Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives & Innovation
Mail: P.O. Box 3999, Atlanta, GA 30302-3999
In person/delivery: GSU, Suite 538 Centennial Hall, 100 Auburn Ave., , Atlanta, GA 30303
Telephone: 404-413-2502   Fax: (404) 413-3518

Regents Professor
Member, Clinical Psychology and NBN Programs
Mail: Dept. Psychology, P.O. Box 5010, Atlanta, GA 30302-5010
In person/delivery: GSU, 140 Decatur St., 1014 Urban Life – Atlanta, GA 30302-5010

Georgia Psychology License No. 872

Developmental neuropsychology is the study of the developing brain and its influence on children’s behavior. My research explores basic issues related to nervous system development  using experimental, psychometric, and neuroimaging paradigms, the development of higher cognitive abilities (language, reading, executive functions) in typical and atypical populations, and applied issues focused on developmental or acquired brain disorders (primarily dyslexia/reading disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, and pediatric neurological disorders) in children and young adults. Core research issues have centered on the measurement of change and those nervous system and/or environmental factors that influence developmental variations and learning abilities in these groups of children. Other interests include multivariate approaches to diagnosis, classification and measurement, bilingual reading, and reading instruction.

Currently, my research activities are focused on 1) understanding the diagnosis, development and neurodevelopment correlates of dyslexia/reading disabilities in children and adults, including those with multi-lingual or disabled language backgrounds. This research is based on a number of large, multi-site, federally funded grants that have studied reading interventions and dyslexia/reading disabilities. A component of these studies includes FMRI brain imaging studies of children and adults learning to read. 2) studies of children with mitochondrial disease, a neurogenetic metabolic disorder, and its impact on cognition and adaptive functioning using neuropsychological and brain imaging methods. 3) adapting our scientific knowledge of the brain and early reading development into technology-based platforms to help children learn to read where there are no teachers/schools, or who are at risk for not learning to read (see www.curiouslearning.org).

Representative Grants

• Neurocognitive bases for treatment resistance in developmental dyslexia NICHD, NIH
• Developing Instructional Approaches Suited to the Cognitive and Motivational Needs of Struggling Adult Readers, U.S. Department of Education/IES

• Mechanics of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Autism, Department of Defense
• Childhood Brain Tumor Survivors: Predictors of Adult Functional Outcomes, Amer. Cancer Soc.
• Improved Reading Outcomes for Children with MR in K-3, IES, U.S. Dept of Education.
• Multiple Component Remediation for Struggling Middle School Readers, IES, U.S. Dept of Education.
• Testing the Effectiveness, Sustainability and Scalability of an Individualized Reading Program for African-American, Latino and Euro-American Inner City Children, IERI, joint NSF/NICHD/.DOE program
• “Treatment of Developmental Reading Disabilities,” NICHD, NIH
• “Neuroimaging in the Evaluation of Reading Disability Interventions,” NICHD
• “Linguistic Factors in Early Reading in Bilingual Readers,” NICHD

Rhodes, K.T., Branum-Martin, L., Morris, R.D., Romski, M., & Sevcik, R. (2015). Testing Math or Testing Language?  The Construct Validity of the KeyMath-Revised for Children with Intellectual Disability and Language Difficulties.  American Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 120(6), 542-568. DOI: 10.1352/1944-7558-120.6.542

Jayakar, R., King, T. Z., Morris, R., & Na, S. (2015). Hippocampal Volume and Auditory Attention on a Verbal Memory Task With Adult Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumor. Neuropsychology, 29(2), 303. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/neu0000183

Smith K.M., King T.Z., Jayakar, R., & Morris, R.D. (2014). Reading skill in adult survivors of childhood brain tumor: A theorybased neurocognitive model using DTI. Neuropsychology, 28(3), 448-458. doi: 10.1037/neu0000056

Foster, M.E., Sevcik, R.A., Romski, M. & Morris, R.D. (2014). Effects of phonological awareness and naming speed on mathematics skills in children with mild intellectual disabilities.  Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 1-13. DOI: 10.3109/17518423.2013.84.3603.

Nanda, A.O., Greenberg, D., & Morris, R.D. (2014).  Reliability and validity of the CTOPP Elision and Blending Words subtests for struggling adult readers. Reading and Writing, 27(9), 1603-1618. DOI: 10.1007/s11145-01409509

Wolf, M.,Gottwald, S., Galyean, T., Morris, R., & Breazeal, C. (2014) The Reading Brain, Global Literacy, and the Eradication of Poverty. Bread and Brain, Education and Poverty. Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Scripta Varia 125, Vatican City.

