EDUCATION

• Ph.D.    July, 2001
              Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
              Major: Clinical Child Psychology (APA Approved)
              Dissertation: Do verbal working memory and reconstitution differentiate between groups of children

              with ADHD-HI/C, ADHD-PI and Controls?
  
              Chair: James P. O’Donnell, Ph.D.

 

• M. A.    December, 1995
              Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
              Major: Clinical Child Psychology (APA Approved)
              Thesis: Electrophysiological correlates of orthographic and phonological processes in reading
  
              Chair: Dennis L. Molfese, Ph. D.

 

• B. A.     December, 1992
              Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
              Major: Psychology
              Senior Honors Thesis: Childhood Sexual Abuse and Later Eating Disorders.

POSTGRADUATE TRAINING:

• Internship in Pediatric Psychology:  Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 1998-1999

• Post doctoral training: 2001-2003:  University of Texas HSC at Houston

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS:

Present Position:

• Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Clinical Neurosciences
  1333 Moursund St., Suite H114, Houston, TX 77030
  

• 1996 -1998                 Clinical Extern:  Child and Adolescent Department
                                     Franklin-Williamson Human Services, Inc.
                                     West Frankfort, Illinois
                                   
• 1995 - 1997                Research Assistant. University Clinical Center 
     
• 1994 – 1995               Staff Clinician:  Southern Illinois University Clinical Center
  
• 1993- 1995                 Research Assistant; Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory
                                     Department of Psychology under Dr. Dennis Molfese

LICENSURE: Eligible for Texas Licensure in Clinical Psychology

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:

• 2004                      Houston Neuropsychological Society - Member       

• 1993 – present      American Psychological Association - Member

• 2001 – present      International Neuropsychological Society                             

HONORS AND AWARDS:

• 1998                           Dissertation Research Award
  
• 1993                           Psychology Honors Award for Outstanding Student
  
• 1993                           Summa cum laude and Honors diploma
  
• 1989-2003                 Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
  
• 1991 to present         Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
  
• 1992                           Psi Chi National Honor Society (Founding Chapter Secretary)
  
• 1993 to present         Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society
  
• 1993                           Golden Key National Honor Society
  
• 1990-1993                 University Honors - Dean’s List
  

• 1990-1993                 National Dean’s List

CURRENT GRANT SUPPORT:

• Co-Investigator:  Oracy/Literacy Development in Spanish-Speaking Children  P.I.: D. Francis, J.M Fletcher.  PI for Project 6: Andrew Papanicolaou. National  Institute of Child Health and Development ($1,500,000). 10/01/2000 - 9/31/2005.
  
• Co‑Investigator: Brain Activation Profiles in Dyslexia: A MEG Study. P.I.: Andrew Papanicolaou. National Institute of Child Health and Development ($1,478,182). 9/1/2000 - 6/30/2005.
  
• Co-Investigator: Cognitive, Instructional, & Neuroimaging Factors in Math – P.I.: J.M. Fletcher. National Institute of Child Health and Development ($1,526,564). 10/01/2003 - 9/30/2008.
  
• Co-Investigator: Integration of MSI/fMRI Studies of Reading.  P.I: Andrew Papanicolaou.  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, ($978,681), 9/30/02 - 6/30/05.

Pending:  Spina Bifida: Cognitive and Neurobiological Variability.  P.I. J.M. Fletcher

PUBLICATIONS:

ABSTRACTS:

Papanicolaou, A.C., Simos, P.G., Castillo, E.M., Breier, J.I., Wheless, J.W., Maggio, V., Billingsley, R.L., Sarkari, S., Pataraia, E., Clear, T., Maggio, W.W. MEG is comparable to the Wada procedure for language laterality assessment. Epilepsia, 44 (Suppl. 9): 251-252, 2003.

