study. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 220(108508) 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108508.
Impact Factor=3.6
Correia, K., Bierma, S., Houston, S., Nelson, M., Pannu, K., Tirman, C., Cannon, R., Clance, L.,
Canterbury, D., Google, A., Morrison, B., Henning, J. (April 2022). Education Racial
and
Gender Disparities in COVID-19 Worry, Stress, and Food Insecurities across Undergraduate
Biology Students at a Southeastern University, Journal of Microbiology and Biology
Education.
https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00224-21. Impact Factor=1.5
Book Chapters:
Bierma, S., Lookatch, S., Khaddouma, A., & Stuart, G.L. (2014). Individual Therapy. In A.
Skull, & G. Golson (Eds), Cultural Sociology of Mental Illness, an A-Z Guide. (p.
882-884). La
Jolla, CA: Sage.
Bierma, S., Lookatch, S., Ritter, K., & Moore, T.M. (2014). Mental Illness Defined: Historical
Perspectives. In A. Skull, & G. Golson (Eds), Cultural Sociology of Mental Illness,
an A-Z
Guide. (p. 511-515). La Jolla, CA: Sage.
Bierma, S., Shorey, R., Brasfield, H., & Stuart, G.L. (2014). Agoraphobia. In A. Skull & G.
Golson (Eds), Cultural Sociology of Mental Illness, an A-Z Guide. (p. 14-17). La Jolla,
CA:
Sage.
Bierma, S., Shorey, R., Elmquist, J., & Stuart, G.L. (2014). Mania. In A. Skull & G. Golson
(Eds), Cultural Sociology of Mental Illness, an A-Z Guide. (p. 480-482). La Jolla,
CA: Sage.