Barker, R, Michael, Sevcik, R.A., Morris, R.D., & Romski, M. (2013). A model of phonological processing, language, and reading for students with mild intellectual disability.  Am. J on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 118(5),365-380.

Greenberg, D., Wise, J., Frijters, J., Morris, R., Frederick, L., Rodrigo, V., & Hall, R. (2013).  Persisters and nonpersisters:  Identifying who stays and who leaves from adult literacy interventions.  Reading and Writing, 26, 495-514. DOI 10.1007/s11145-012-9401-8.

Frijters, J.A., Lovett, M.W., Sevcik, R.A., & Morris, R. D. (2012).  Four methods of identifying responders to a multicomponent reading intervention for struggling middle school readers.  Reading and Writing Quarterly, 26, 539-563. DOI 10.1007/s11145-012-9418-z.

Morris, R.D., Lovett, M.W., Wolf, M., Sevick, R.A., Steinbach, K.A., Frijters, J.C. & Shapiro, M.  (2012). Multiple component remediation of developmental reading disabilities: A Controlled factorial evaluation of the influence of IQ, socioeconomic status, and race on outcomes.  J. Learning Disabilities, 45(2), 99-127.

Frijters, J.C., Lovett, M.W., Steinbach, K.A., Wolf, M., Sevick, R.A. & Morris, R. (2011).  Neurocognitive predictors of reading outcomes for children with reading disabilities.  Journal of Learning Disabilities, 44(2), 150-166.

Greenberg, D. Wise, J. Morris, R. Fredrick, L., Rodrigo, V., Nada, A., Pae, Hye (2011).  A randomized controlled study of instructional approaches for struggling adult readers.  Journal of Educational Effectiveness, 4, 1-17.

Morris, R.D., Lovett, M.W., Wolf, M., Sevick, R.A., Steinbach, K.A., Frijters, J.C. & Shapiro, M.  (2010). Multiple component remediation of developmental reading disabilities: A Controlled factorial evaluation of the influence of IQ, socioeconomic status, and race on outcomes.  J. Learning Disabilities, 1-29.  doi: 10:1177/0022219409355472.

Nada, A.O., Greenberg, D., & Morris, R. (2010).  Modeling child-based theoretical reading constructs with struggling adult readers. J. Learning Disabilities, 43(2), 139-153.

Wise, J.C., Sevcik, R.A., Romski, M., Morris, R.D.  (2010). The relationship between phonological processing skills and word and nonword identification performance in children with mild intellectual disabilities.  Research in Developmental Disabilities, 31(6),1170-1175.

Wolf, M., Barzillai, M., Gottwald, S., Miller, L., Spencer, K., Norton, E., Lovett, M.W., & Morris, R.D. (2009). The RAVE-O intervention: Connecting neuroscience to the classroom. Mind, Brain, and Education, 3(2), 84-93.

Greenberg, D., Pae, H.K., Morris, R.D., Calhoon, M.B., & Nada, A.O. (2009).  Measuring adult literacy students’ reading skills using the Gray Oral Reading Test.  Ann. of Dyslexia.  Doi: 10-1007/511881-009-0027-8.

Zetzler, C, Sevcik, R.A., Morris, R.D. & Clarkson, M.C. (2008) Comodulation masking release (CMR) in children and the influence on reading status.  J. Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 51, 772-784.

Papazoglou, A., King, T., Morris, R., Morris,M. & Krawiecki, N. (2008).  Attention mediates radiation’s impact on daily living skills in children treated for brain tumors.   Pediatric Blood and Cancer, 50(6), 1253-1257.

Wise, J.C., Pae, H.K., Wolfe, C.B., Sevcik, R.A., Morris, R.D., Lovett, M. & Wolf, M. (2008). Phonological awareness and rapid naming skills of children with reading disabilities and children with reading disabilities who are at-risk for mathematics difficulties. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 23(3), 125-136.

Schwanenflugel, P.J., Morris, R.D., Kuhn, M.R., Strauss, G.P., & Sieczko, J.M. (2008). The influence of reading unit size on the development of Stroop interference in early word decoding. Reading and Writing, 21: 177-203.

