Andrew Molnar, PhD
Dr. Molnar [he/him] joined the faculty in 2018 after providing clinical services at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He is a clinical-child psychologist, with specialization in pediatric neuropsychology. At Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Dr. Molnar manages the Pediatric Neuropsychology Service within the Department, providing cognitive assessment services with his team of licensed psychometrists and trainees to child, adolescent, and young adult patients with neurological and other chronic health conditions. His team evaluates patients with such conditions from early childhood [0-5 years of age], to young adult ages, providing information to help patients and families make decisions about educational and other programming services in their communities. Beyond the clinical endeavors, Dr. Molnar teaches in clinic to psychology trainees and psychiatry residents and fellows, lectures in various didactic series in the Department and across VUMC, and collaborates on several research projects.
Clinical Interests
Dr. Molnar's pediatric neuropsychology practice serves diverse pediatric patients with neurological and other chronic health conditions throughout VUMC. Within that broad scope, he has specialized interests in youth with brain tumors, cancer, seizure disorders, Tourette syndrome, prenatal exposure to substances, and spina bifida.
Research Information
Dr. Molnar is particularly interested in early childhood development, executive function, and mental health correlates in youth with neurological and other chronic health conditions. He currently is a collaborator to specialized research projects at VUMC and Vanderbilt University involving young patients with delirium in pediatric intensive care, youth with Tourette syndrome, and preschoolers prenatally exposed to substances.
Representative Publications
Since Joining VUMC in 2018:
Harman, J. L., Molnar, A. E., Cox, L. E., Jurbergs, N., Russell, K. M., Wise, J., & Willard, V. W. (2018). Parent-reported executive functioning in young children treated for cancer. Child Neuropsychology, 26, 1-13. doi: 10.1080/09297049.2018.1503647. PMID 30049262.
Cox, L. E., Kenney, A. E., Harman, J. L., Jurbergs, N., Molnar, A. E., & Willard, V. W. (2019). Psychosocial functioning of young children treated for cancer: Findings from a clinical sample. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 36(1), 17-23. doi: 10.1177/1043454218813905. PMID 30798688.
Jurbergs, N., Harman, J. L., Kenney, A. E., Semenkovich, K., Molnar, A. E., & Willard, V. W. (2019). Cognitive and psychosocial development in young children with brain tumors: Observations from a clinical sample. Children, 6(11), 128, published online 19 November 2019. doi: 10.3390/children6110128. PMID 31752377.
Kenney, A. E., Harman, J. L., Molnar, A. E., Jurbergs, N., & Willard, V. W. (2020). Early cognitive
and adaptive functioning of clinically referred infants and toddlers with cancer. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 27, 41-47. doi: 10.1007/s10880-019-09619-1. PMID 30993575.
Harman, J. L., Molnar, A. E., Jacola, L. M., Corr, A., Scott, A., Potter, B., Schwartzberg, S., Boyer, H., Greear, J., & Willard, V. W. (2021). Establishing a hospital-based early intervention program for young children with cancer: A quality improvement initiative. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 9(4), 323-333. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10/1037/cpp0000375.
Boggs, J. E., Pullen, A., Molnar, A. E., Hodges, J., & Reiss, U. M. (2023). Screening for inattention,
hyperactivity, and impulsivity in children with haemophilia: A quality improvement intervention. Haemophilia, 29(1), 210-218. doi: 10.1111/hae.14656. PMID 36112768.
Berl, M.M., Koop, J.I., Ailion, A., Bearden, D.J., …Molnar, A.E. …Perry, M. S. (2023). Leveraging expertise and optimizing clinical research: Initial success of a pediatric epilepsy surgery collaborative. Epilepsia. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/epi.17579. PMID 36897767.
Cárdenas, E.F., Hill, K.E., Estes, E., Ravi, S., Molnar, A.E., Humphreys, K.L., & Kujawa, A. (2024). Neural and behavioral indicators of cognitive control in preschoolers with and without prenatal opioid exposure. Child Neuropsychology, 30(2), 329-347. doi: 10.1080/09297049.2023.2196397. PMID 37070372.
Schwartzman, J.M., Williams, Z.J., & Molnar, A.E. (2024). Parent and provider differences in ratings of mental health and neurodevelopmental concerns in children with neurologic disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, online ahead of print.
doi: 10.1007/s10880-23-0999-0. PMID 38400951.
Watson, K.H., Eckland, M., Schwartzman, J.M., Molnar, A., Boon, W., Hiller, M., Scholer, S., Mace, R., Rothman, A., Claassen, D.O., Riordan, H.R., Isaacs, D.A. (2024). The association of quality of life with psychosocial factors in adolescents with Tourette syndrome. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, online ahead of print. doi: 10.1007/s10578-023-01656-0. PMID 38311626.
Ravi, S., Molnar, A.E., Cárdenas, E.F., Kujawa, A., & Humphreys, K.L. (2024, accepted and in press). Associations between opioid exposure in gestation, childhood adversity, and preschool age cognitive functioning. International Journal of Behavioral Development.
Molnar, A.E., Walker, J.S., Roback, H.B., & Welch, L. (2024). Psychological Assessment. In M.H. Ebert, P.R. Martin, M.McVoy, R.J. Ronis, & S.H. Weissman (Eds.), Current Diagnosis and Treatment : Psychiatry, Fourth Edition. New York, New York: McGraw Hill LLC.