Pataraia, E., Simos, P.G., Billingsley, R.L., Castillo, E.M., Sarkari, S., Maggio, V., Wheless, J.W., Fitzgerald, M., Breier, J.I., Papanicolaou, A.C. Contribution of magnetoencephalography to the presurgical determination of the epileptogenic zone in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsia, 44 (Suppl. 9):252, 2003.

Sarkari, S., Molfese, D.L., & Simos, P.G.: Electrophysiological correlates of orthographic and phonological processing using the probe procedure. J Inter Neuropsy Soc, 1, 179-180: 1995.

PAPERS/ CHAPTERS IN PRESS:

Breier, J.I., Castillo, E.M., Simos, P.G., Billingsley-Marshall, R.L., Pataraia, E., Sarkari, S., Wheless, J.W., Papanicolaou, A.C. Atypical language representation in patients with chronic seizure disorder and achievement deficits using magnetoencephalography. Epilepsia, (In Press).

Billingsley, R.L., Simos, P.G., Castillo, E.M., Sarkari, S., Breier, J.I., Pataraia, E., Papanicolaou, A.C.  Spatio-temporal cortical dynamics of phonemic and semantic fluency. J of Clin Exp Neuropsy, (In Press).

Papanicoalou, A.C., Simos, P.G., & Sarkari, S.  Brain and Language: Brain imaging of language processing: Magnetoencephalography . In Keith Brown (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, 2^nd edition. (In Press).

Pataraia, E., Simos, P.G., Castillo, E.M., Billingsley-Marshall, R.L., McGregor, A.L., Breier, J.I., Sarkari, S., and Papanicolaou, A.C.  Reorganization of language-specific cortex in patients with lesions or mesial temporal epilepsy. Neurol. (In Press).

Pataraia, E., Billingsley-Marshall, R.L., Simos, P.G., Breier, J.I., Sarkari, S., Castillo, E.M., Fitzgerald, M., Clear, T., Papanicolaou, A.C. Magnetoencephalography of functional reorganization of receptive language after left temporal lobectomy. Neurol (In Press).

Sarkari, S., Simos, P.G., Billingsley-Marshall, R., Papanicolaou, A.C. Functional brain imaging with magnetoencephalography: Basic concepts and applications in developmental neuropsychology.  In D.L. Molfese & V. Molfese (Eds.), Handbook of Developmental Neuropsychology, (In Press).

Pataraia, E., Simos, P.G., Billingsley-Marshall, R.L., Sarkari, S., Castillo, E.M., Swank, P.R., Breier, J.I., Wheless, J.M., & Papanicolaou AC. Effects of lesion type on the development of the brain mechanism for receptive language function: A magnetoencephalography study. Neurol. (In Press).

Simos, P.G., Fletcher, J.M., Sarkari, S., Billingsley, R.L., Francis, D.J., Castillo, E.M., Pataraia, E., Denton, C., Papanicolaou, A.C. Early development of neurophysiological processes involved in normal reading and reading disability.   Neuropsych. (In Press).

Simos, PG, Sarkari, S, Mencl, E., Billingsley-Marshall, RL, & Papanicolaou AC. Single word reading: Real time imaging of brain activity associated with word recognition. In E. Grigorenko (Ed.) Single Word Reading. (In Press)

Simos, P.G., Billingsley-Marshall, R.L., Sarkari, S., Pataraia, E., Papanicolaou, A.C. Brain mechanisms supporting distinct languages.  J Learn Dis Res Pract (In Press).

Refereed Original Articles in Journals

Billingsley, R. L., Simos, P. G., Castillo, E.M., Sarkari, S., Breier, .J.I., Papanicolaou, A.C. Functional brain imaging of language: Criteria for scientific merit and supporting data from Magnetic Source Imaging. J of Neuroling, 16, 255-275, 2003.

Billingsley, R.L., Simos, P.G., Sarkari, S., Fletcher, J.M., & Papanicolaou, A.C. Spatio-temporal activation profiles associated with line bisection judgments and double simultaneous visual stimulation.  Behavioural Brain Research, 152:97-107, 2004.

