Senior Leadership
Robert Schultz, PhD
Scientific DirectorRobert Schultz, PhD
Bob Schultz, PhD, is the Director of the Center for Autism Research (CAR), a multi-faceted research program at CHOP working to understand the causes of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to develop better treatments.
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David Mandell, ScD
Associate DirectorDavid Mandell, ScD
David Mandell is CAR's Associated Director and also directs Penn's Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research. His work combines epidemiology and health services research to learn the best ways to organize, finance and deliver services to children with psychiatric and developmental disabilities.
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Susan Levy, MD, MPH
Medical DirectorSusan Levy, MD, MPH
Susan E. Levy, MD, MPH is CAR's medical director and an attending developmental pediatrician at CHOP. She is also a Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Levy's research focuses on the etiology of autism, improving early detection and intervention and supporting shared decision-making.
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Judith Miller, PhD
Clinical Training DirectorJudith Miller, PhD
Judi Miller, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and the Clinical Training Director for CAR. She is also Autism Director for CHOP’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disorders (LEND) program, ensuring the next generation of master clinicians are prepared to deliver informed and compassionate care.
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Tiffany Ryan-D'urso, MS, MS
Administrative DirectorTiffany Ryan-D'urso, MS, MS
Tiffany is CAR's Administrative Director, responsible for the financial, administrative, strategic planning, human resource, and organizational processes and infrastructure that support CAR’s research mission.
Read moreScientists and Clinicians
Keith Bartley, MS
Principal InvestigatorKeith Bartley, MS
Keith Bartley co-leads CAR's Technology and Innovation program, where he uses advanced perceptual computing technologies to understand autism and behavior, particularly with social communication.
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Amanda Bennett, MD, MPH
Developmental PediatricianAmanda Bennett, MD, MPH
Amanda Bennett, MD, MPH, is a Developmental Pediatrician at CHOP and is site director for the Autism Treatment Network at CHOP, funded by Autism Speaks. Dr. Bennett's research focuses on novel treatments for ASD through medication trials.
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Lisa Blaskey, PhD
Pediatric NeuropsychologistLisa Blaskey, PhD
Lisa Blaskey, PhD is a co-investigator and clinician at CAR including studies exploring electrophysiological underpinnings of language impairment in autism spectrum disorders and risk factors and precursors to ASD.
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Whitney Guthrie, PhD
Scientist and Clinical PsychologistWhitney Guthrie, PhD
Whitney Guthrie, PhD is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and co-director of the Data and Statistical Core at the Center for Autism Research. Dr. Guthrie’s research focuses on the early developmental trajectories that characterize ASD with the ultimate goal of improving early diagnosis and intervention.
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John Herrington, PhD
Faculty ResearcherJohn Herrington, PhD
John Herrington, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Child Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the Perelman School of Medicine. His work concentrates on social and emotional information processes among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a particular emphasis on the co-occurrence of anxiety disorders in ASD.
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Emily Kuschner, PhD
Faculty ResearcherEmily Kuschner, PhD
Emily S. Kuschner, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and scientist at CAR and in CHOP's Lurie Family Foundations MEG Center. Her programs of research involve treating food selectivity in individuals with ASD and developing clinical support protocols to help children of all ages, cognitive and language levels participate in MEG and MRI research.
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Juhi Pandey, PhD
Faculty ResearcherJuhi Pandey, PhD
Dr. Pandey is a pediatric neuropsychologist and scientist at the Center for Autism Research as well as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Julia Parish-Morris, PhD
Faculty ResearcherJulia Parish-Morris, PhD
Julia Parish-Morris is a Research Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania and a Principle Investigator at the Center for Autism Research. Her research interests include language development in autism spectrum disorder.
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Birkan Tunç, PhD
Faculty ResearcherBirkan Tunç, PhD
Birkan Tunç, Ph.D., is a computational scientist CAR and a Research Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at University of Pennsylvania. His primary area of research is the application of machine learning and statistical data analysis in various domains such as psychopathology, neuroimaging, connectomics, and complex network analysis.
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Kate Wallis, MD, MPH
Developmental PediatricianKate Wallis, MD, MPH
Kate Wallis, MD, MPH, is an attending physician in Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)’s Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, an Instructor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania, and an active member of the CAR research team.
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Benjamin Yerys, PhD
Faculty ResearcherBenjamin Yerys, PhD
Benjamin E. Yerys, Ph.D., is a child psychologist in the Center for Autism Research (CAR) at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Yerys leads CAR’s research on the brain basis and treatment of attention and executive function.
Read moreOutreach and Administration
Lindsey DeMarco, BA
Recruitment CoordinatorLindsey DeMarco, BA
Lindsey DeMarco is the Recruitment Coordinator at CAR. She works connect families with research opportunities that are personailzed to their interests and needs, and works to educated the broader community about the opportunity to advance science by participating in clinical research.
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Susannah Horner, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social WorkerSusannah Horner, LCSW
Susannah Horner, LCSW is the Clinic Social Worker for the Center for Autism Research. She provides supports for the clinicians and families that are involved with the center, manages the CAR Autism Roadmap™ resource website, and is available to provide information and resources to families.
