Melisa Rempfer, Ph.D.
- Professor
- Director of Clinical Training, Clinical Psychology
Contact Info
1415 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 66045
Personal Links
Biography —
Dr. Rempfer's research aims to understand, meaningfully assess, and improve factors that support recovery, wellness and quality of everyday life among individuals with schizophrenia or other serious mental illness (SMI). She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Iowa, majoring in journalism and in psychology, and earned her MA and PhD in psychology from the University of Kansas.
Education —
Research —
Research interest areas:
• Evidence-based cognitive and psychosocial rehabilitation
• Cognitive and psychological factors influencing community/daily life functioning
• Assessment (cognitive, functional, performance-based, ecological methods)
• Mental health stigma and recovery
• Clinical psychology training issues
• Community-based participatory research
Selected Publications —
Howie, H., Fielden, C., Rempfer, M. (2025). Cognition in Schizophrenia Across Phases of Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Psychiatry Research, 355 For full article - DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116856
Harris, M., +Blanco, E., +Howie, H., Rempfer, M. (2024). The Discrepancy between Subjective and Objective Evaluations of Cognitive and Functional Ability among People with Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review. Behav. Sci. 14, 30. For full article - https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14010030
Howie, J.H., Faith, L.A., Jarvis, S., Rempfer, M. (2023). Social cognition and other determinants of perceived social support in individuals with serious mental illness. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 211(11), 848-855. For full article - https://doi.org/10.1097/nmd.0000000000001708
Faith, L.A., +Howie, J.H., +Blanco, E., Jarvis, S.P., Rempfer, M.V. (2022). Therapeutic Alliance in a Cognitive Rehabilitation Program for People with Serious Mental Illness: A Qualitative Analysis. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 00. 1–12. For full article - https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12412
Faith, L., +Grove, A., Jarvis, S., Rempfer, M. (2022). Implementation and Preliminary Outcomes of Cognitive Enhancement Therapy for Serious Mental Illness in an Outpatient Mental Health Program. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy. For full article - https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465822000017
Harris, M., +Blanco, E.A., Rempfer, M. (2021). Cognition and daily life functioning among persons with serious mental illness: A cluster analytic examination of heterogeneity on the Test of Grocery Shopping Skills. Neuropsychology, 35(1), 57-68. For full article - https://doi.org/10.1037/neu0000700
Rempfer, M., McDowd, J.M., Brown, C.E. (2020). Longitudinal stability of learning potential in people with schizophrenia: A 2.5 year follow-up. Schizophrenia Research, 224, 193-194. For full article - https://doi.org/10.1037/neu0000700
Harris, M., & Rempfer, M. (2020). Profiles of self-evaluation as a metacognitive skill: An indicator of rehabilitation potential among people with schizophrenia. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 43(4), 308-317. For full article - https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000412