Castillo, E M., Simos P.G., Wheless J. W., Baumgartner E. J., Breier, J. I.,  Billingsley, R. L., Sarkari, S., Papanicolaou, A.C.  Integrating sensory and motor mapping in a comprehensive MEG protocol. Clinical validity and replicability. Neuroimage, 21(3):973-983, 2004.

Papanicolaou AC, Simos PG, Castillo EM, Breier JI, Sarkari S, Pataraia E, Billingsley RL, Wheless J, Maggio V, Maggio WW.  Magnetoencephalography: A non-invasive alternative to the Wada procedure. Journal of Neurosurgery, 100, 867-76, 2004.

Pataraia, E., Simos, P.G., Billingsley, R.L., Sarkari, S., Castillo, E.M., Swank, P.R., Breier, J.I., Maggio, V., Wheless, J.M., & Papanicolaou AC. Does MEG improve standard noninvasive electrophysiological methods in presurgical epilepsy evaluation? Neurology, 62, 943-948, 2004.

Sarkari, S.  Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Clinical presentations and subtypes.

Hellenic Journal of Psychology, special issue, 1:(1): 97-118, 2004.

Sarkari, S., Simos, P.G., Fletcher, J.M., Castillo, E.M., Breier, J.I., & Papanicolaou, A.C. The emergence and treatment of developmental reading disability: Contributions of functional brain imaging. Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, 9, 227-236: 2002.

Sarkari, S., Simos, P.G., Billingsley-Marshall, R., Pataraia, E., Papanicolaou, A.C.  Magnetoencephalography: Applications for Neurology.  Research Advances in Neurology, 1:35-51, 2004.

Zhang, W., Simos, P.G., Ishibashi, H., Wheless, J.W., Castillo, E.M., Kim, H.L., Sarkari, S., Papanicolaou, A.C. Multimodality neuroimaging evaluation improves the detection of subtle cortical dysplasia in seizure patients. Neurol Res., Jan; 25(1):53-7, 2003.

Chapters

Molfese, D. L., Tan, A., Sarkari, S., & Gill, L. Prediction and intervention of school-age language problems using electrophysiological measures obtained at birth. In S.M. Clancy Dollinger & L. F. DiLalla, (Eds).  Assessment and Intervention: Issues across the Life Span.  New Jersey: Erlbaum, 1997.

Molfese, D. L., Simos, P. G., & Sarkari, S.  Electrophysiological correlates of orthographic and phonological processing using the probe procedure.  In V. W. Berninger (Ed.), The varieties of orthographic knowledge II: Relationships to phonology, reading and writing. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Kluwer Academie Publishers, 1995.

Sarkari, S., Tan, A., & Molfese, D. L. The development of language in some neuropsychological diseases.  In H.A.Whitaker and B.Stemmer (Eds.), The Handbook of Neurolinguistics. New York: Academic Press, 1998.

INVITED PRESENTATIONS

• Sarkari, S.  Brain mechanisms for reading and profiles in dyslexia. Invited lecture for the Houston Neuropsychological  Association, April 1, 2004.
  
• Sarkari, S., Simos, P., Billingsley, R., & Papanicolaou, A.  Development of brain mechanisms for reading and dyslexia.  Invited speaker at the Southwestern International Dyslexia Association meeting, New Mexico, 2004. 
  
• Sarkari, S., Simos, P., Billingsley, R., & Papanicolaou, A.  MEG and Dyslexia.  Invited speaker at the Southwestern International Dyslexia Association meeting, New Mexico, 2003.

PEER REVIEWED PRESENTATIONS

Castillo, E.M., Simos, P.G., Wheless, J.W., Baumgartner, J.E., Breier, J.I., Sarkari, S., Fitzgerald, M.E., Papanicolaou, A.C. Mapping sensorimotor function in patients with perirolandic lesions: a comprehensive MEG protocol. 14th International Conference on Biomagnetism, Boston, MA,  August 8-12, 2004.