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Valerie Laranko
Recruitment CoordinatorValerie Laranko
Valerie Laranko is a Recruitment Coordinator at The Center for Autism Research for The Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center.
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Ayana King Pointer
Administrative LiaisonAyana King Pointer
Ayana has enjoyed working at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for many years. Ayana provides high-level administrative support to our Center's Scientific Director, Training Director and Administrative Director.
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Alison Pomykacz
Clinical Research Project Manager and PsychometricianAlison Pomykacz
Alison Pomykacz is a Certified School Psychologist, and a Clinical Research Project Manager and Psychometrician at the Center for Autism Research.
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Jennifer Swope
Clinical Research Regulatory SpecialistJennifer Swope
Jennifer Swope is the Clinical Research Regulatory Specialist at the Center for Autism Research. She works with investigators and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure that research being conducted at CAR is done in accordance with local and federal regulations and policies in order to protect human subjects.
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Dana Weidig
Outreach ManagerDana Weidig
As CAR’s communicator, Dana develops all of CAR’s written materials and Web content, from blog posts, videos and marketing materials to social media and the CAR e-Newsletter. She organizes CAR’s events and connects CAR faculty members with speaking opportunities and the media.
Read moreData Team
Leila Bateman
Clinical Research Project ManagerLeila Bateman
Leila Bateman the Clinical Research Project Manager for CAR’s Data and Statistical Core, which builds and optimizes scientific data integration and management, data discovery, reporting, and analysis across the Center.
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Kundan Kunapareddy
Data AnalystKundan Kunapareddy
Kundan Kunapareddy is a Data Analyst at the Center for Autism Research (CAR). He assists with data integration and management, data discovery, reporting and building/maintaining study databases across the Center.
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Mitchell Walker
Data AnalystMitchell Walker
Mitchell Walker is a Research Data Analyst at The Center for Autism Research. He assists with data integration and management, data discovery, reporting and building/maintaining study databases across the Center.
Read morePost-Doctoral Fellows
Elizabeth Kim, PhD
Postdoctoral FellowElizabeth Kim, PhD
Eli is a Computer Science and Pediatrics postdoc at the Center for Autism Research. Her research applies and develops novel statistical and computational techniques for quantitatively measuring human behavior.
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Mina Kim, PhD, NCSP
Post-Doctoral FellowMina Kim, PhD, NCSP
Mina Kim, PhD, NCSP, is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Lurie Family Foundations Magnetoencephalography (MEG) Imaging Center. She earned her doctoral degree in School Psychology at Temple University.
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Evangelos Sariyanidi, PhD
Postdoctoral FellowEvangelos Sariyanidi, PhD
Evangelos Sariyanidi, PhD, is Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Autism Research. Dr. Sariyanidi is specialized in developing and applying computer vision and machine learning techniques, and his research focuses on the automatic quantification of facial movements.
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Casey Zampella, PhD
Postdoctoral FellowCasey Zampella, PhD
Casey Zampella, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Autism Research. Dr. Zampella’s research focuses on quantifying movement differences in children with ASD, and the role of those differences in social communication impairments.
Read moreGraduate Students
Caitlin Clements
Psychology Doctoral StudentCaitlin Clements
Caitlin Clements, MA is a Psychology doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania in the clinical training program. Her faculty advisor is CAR's director, Bob Schultz, PhD, and she has completed some of her clinical training and most of her doctoral research at CAR
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Laura Soskey Cubit, M.A.
Clinical Psychology InternLaura Soskey Cubit, M.A.
Laura Soskey Cubit, M.A., is a Clinical Psychology Intern at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY
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Leah Wang, M.A.
Doctoral StudentLeah Wang, M.A.
Leah Wang, M.A., is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania studying with Dr. Robert Schultz.
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Lisa Yankowitz, MA
Graduate StudentLisa Yankowitz, MA
Lisa Yankowitz, MA, is a PhD Candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and graduate student working at the Center for Autism Research under the mentorship of Dr. Bob Schultz.
Read moreResearch Staff
Megan Airey
Research AssistantMegan Airey
Megan (Meg) Airey, B.S, is a clinical research assistant for the Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center Team.
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Morgan Beck
Research AssistantMorgan Beck
Morgan is a clinical research assistant for The Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center.
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Taylor Chiang
Research AssistantTaylor Chiang
Taylor Chiang is a research assistant in the Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center under the Department of Radiology.
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Meredith Cola
Research AssistantMeredith Cola
Meredith Cola is a research assistant at the Center for Autism Research and started as a volunteer working on the Research on Autism and Developmental Disorders (ROADD) Study.
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Lucero Cordero
Research AssistantLucero Cordero
Lucero Cordero is currently a research assistant at The Center for Autism Research (CAR) where she is testing the Bio stream video games for higher functioning children with autism.
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Aubrey Faggen
Research AssistantAubrey Faggen
Aubrey Faggen is a full time Research Assistant for the Center for Autism Research.
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Leah Gaetz
Clinical Research CoordinatorLeah Gaetz
Leah Gaetz is a Clinical Research Coordinator for The Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center where she works within the department of Radiology at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
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Kimmie Konka, M.S.
