About
With her background in public health and analytic expertise, she hopes to inform early identification of autism and intervention strategies that support children and families. She has experience with working on the public health surveillance of autism and has led and collaborated on several multidisciplinary studies published by top tier peer reviewed journals. She is committed to translating research into actionable insights that can improve systems of care for autistic individuals and promote health equity.
Education
| 2019 | BS | Public Health | University of Kentucky |
| 2020 | MPH | Public Health | University of Kentucky |
| 2020 | PhD | University of Wisconsin-Madison | |
| 2022–2025 | Morse Scholar | Major Professor: | Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Selected Publications
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Pokoski, O. M., Furnier, S. M., Gangnon, R. E., Howerton, E. M., Kirby, A. V., Protho, T., Schweizer, M. L., Travers, B. G., & Durkin, M. S. (2025). Prevalence of Motor Milestone Delays in Autistic Children. JAMA pediatrics, e250216. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.0216
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Shaw, K. A., Williams, S., Patrick, M. E., Valencia-Prado, M., Durkin, M. S., Howerton, E. M., Ladd-Acosta, C. M., Pas, E. T., Bakian, A. V., Bartholomew, P., Nieves-Muñoz, N., Sidwell, K., Alford, A., Bilder, D. A., DiRienzo, M., Fitzgerald, R. T., Furnier, S. M., Hudson, A. E., Pokoski, O. M., Shea, L., … Maenner, M. J. (2025). Prevalence and Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 4 and 8 Years – Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 16 Sites, United States, 2022. Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries (Washington, D.C. : 2002), 74(2), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss7402a1
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Pokoski, O. M., Crain, H. M., Furnier, S. M., Gangnon, R. E., Nadler, C., Moody, E. J., Pazol, K., Stanley, M. A., Wiggins, L. D., & Durkin, M. S. (2024). COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on Behavioral and Emotional Health of Young Children With Autism. JAACAP open, 3(2), 268–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaacop.2024.02.006
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Pokoski, O. M., Crain, H., DiGuiseppi, C., Furnier, S. M., Moody, E. J., Nadler, C., Pazol, K., Sanders, J., Wiggins, L. D., & Durkin, M. S. (2024). Economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families of children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Frontiers in psychiatry, 15, 1342504. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1342504
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Shaw, K. A., Williams, S., Hughes, M. M., Warren, Z., Bakian, A. V., Durkin, M. S., Esler, A., Hall-Lande, J., Salinas, A., Vehorn, A., Andrews, J. G., Baroud, T., Bilder, D. A., Dimian, A., Galindo, M., Hudson, A., Hallas, L., Lopez, M., Pokoski, O., Pettygrove, S., … Maenner, M. J. (2023). Statewide county-level autism spectrum disorder prevalence estimates-seven U.S. states, 2018. Annals of epidemiology, 79, 39–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.01.010