Shaywitz, S.E., Morris, R. & Shaywitz, B.A. (2008). The education of dyslexic children from childhood to young adulthood. Annual Review of Psychology, 59: 451-475.

Morris, R., Pae, H. K., Arrington, C. & Sevcik, R. (2006). The assessment challenge of Native American educational researchers. J. of American Indian Education, 45(3), 77-91.

Schwanenflugel, P.J., Meisinger, E., Wisenbaker, J.M., Kuhn, M.R., Strauss, G.P., & Morris, R.D. (2006). Becoming a fluent and automatic reader in the early elementary school years. Reading Research Quarterly , 41, 496-522.

Fletcher, J.M., Francis, D.J., Morris, R.D., & Lyon, G.R. (2005). Evidence-Based Assessment of Learning Disabilities in Children and Adolescents. J. of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology;, 34(3), 506-522.

Cirino, P.T., Israelian, M.K., Morris, M.K. & Morris, R.D. (2005). Evaluation of the Double-Deficit Hypothesis in College Students Referred for Learning Disabilities. J. of Learning Disabilities, 38(1), 29-44.

Rashid, F.L., Morris, R.D. & Sevick R.A. (2005). Relationship Between Home Literacy Environment and Reading Achievement in Children with Reading Disabilities. J. of Learning Disabilities, 38(1), 2-11.

Wagner, R.K, Francis, D.J. & Morris, R.D. (2005). Identifying English Language Learners with Learning Disabilities: Key Challenges and Possible Approaches. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 20(1), 6-15.

Ledesma, H.M.L. & Morris, R.D. (2005). Patterns of Language Preference Among Bilingual (Filipino-English) Boys. The International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 8(1) 1-19.

Pae, H.K., Sevcik, R.A. & Morris, R. (2004). Cross-language links between English & Korean in second language reading acquisition. J. of Multilingual Communication Disorders, 2(1), 68-79.

Cirino, P.T., P.T., Rashid, F.L., Sevcik, R.A., Lovett, M.W., Frijters, J., Wolf, M., & Morris, R. (2002). Psychometric stability of nationally normed and experimental decoding and related measures in children with reading disability. J. of Learning Disabilities, 35(6), 525-538.

Bone, R.B., Cirino, P. T., Morris, R.D., Morris, M.K. (2002). Reading and phonological awareness in reading disabled adults. Developmental Neuropsychology, 21, 305-320.

Haist, F., Song, A.W., Wild K., Faber, T.L., Popp, C.A., & Morris, R.D., (2001). Linking sight & sound: FMRI evidence of primary cortex activation during visual word recognition. Brain & Language, 76, 340-350.

Barrett, D.H., Morris, R.D., Akhtar, F.Z., Michalek, J.E. (2001). Serum dioxin and cognitive functioning among veterans of operation ranch hand. NeuroToxicology, 22(4), 491-502.

Rashid, F.L. , Morris, M.K. & Morris, R.D. ( 2001). Naming and verbal memory skills in adults with ADHD and Reading Disability. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 57, 829-838.

Liss, M., Fein, D., Allen, D., Dunn, M., Feinstein, C., Morris, R., Waterhouse, L. & Rapin, I. (2001). Executive functioning in high-functioning children with autism. J. of Child Psychology & Psychiatry & Allied Disciplines, 42(2), 261-270.

Lewis, J. K., Morris, M. K., Morris, R. D., Krawiecki, N. & Foster, M. A. (2000). Social problem solving in children with acquired brain injuries. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 15(3), 930-942.

Fowler, L.A., Hopkins, W.D., Albers, H.E., Morris, R.D. & Hyatt, C.W. (1999). Establish the presence of a body temperature rhythm in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) using a tympanic membrane thermometer. Primate, 40(3), 499-508.

Waldrop, S. M., Davis, P. C., Padgett, C. A., Shapiro, M. B., Morris, R. D. (1998). Treatment of brain tumors in children is associated with abnormal MRS ratios in brain tissue remote from the tumor site. Am. J. Neuroradiology, 19, 963-970.

Morris, R.D., Stuebing, K.K., Fletcher, J.M., Shaywitz, S.E., Lyon, G.R., Shankweiler, D.P., Katz, L., Francis, D.J. & Shaywitz, B.A. (1998). Subtypes of reading disability coherent variability around a phonological core. Journal of Educational Psychology, 90(3), 1-27.