Over the past two decades, Amir A. Sepehry, Ph.D., has worked at the intersection of neuroscience, neuropsychology, and health care. Since joining Adler University in 2017, he has carried that integrative approach into the classroom and his ongoing research, helping prepare future clinicians to translate science into practice.
His groundbreaking contributions to the field have earned him a place among some of the world’s leading scientific minds. In August 2025, Dr. Sepehry was named a full member of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society — in recognition of his sustained impact on neuroscience and clinical neuropsychology.
Founded in 1886 at Cornell University, Sigma Xi is one of the oldest and largest honour societies in the world, recognizing excellence in research and fostering collaboration across the sciences and engineering. Its distinguished membership includes Albert Einstein, Rosalind Franklin, Richard Feynman, and Francis Crick.
“I’m deeply honoured to be nominated and invited to join Sigma Xi,” Dr. Sepehry said. “When I learned I’d been selected, I thought, ‘What have I done to deserve this?’”
In fact, Dr. Sepehry’s research has shaped key developments in neuroscience and clinical psychology. His dissertation validated diagnostic criteria for depression in Alzheimer’s disease, and a later meta-analysis on microbleed neuroimaging informed international guidelines for brain imaging in clinical trials. Most recently, he co-authored a studyon whether psychologists should have prescribing rights, what training would be acceptable, and how that authority might affect clinical roles. His expertise also recently earned him an invitation to serve on a national task force with the Canadian Psychological Association to help design training for prescription privileges.
“I am proud to see research making a difference in how clinicians support patient care,” he said. “It reminds me that rigorous science can change not just practice, but people’s lives.”
Since joining Adler in 2017, Dr. Sepehry has brought his expertise to the classroom, helping Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology students link brain science to the realities of clinical work. One of the required courses for Psy.D. students in Vancouver is Psychopharmacology, a course he developed to ensure Adler graduates are not only equipped to understand medications but also consider how those medications fit within each client’s larger medical, psychological, and social context.
“What I appreciate most about Adler is its support for faculty to continue their pursuit of meaningful research,” Dr. Sepehry said. “Scientific research is not only about discovery, but about impact. As researchers, we are advancing the kind of knowledge that transforms systems, informs public policy, and improves lives.”
“There are giants (e.g., Dr. Branda Milner, and Dr. Kenneth M. Heilman) in my field who have been members of Sigma Xi — people who shaped the science of neuropsychology and neuroscience,” Dr. Sepehry said. “Compared to them, I feel like a small piece of the puzzle. But it’s affirming to know that my contributions, publications, and teaching have had an impact. I am grateful.”