John Lace, Ph.D.

First and foremost, patients are people. We are more complex and nuanced than just a set of symptoms. I strive to listen carefully, understand concerns in context and provide clear explanations of cognitive symptoms along with compassionate, evidence-based recommendations. I aim to be a helpful member of your care team and work closely with referring providers to offer focused, personalized suggestions.

Neuropsychology visits differ from typical medical appointments. One part is a clinical interview to understand your history and concerns. The other part is standardized testing that measures how your brain is functioning in areas such as attention, processing speed, language and memory. Many patients say it feels like being back in school. Afterward, I prepare a comprehensive, readable report that summarizes our conversation, testing results, diagnostic impressions (if appropriate) and recommendations for next steps. Your Mayo Clinic Health System providers will have access to the report, and it will also be available in the Patient Portal. We can review the results in person or virtually, and I’m always available through the Portal for any questions.

Born and raised outside Chicago (Go Cubs!), I come from a family deeply rooted in healthcare - my father a physician, my mother an occupational therapist and my sister a nurse. Our family motto was always, "Do good things well." That value shaped my professional path and continues to guide my work today. Over the years, I've had the privilege of building a meaningful career in clinical neuropsychology, where I can integrate my clinical experience, commitment to high-quality care and dedication to serving patients here in the La Crosse area.

Education

• Bachelor's degree, Psychology and Religious Studies, Northwestern University
• Master's degree, Clinical Psychology, Saint Louis University
• Doctor of Philosophy, Clinical Psychology, Saint Louis University

Internship

• Clinical Psychology, Missouri Health Sciences Psychology Consortium

Fellowship

• Clinical Neuropsychology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Certification

• Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact/Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology

Membership

• American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology
• Wisconsin Psychological Association

• Alzheimer disease
• Clinical neuropsychology
• Concussion
• Dementia
• Multiple sclerosis

• Trends in public knowledge pertaining to traumatic brain injury from 2016 to 2025, February 2026.
• Standalone performance validity tests may be differentially related to measures of working memory, processing speed, and verbal memory in patients with multiple sclerosis, April 2024.
• Associations between cognitive impairment and neuroimaging in patients with multiple sclerosis, February 2024.
• “It’s on the tip of my tongue!” exploring confrontation naming difficulties in patients with multiple sclerosis, February 2023.
• Clinical utility of the Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination (SLUMS) in a mixed neurological sample: Proposed revised cutoff scores for normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia, August 2022.