Cameron Neece, Primary InvestigatorDr. Cameron Neece is an Associate Professor at Loma Linda University and her idea for her intervention studies grew out of years of research working with families of children with developmental delays and autism spectrum disorders. Much of her published research has shown the impact of parental stress on children’s development. She developed her research projects to support parents, thereby improving outcomes for their children.
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Rachel Fenning, Co-Investigator
Dr. Rachel Fenning is an Associate Professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Studies at Cal State University, Fullerton. Her research primarily focuses on child and family contributions to social-emotional development in children vulnerable due to developmental delays or environmental risk. Dr. Fenning is a Co-Investigator on the STEPS Project, and has special expertise in diagnostic assessments for Autism Spectrum Disorder as well as observational coding measures and other assessment tools used in the STEPS Project.
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Beth Mulligan, Mindfulness InstructorBeth Mulligan, PA-C is a certified MBSR teacher, teacher trainer, and adjunct faculty through the UMASS Center for Mindfulness. She has been teaching MBSR for over a decade to diverse populations; from the critically ill, to non-profit organizations, the underserved, educators, and corporate leaders. She currently teaches at the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine at UCI and Insight LA. Beth is a certified Mindful Self-Compassion teacher and teacher trainer and does international training for the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion.
Beth has a background in primary care medicine as a Board Certified Physician Assistant having graduated Magna cum Laude from Duke University and has practiced medicine for over thirty years. She is a long time student of Charles Tenshin Fletcher, Roshi at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center where she has lived in residence. Beth is the Guiding Dharma teacher at Insight Community of the Desert and is a certified yoga instructor. |
Marbella Rodriguez Serna, Project CoordinatorMarbella is a UCLA graduate with a Bachelors in Psychology and Chicanx Studies. Marbella has worked as a behavioral therapist for children with ASD and has extensive research experience working with children. In the near future, she hopes to attend graduate school for Clinical Psychology.
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Alan Garcia, Project CoordinatorAlan is a UCLA graduate with a Bachelors in psychology. He has extensive experience working in research laboratories and is interested in how Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction can help parents. In the near future, he plans to attend graduate school for Clinical Psychology.
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Griffin Boostrom G. Griffin Boostrom is a 4th year Clinical Psychology Doctoral student at Loma Linda University. He has 4 years of experience as a behavioral instructor working with children with developmental disabilities. He has a passion for working with children and their families, and is committed to helping them manage the multiple stressors of their daily lives.
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Hadley McGregorHadley is a 4th year Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student at Loma Linda University. Her research interests revolve around treatment methods for children with ASD with comorbid disorders as well as improving family relationships with children with ASD. Hadley has extensive experience working with children with neurodevelopmental disorders and is interested in becoming a clinical psychologist specializing in assessing and treating ASD and anxiety.
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Amanda PrestonAmanda is a UCLA graduate with a Bachelors in Psychology. She has experience working with children with developmental delays as a behavioral therapist. Amanda has previously worked with families in the foster care system as well as families of children with autism in a research setting. She hopes to attend a graduate program for Clinical Psychology in the near future.
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Monica VejarMonica is a 2nd year Clinical Psychology Doctoral student at Loma Linda University. Her research interest began working with children and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder at UCLA in a partial hospitalization program starting in 2015, and continued to grow while in graduate school. She was a behavioral therapist and social skills therapist for 3 years prior to graduate school and has worked in Dr. Neece’s research lab since being in graduate school. She enjoys getting to know and connecting with the families and children involved in the Child and Family lab research projects, and loves being a part of such a great research team
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Megan KrantzMegan is a 2nd year Clinical Psychology Doctoral student at Loma Linda University. She is passionate about understanding the role of family and social relationships in the etiology of, and intervention for psychopathology among children and adolescents. Her current research interests include family intervention for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Neilson ChanNeilson is a 5th year clinical psychology doctoral student at Loma Linda University. He is passionate about supporting the mental health of individuals who are at developmental risk along with their family. His current research interests involve better understanding the presentation of anxiety in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and identifying risk/protective factors that can inform interventions aimed at improving functioning.
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Paulina FeghaliPaulina is a 4th year clinical psychology doctoral student at Loma Linda University. She has experience working with families and children with developmental disabilities in addition to her experience in assessing various neuro-diverse pediatric populations. Both her clinical and research interests broadly include pediatric neuropsychology, with particular interest in brain behavior relationships, and the consequential trajectory of cognitive and behavioral functioning following brain insult.
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Tiffany VoTiffany is a 4th year Clinical Psychology Doctoral student at Loma Linda University. She has experience working with children and adolescents, ranging from developmental delays and learning disabilities to emotional disorders in both school and intensive outpatient settings. Her current research interests involve investigating the effects of sleep and parent-child relationships on externalizing behaviors in youth presenting with mental health concerns. Tiffany is passionate about working with children and their families in finding support and creating a safe environment to promote growth in treatment. Ultimately, she plans on continuing to work with children and families in a hospital setting with integrated treatment as her primary focus after graduation.
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Caroline Eskander
Caroline is a first year Clinical Psychology Doctoral student at Loma Linda University. She has 2 years of experience as a behavioral interventionist working with children with autism spectrum disorder. She is interested in working with families of children with intellectual and developmental delays as well as grade school students with intellectual disabilities. Her research interests include the family dynamic between children with autism and their typically developing siblings.
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Interested in the STEPS Project?
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Contact us today to speak with a team member and hear more about this program.
Contact us today to speak with a team member and hear more about this program.