Castillo, E.M., Baumgartner, J.E., Simos, P.G., Sarkari, S., Wheless, J.W., Papanicolaou, A.C. Language representation in the “non dominant” hemisphere in children with positive cognitive evolution after tumor surgery in the “dominant” hemisphere. 10^th International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, London June 2002.

Castillo, E.M., Simos, P.G., Breier, J.I., Fitzgerald, M.E., Sarkari, S., Papanicolaou, A.C. Insights into memory function using Magnetic Source Imaging. 13th International Conference on Biomagnetism, Jena, Germany, August 10-14, 2002.

Gilbert, D., McClernon, F. J., Labott, S., & Sarkari, S.  Effects of personalized emotion activation on laterality and anterior-posterior balance. Society for Psychological Research, Cape Cod, MA, 1997. 

Labott, S., & Sarkari, S.  Factors associated with completion of pulmonary rehabilitation. International Conference of the American Thoracic Society, New Orleans, LA. 1996.

Papanicolaou, A.C., Simos, P.G., Castillo, E.M., Breier, J.I., Wheless, J.W., Maggio, V., Billingsley, R.L., Sarkari, S., Pataraia, E., Clear, T., Maggio, W.W. MEG is comparable to the Wada procedure for language laterality assessment. 57^th Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society, Boston, MA, December 5 -10, 2003.

Pataraia, E., Castillo, E.M., Simos, P.G., Billingsley-Marshall, R.L., Sarkari, S., Breier, J.I., Papanicolaou, A.C. Relative merits of MEG for identification of the epileptogenic zone as compared with invasive EEG. 14th International Conference on Biomagnetism, Boston, MA, August 8 -12, 2004.

Pataraia, E., Simos, P.G., Billingsley, R., Castillo, E., Sarkari, S., Breier, J., and Papanicolaou, A.C. Comparison of MEG with invasive EEG in temporal lobe epilepsy. 8th Congress of the EFNS, Paris, France, September 4 - 7, 2004.

Pataraia, E., Billingsley-Marshall, R.L., Castillo, E.M., Breier, J.I., Simos, P.G., Sarkari, S., Fitzgerald, M., Clear, T., and Papanicolaou, A.C. Organization of receptive language-specific cortex before and after left temporal lobectomy. American Epilepsy Society, 58th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, December 5 - 8, 2004.

Pataraia, E., Simos, P.G., Billingsley, R.L., Castillo, E.M., Sarkari, S., Maggio, V., Wheless, J.W., Fitzgerald, M., Breier, J.I., Papanicolaou, A.C. Contribution of magnetoencephalography to the presurgical determination of the epileptogenic zone in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy. Annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society, Boston, MA., Dec. 5-10, 2003.

Sarkari, S., Simos, P., Castillo, E.M., Breier, J.I., & Papanicolaou, A.  Presurgical determination of language dominance with magnetic source imaging:  Agreement with the Wada procedure.  Presented at the International Conference on Biomagnetism, Jena, Germany, August, 2003.

Sarkari, S., Molfese, D. L., & Simos, A.  Electrophysiological correlates of orthographic, visual, and phonological processing using the probe procedure.  Poster presented at the International Neuropsychology Society annual meeting at Seattle, WA., 1995. 

Sarkari, S., & Gilbert, B.  Childhood sexual abuse and later eating disorders.  Midwestern Psychological Association Meeting, Chicago, IL.,1994.

Simos, P.G., Sarkari, S., & Papanicolaou, A.C. Early development of neurophysiological processes involved in normal reading and reading disability. 14th International Conference on Biomagnetism, Boston, MA, August 8-12, 2004

Simos, P.G., Sarkari, S., Castillo, E.M., Fletcher, J., Papanicolaou, A.C. Insights into the brain mechanism for reading using MSI and electrocortical stimulation mapping. 13th International Conference on Biomagnetism, Jena, Germany, August 10-14, 2002.

