Click on the names below to read their biographies:
Nicole Russo-Ponsaran, Ph.D.
Research Director
Assistant Professor of Behavioral Sciences
Education and Training
- Northwestern University, Ph.D., Neuroscience
- Loyola University Chicago, B.S., Biology
- Certified research reliable in administration of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), and ADOS-2
Areas of Expertise
- Autism spectrum disorders, fragile X syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and language-based learning problems
- Neurophysiology, speech-evoked auditory brainstem response
- Nonverbal awareness, prosody, facial affect
- Social information processing
Research Interests
- Improving objective assessment of functioning for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities
- Direct assessment of social-emotional learning skills and self-regulation in typically-developing and clinical pediatric populations
- Evaluation of intervention efficacy and the development of new treatment programs
Clark McKown, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Pediatrics
Executive Director
Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Behavioral Sciences
Education and Training
- University of California, Berkeley, PhD, Psychology
- Stanford’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Predoctoral internship
- Yale University, BA, Psychology
Areas of Expertise
- Child assessment and therapy
- School consultation
- Academic, social, behavioral, and emotional disorders of childhood
- Social development and friendship
Research Interests
- Typical and atypical social development
- Assessment and treatment of social problems
- Instructional environments and children’s well-being
- Program evaluation
Rebecca Liebman, M.P.H.
Research Study Supervisor
Education and Training
- Fulbright Research Scholarship in Delhi, India
- University of Illinois at Chicago, MPH, Community Health Sciences
- Tulane University, BA, Cultural Anthropology
Research Interests
- Designing culturally-sensitive behavioral interventions for vulnerable populations
- Program development, implementation, and evaluation
- Development of assessment tools
Ashley Karls, B.A.
Research Assistant
Education and Training
- National University, B.A in Business Management, Minor in Psychology
Research Interests
- Development of assessment tools to identify children and adolescents at risk for social-emotional difficulties
- Direct assessment of social-emotional learning skills and self-regulation in typically-developing and clinical pediatric populations
- Development/evaluation of treatment programs for executive functioning deficits
In memory of Jason Johnson, B.A.
Research Study Supervisor (2008-2016)
Education and Training
- Monmouth College, B.A., Biology and Chemistry
Research Interests:
- Development of assessment tools to identify children and adolescents at risk for social- emotional difficulties
- Direct assessment of social-emotional learning skills and self-regulation in typically-developing and clinical pediatric populations
- Evaluation of intervention efficacy and the development of new treatment programs, specifically facial emotion recognition
- Sociometrics and Peer rejection
