Jennie L. Rexer, Ph.D., ABPP
Department of Neuro-Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine
About Dr. Jennie L. Rexer
Jennie Rexer, PhD, a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, is an associate professor in the Section of Neuropsychology within the Department of Neuro-Oncology. She received her doctorate in Clinical Neuropsychology from the University of Houston, which included medical school neurology, neuroanatomy, and neuroscience courses at Baylor College of Medicine, and training at MD Anderson, The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, the Brain Injury Research Center, and other institutions in Texas Medical Center. She completed an internship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI, where her major rotations included the Memory Disorders Clinic, and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. She then spent one year as a resident at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ, where she gained experience with brain injury, stroke, and other cerebrovascular disorders. She was a neuropsychologist for many years at Houston Neuropsychology Group, including serving as a consulting neuropsychologist for inpatient rehabilitation at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, and also inpatient behavioral geriatric as well as inpatient rehabilitation units at West Houston Medical Center. She joined MD Anderson in 2009. Her research and practice interests include evaluating medically complex patients, including those with brain tumors, cancer-treatment related cognitive changes, and dementia. In addition she assists with mapping speech areas of the brain via fMRI, and is a member of the Awake Craniotomy Team (ACT) assisting with intraoperative language mapping in neurosurgery patients.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Professor, Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Associate Professor, Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Houston, Department of Psychology, Houston, TX
Clinical Adjunct Faculty, University of Houston, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2001 | The University of Houston, Houston, Texas, US, Clinical Neuropsychology, Ph.D |
| 1997 | The University of Houston, Houston, Texas, US, Psychology, MA |
| 1990 | The University of Houston, Houston, Texas, US, Psychology, BS |
Postgraduate Training
| 2001-2002 | Clinical Residency, Clinical Neuropsychology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2025 | Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists |
| 2012 | American Board of Professional Psychology, Board Certified in Clinical Neuropsychology |
Experience & Service
Faculty Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Department of Neuro-Oncology, Section of Neuropsychology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2009 - 2020
Adjunct Faculty, University of Houston Clear Lake Branch, Houston, TX, 2003 - 2005
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Director of Neuropsychology Fellowship Training, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2009 - 2014
Other Professional Positions
Clinical Neuropsychologist, John W. Largen & Associates, Houston, TX, 2002 - 2009
Extramural Institutional Committee Activities
Member, Faculty Welfare Committee (Sub-committee of Faculty Senate), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2021 - Present
Member, Faculty Senate, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2019 - 2024
Chair, Non-Physician Clinical Education Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2012 - 2013
Vice Chair, Non-Physician Clinical Education Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2011 - 2012
Member, Non-Physician Clinical Education Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2009 - 2014
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 1992. Patterns of neurobehavioral deficits associated with interferon-alpha treatment in cancer patients. Conference. UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. Houston, TX, US.
- 1992. Kluver-Bucy Syndrome following cancer treatment. Conference. UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. Houston, TX, US.
Regional Presentations
- 1999. The Neuropsychology of Cerebral Neoplasms. Conference. Henry Ford Hospital. Detroit, MI, US.
- 1999. Mental Competency Evaluations. Conference. Henry Ford Hospital. Detroit, MI, US.
- 1999. Emotion and the Brain. Conference. Henry Ford Hospital. Detroit, MI, US.
- 1998. Factitious Disorders. Conference. Henry Ford Hospital. Detroit, MI, US.
National Presentations
- 2025. The MD Anderson NeuroHealth Initiative: A Novel Standardized Program for Early Detection and Proactive Management of Neurotoxicities in Cancer Care. Poster. 30th Society for Neuro-Oncology Annual Meeting & Education Day. Honolulu, Hawaii, US.
- 2019. The Effects of Emotional Distress, Fatigue, and Medical Treatment Side Effects on Cognition. Conference. Mind Your Brain @ Houston Neurological Institute. Houston, TX, US.
- 2012. Cutting Edge Therapy to Improve Cognition in Patients with Brain Tumor. Invited. The 17th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. Washington, DC, US.
- 2012. ABCs of Perioperative Neuropsychological Testing. Conference. UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. Houston, TX, US.
- 2011. Management of Memory and Attention Deficits. Invited. The 16th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. Orange County, CA, US.
- 2011. Neurocognitive Functioning in Cancer Survivors. Conference. Survivorship Conference. Houston, TX, US.
- 2011. Cognition and Cancer. Conference. Invited Speaker, 2011 MD Anderson Cancer Center Physicians Network Symposium and Nursing Excellence. San Francisco, CA, US.
- 2010. Cognitive Dysfunction in the Elderly Cancer Patient. Conference. Presented at the 71st Annual Assembly of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Seattle, WA, US.
