Robert B. Sica, Ph.D.

Director, Neuropsychology Rehabilitation Services/LifeSpan

License #: 35SI00151900

Dr. Sica is the originator, principal and director of Neuropsychology Rehabilitation Services|LifeSpan (NRS|LS), beginning in the late 1970s. It is a joint practice consisting of a neuropsychological rehabilitation program, a multi-specialty health psychology program and a behavioral health program treating a variety of mental health conditions.  The practice also treats the full spectrum of brain conditions, including but not limited to, concussions, traumatic brain injuries, cerebrovascular accidents, brain tumors, a variety of dementias, and learning disabilities. Finally, the practice is involved with pharmaceutical clinical trials for children and adults.

Dr. Sica was the first clinical neuropsychologist on staff at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neuroscience Division, and Riverview Medical Center, both hospitals part of Hackensack Meridian Health, where he treats patients along with academic responsibilities teaching medical students and neuropsychological fellows.  He is a clinical assistant professor at both Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Seton Hall – Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.  Finally, he was a managing partner in the development of the Jersey Shore University Medical Arts Center building, a joint venture between staff physicians and the hospital.

Dr. Sica was a leader in the late 1970s in the brain injury rehabilitation movement creating one of the original six programs in New Jersey treating traumatic brain injuries at Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, New Jersey.  He obtained the state’s first certificate of need for a 40-bed transitional facility treating traumatic brain injuries in 1985.  He served as one of the original clinical advisory board members in the creation of the New Jersey chapter of the National Head Injury Foundation (currently the Brain Injury Association), as well as having worked closely with the national organization in Boston, Massachusetts.  Clinically, he developed a variety of rehabilitation modules that have helped many patients mainstream back into society.

Dr. Sica was invited by Jersey Shore University Medical Center to join the Level II trauma program in the care of patients starting in the surgical intensive care unit besides having developed clinical pathways into other sections of the hospital through outpatient care and the aforementioned traumatic brain injury residential transitional care facility.  He developed additional clinical pathways for patient care, family education, rehabilitation procedures and wrote hospital manuals on brain injuries, emergency room neuropsychological procedures, stroke regarding neurobehavioral management and provided medical staff in-services, regarding patients’ neuropsychological status.  Finally, he developed the hospital’s first and only neuropsychology internship program, recognized as an American Psychological Association approved site in 1990.

Dr. Sica started providing legal neuropsychological support in the early 1980s for plaintiff and defense counsel, besides lecturing to the New Jersey Association for Justice, and the New Jersey Supreme Court on brain injury cases.  He has been retained by insurance companies and workers’ compensation managing clinical cases and cost-effectiveness.  He provides expert testimony in civil cases, independent medical examinations, fit for duty/return to work, second opinions, neuropsychological functional capacity examinations and consultative case analysis.

Dr. Sica’s area of practice is clinical neuropsychology and forensic neuropsychology.  He obtained his B.S. in psychology from Monmouth College, Long Branch, New Jersey, a Master’s in research design in psychology from the New School for Social Research, New York., and a PhD in psychology from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California in 1978, a joint program of graduate and medical school at Los Angeles County General Hospital, California Pediatrics Hospital, and Los Angeles County Family Guidance Clinic.  He completed a two-year postdoctoral residency at Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, New Jersey, and then proceeded with further rotations at Beth Israel Hospital at Harvard University, the University of Medicine in Dentistry of New Jersey, Neurodiagnostic Unit, and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York.  He obtained his first board certification in neuropsychology in 1984 from the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology, and second in 1992.

He is a member and fellow in many professional organizations.  Dr. Sica has lectured and published in neuropsychology and forensic neuropsychology drawing upon over 40 years of clinical experience in private practice, hospital, academia, and law.

Dr. Sica participates with the following insurance companies and is considered in network with: Horizon BCBS of NJ, BCBS, Cigna and Medicare.