Research AssistantKimmie Konka, M.S.
Kimmie Konka is a research coordinator in The Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, working on brain development studies for school age children and teens.
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Jillian Lebus, M.A.
PsychometristJillian Lebus, M.A.
Jillian Lebus, M.A. is a Psychometrist at CHOP’s Center for Autism Research, working across a number of research studies within in the Lurie Family Foundations Magnetoencephalography (MEG) Center.
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Samiza Palmer
Research AssistantSamiza Palmer
Samiza Palmer is one of the Research Assistants at the Center for Autism Research and works on the SPARK study.
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Victoria Petrulla, MA
Research AssistantVictoria Petrulla, MA
Victoria Petrulla, MA, is a Clinical Research Assistant at the Center for Autism Research, where she works on projects exploring movement and social communication in individuals with and without ASD.
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Samantha Plate
Research AssistantSamantha Plate
Samantha Plate is a Clinical Research Assistant at CAR. She started at CAR as a student intern working with Dr. Parish-Morris and after graduating from Bryn Mawr College with her bachelor’s in psychology.
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Vai Ranganathan
Research AssistantVai Ranganathan
Vai Ranganathan is a Research Assistant at Center for Autism Research (CAR). He works primarily on the SPARK research study, a multi-site study sponsored by the Simons Foundation.
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Amanda Riiff
Research AssistantAmanda Riiff
Amanda Riiff works at The Center of Autism Research (CAR) as a clinical research assistant and currently works with the motor team.
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Raquel Serruya, M.H.S
Research AssistantRaquel Serruya, M.H.S
Raquel Serruya, M.H.S., is working at the Center for Autism Research (CAR) as a clinical research assistant and is currently working with the Infant Brain Imaging Study.
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Jessica Tschida
Research AssistantJessica Tschida
Jessica Tschida is a full time Clinical Research Assistant for the Center for Autism Research (CAR), supporting the oRBiting study.
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Manisha Udhnani
Research AssistantManisha Udhnani
Manisha Udhnani is a Clinical Research Assistant at CAR and is interested in the overlap between ASD and intellectual disability.
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Ashley Zitter
Research AssistantAshley Zitter
Ashley Zitter is a full time Clinical Research Assistant for the Center for Autism Research (CAR).
Read moreCollaborators
Nathan Blum, MD
Chief, Division of Developmental & Behavioral PediatricsNathan Blum, MD
Nathan J. Blum, MD, is chief of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a clinical collaborator with The Center for Autism Research.
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Edward ("Ted") Brodkin, MD
Associate Professor of PsychiatryEdward ("Ted") Brodkin, MD
Edward S. (“Ted”) Brodkin, M.D. is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and founder and director of the Adult Autism Spectrum Program at Penn Medicine. Dr. Brodkin’s research is focused on social functioning in ASD.
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Ashley deMarchena, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychology and NeuroscienceAshley deMarchena, PhD
Dr. deMarchena is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the Universioty of the Sciences in Philadelphia. While completing her postdoctoral fellowship at CAR, Dr. deMarchena was a founding member of CAR's Technology & Innovation Lab. Professor de Marchena’s research focuses on the behavioral presentation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
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Debra Dunn, Esq
Consulting Director for Strategic Partnerships and DevelopmentDebra Dunn, Esq
Deb is a consultant to the Center for Autism Research (CAR). She was initially hired as CAR's Public Relations Director and Recruitment Coordinator when CAR first began in 2008.
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J. Christopher Edgar, PhD
Principal InvestigatorJ. Christopher Edgar, PhD
Dr. Edgar is an Associate Professor of Radiology and has over 20 years of experience using non-invasive imaging (electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and structural and functional MRI) to study brain function and structure in psychiatric and neurological patient populations.
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Hakon Hakonarson, MD, PhD
Director, CHOP Center for Applied GenomicsHakon Hakonarson, MD, PhD
Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., is Director of the Center for Applied Genomics and Professor of Pediatrics at The University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine.
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Brenna Maddox, PhD
Postdoctoral FellowBrenna Maddox, PhD
Brenna Maddox, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow and licensed clinical psychologist at the Penn Center for Mental Health. She completed her predoctoral internship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as the Autism track intern
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Joseph McCleery, PhD
Assistant Professor of PsychologyJoseph McCleery, PhD
Dr. McCleery is Assistant Professor at St. Joseph's University (SJU) in the Department of Psychology, and Executive Director of SJU's Academic Programs in the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support, His research examines the neural mechanisms of social processing and perception in infants, children and adults with and without ASD.
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Timothy Roberts, PhD
Vice-Chair, Department of RadiologyTimothy Roberts, PhD
Dr. Roberts is the Oberkircher Family Chair in Pediatric Radiology and Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Radiology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Professor of Radiology and Adjunct Professor of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania. He directs the Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center at CHOP.
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Alyssa R. Rosen, MD
NeurologistAlyssa R. Rosen, MD
Alyssa R. Rosen, MD, is a pediatric neurologist in the Division of Neurology at CHOP, specializing in the care of children with autism and epilepsy-related disorders.
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