International Presentations
- 2025. A Case Series Examining Memory Performance in JC Virus PML Patients Following CTL Treatment. Conference. Caen, FR.
- 2024. The prevalence and course of pre- and post-operative anxiety in brain tumor (BT) patients utilizing the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Conference, US.
- 2024. Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS) in Cancer: A Case Study and Brief Review of Non-Alcoholic WE in Oncology Patients. Conference. Poster presented International Neuropsychological Society Mid Year Meeting/Global Neuropsychology Congress. Porto, PT.
- 2023. Understanding the prevalence and course of pre- and post-operative depression in brain tumor (BT) patients utilizing the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI. Conference. Poster presented at International Psycho-Oncology Society 2023 World Congress. Milan, IT.
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Borgaro SR, Prigatano GP, Kwasnica C, Rexer JL. Cognitive and affective sequelae in complicated and uncomplicated mild traumatic brain injury. Brain Inj 17(3):189, 2003. e-Pub 2003. PMID: 12623495.
- Hayman LA, Rexer JL, Pavol MA, Strite D, Meyers CA. Klüver-Bucy syndrome after bilateral selective damage of amygdala and its cortical connections. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 10(3):354-8, 1998. e-Pub 1998. PMID: 9706545.
- Pavol MA, Meyers CA, Rexer JL, Valentine AD, Mattis PJ, Talpaz M. Patterns of neurobehavioral deficits associated with interferon alfa therapy for leukemia. Neurology 45(5):947-50, 1995. e-Pub 1995. PMID: 7746412.
- Hiscock M, Hillis SK, Rexer JL. Dual-task interference patterns reveal differential processing of upright and inverted faces. Brain and Cognition 28(2):155, 1995. e-Pub 1995. PMID: 7546670.
- Mortel KF, Pavol MA, Wood S, Meyer JS, Tarayama Y, Rexer JL, Herod B. Prospective studies of cerebral perfusion and cognitive testing among elderly normal volunteers and patients with ischemic vascular dementia and Alzheimers disease. Angiology 45(3):171, 1994. e-Pub 1994. PMID: 8129197.
- Mortel KF, Wood S, Pavol MA, Meyer JS, Rexer JL. Analysis of familial and individual risk factors among patients with ischemic vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Angiology 44(8):599-605, 1993. e-Pub 1993. PMID: 8342875.
Review Articles
- Harrison RA, Sharafeldin N, Rexer JL, Streck B, Petersen M, Henneghan AM, Kesler SR. Neurocognitive Impairment After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant for Hematologic Malignancies: Phenotype and Mechanisms. Oncologist 26(11):e2021-e2033, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34156729.
- Noll KR, Bradshaw ME, Parsons MW, Dawson EL, Rexer J, Wefel JS. Monitoring of Neurocognitive Function in the Care of Patients with Brain Tumors. Curr Treat Options Neurol 21(7):33, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31250277.
- Noll KR, Bradshaw ME, Rexer J, Wefel JS. Neuropsychological Practice in the Oncology Setting. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 33(3):344-353, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29718081.
Book Chapters
- Fu JB, Ene CI, Rexer JL. Rehabilitation of patients with brain tumors. In: Stubblefield MD, ed. Cancer Rehabilitation: Principles and Practice. 3rd. Demos Medical (Springer Publishing), 2025.
- Rexer JL, Estevis E. Neurocognitive dysfunction in the cancer patient. In: Stubblefield MD, ed. Cancer Rehabilitation: Principles and Practice. 3rd. Demos Medical (Springer Publishing), 2025.
- Niccolai LM, Rexer JL. Cognitive Impairment in Lung Cancer and Brain Metastases. In: Lung Cancer Rehabilitation. First. Elsevier, 177-184, 2022.
- Rexer JL, Estevis E. Neurocognitive Dysfunction in the Cancer Patient. In: Cancer Rehabilitation - Principles and Practice. 2nd. Demos Medical Publishing, 1055-1065, 2019.
- Fu, JB, Rao G, Rexer JL. Rehabilitation of Patients with Brain Tumors. In: Cancer Rehabilitation - Principles and Practice. 2nd. Demos Medical Publishing, 587-600, 2019.
- Rexer JL. Cognitive Dysfuntion. In: Rehabilitation Medicine Quick Reference - Cancer. Demos Medical Publishing, 57-59, 2014.
- Rexer JL. Neuropsychological evaluations of the cancer patient, Cancer Rehabilitation. In: Rehabilitation Medicine Quick Reference Series. Demos Medical Publishing, 2013.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified July 22, 2026