Simos, P.G., Sarkari, S., Castillo, E.M., Fletcher, J., Papanicolaou, A.C. Distinct spatiotemporal activation profiles in dyslexic children. 13th International Conference on Biomagnetism, Jena, Germany, August 10-14, 2002.

Simos, P., Castillo, E.M., Fletcher, J., Foorman, B., Sarkari, S., Papanicolaou, A.  Neuroimaging studies of reading and dyslexia in children.  Presented at INS, Toronto, Canada, 2001. 

Thomas-Thrapp, L. J., Sarkari, S., & Molfese, D. L.  Evidence for developmental differences in the latency of event related potentials to speech and non-speech stimuli.  Midwestern Psychological Association meeting, Chicago, IL. 1996.

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS:

Simos, P.G., Sarkari, S., Castillo, E.M., Fletcher, J., Papanicolaou, A.C. Insights into the brain mechanism for reading using MSI and electrocortical stimulation mapping. In H. Nowak, J. Haueisen, F. Giebler, & R. Huonker (Eds.), Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Biomagnetism, Berlin: VDE Verlag, pp. 456, 2003.

Simos, P.G., Sarkari, S., Castillo, E.M., Fletcher, J., Papanicolaou, A.C. Distinct spatiotemporal activation profiles in dyslexic children. In H. Nowak, J. Haueisen, F. Giebler, & R. Huonker (Eds.), Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Biomagnetism, Berlin: VDE Verlag, pp. 367-369,2003.

Sarkari, S., Molfese, D.L., & Simos, P.G. Electrophysiological correlates of orthographic and phonological processing using the probe procedure. International Neuropsychological Society Meeting, February, 1995.

Submitted for Review

Billingsley. R.L., Simos, P.G., Pataraia, E., Zhang, W., Sarkari, S., Castillo, E.M., & Papanicolaou, A.C. Language Representation in Chinese and English Speakers: Magnetic Source Imaging of Verbal Fluency.

Castillo, E.M., Pataraia, E., Simos, P.G., Billingsley, R.L., Sarkari, S., Breier, J.I., Wheless, J.M., & Papanicolaou AC. Pre-operative mapping of language-specific brain mechanisms using magnetoencephalography: Correlation with extraoperative electrocortical stimulation.

 Papanicolaou AC., Pataraia, E., Billingsley-Marshall, R.L., Castillo, E.M., Wheless, J.M., Swank, P.R., Breier, J.I., Sarkari, S., & Simos, P.G. Toward the substitution of invasive electroencephalography in epilepsy surgery.

Pataraia, E., Simos, P.G., Billingsley, R.L., Sarkari, S., & Papanicolaou AC. The brain mechanism for receptive language functions in Chinese: Increased duration versus degree of right hemisphere involvement.

Sarkari, S., Simos, P.G., & Papanicolaou AC. The brain mechanism for dyslexia: Development and effects of intervention. Developmental Neuropsychology.

Simos, PG, Sarkari, S, Clear, T, Billingsley-Marshall, RL, & Papanicolaou AC. Estimates of neurophysiological activity in Wernicke’s area: Reproducibility of complementary measures using magnetoencephalography.

Simos PG, Fletcher, JM, Sarkari S, Billingsley, RL, Francis DJ, Denton C & Papanicolaou AC. Effects of early interventions on neurophysiological processes involved reading in children with persisting reading problems.

Simos, PG, Sarkari, S, Mencl, E., Billingsley-Marshall, RL, & Papanicolaou AC. Single word reading: Real time imaging of brain activity associated with word recognition. In E. Grigorenko (Ed.) Single Word Reading.

Simos PG, Fletcher, JM, Sarkari S, Billingsley, RL, Francis DJ, Denton C & Papanicolaou AC. The neurobiological basis of normal and impaired reading skills in children with and without ADHD.

Center for Clinical Neurosciences
Children's Learning Institute
University of Texas Houston Health Science Center
1333 Moursund Street Ste H114
Houston, Texas 77030