Rachel is a third year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at CWRU. She is in the Child and Family track and works with Dr. Anastasia Dimitropoulos and Dr. Sandra Russ. Rachel completed her B.S. in Human Development and Psychological Services at Northwestern University, where she discovered her passion for research and working with individuals with developmental disabilities. Prior to coming to CWRU, she served as a Research Coordinator at the Autism Assessment, Research, Treatment, and Services (AARTS) Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. Rachel’s current research interests include supporting social, emotional, and family well-being through integration of evidence-based practices into family and community systems for individuals with developmental disorders. She is currently leading a project focused on identifying mechanisms of change of the PRETEND program, with the goal of individualizing and optimizing the program for different child needs and developmental levels. Rachel’s hobbies include reading, biking, skiing, trying new recipes, and exploring Metroparks in Cleveland.

Carly is a second year graduate student in the Developmental Cognitive and Affective Sciences PhD program. She graduated from CWRU in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science. After college, she worked as a behavior technician for children with developmental delays and taught their families about early intervention. Last year, she worked in a neuropsychology research lab at Nationwide Children’s Hospital where she designed and secured funding for a project that evaluates school readiness and cognitive development in toddlers with critical congenital heart defects. Her research interests include skill acquisition in children with developmental disabilities and complex medical conditions, as well as the impact of the family and home environment on the child’s quality of life. Now that she is back in Cleveland, Carly enjoys going to coffee shops, hiking, and eating Mitchell’s ice cream.

Kerrigan completed her undergraduate degree at The Ohio State University and had a Master’s degree in community psychology. Kerrigan is interested in working with children and families affected by intellectual and developmental disabilities. She hopes to better understand social support networks for families affected by neurodevelopmental disorders and conditions like Prader-Willi Syndrome, especially in rural communities. Specifically, Kerrigan is interested in developing effective telemedicine interventions for children and families with neurodevelopmental disabilities for ASD and Prader-Willi Syndrome who are residing in areas with limited access to resources and specialty healthcare.

Nicole is a research assistant working on the PRETEND Expansion Project in the Neurodevelopment Research Lab. Nicole graduated from The University of Tennessee in 2023 with her degree in Psychology. While a student, she established her interest in child development research through her undergraduate lab experience and by providing early intervention therapy as a Registered Behavior Technician for children diagnosed with ASD. Prior to her transition to CWRU, Nicole had also worked as a technician at Nashville Child and Family Wellness Center providing biofeedback to children, adolescents, and adults to aid with in the treatment of various psychiatric symptoms. Her overarching research interest is to explore the benefits or hinderances of cognitive and behavioral interventions on the development of children diagnosed with intellectual or developmental disabilities, particularly involving the quality of those treatments for marginalized youth. In her spare time, you will find her spending time outside, exercising, or reading a new book.