Morse Scholars

Curriculum Vitae

My research aims to better understand how subtle variations in brain development and connectivity correlate with individual behavioral differences in autistic children. Specifically, I apply advanced neuroimaging methods and behavioral assessments to explore the role of the brainstem in arousal regulation, sleep, sensory processing, and attention in autistic children. I am also very interested in examining how these neurodevelopmental pathways may differ in autistic children with co-occurring conditions like ADHD. Outlining details about these neural pathways is essential to improving our understanding of the unique neurodevelopmental trajectories in autism, which in the future could inform novel diagnostic and subtyping brain biomarkers and contribute to the development of neurobiology-based personalized interventions that may enhance the health and wellbeing for autistic individuals. My long-term goal is to integrate these scientific insights with clinical practice as a physician-scientist, dedicated to advancing care and outcomes for those with disabilities.

Home department: Neuroscience Training Program; Medical Scientist Training Program

Major professor: Brittany Travers, PhD

Disciplines that I pull from in my research: Neuroscience, Psychology, Medical Physics/Neuroimaging

Articles that influenced my research:  

Dadalko, O. I., & Travers, B. G. (2018). Evidence for Brainstem Contributions to Autism Spectrum Disorders. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 12, 47. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2018.00047

Surgent, O., Riaz, A., Ausderau, K. K., Adluru, N., Kirk, G. R., Guerrero-Gonzalez, J., Skaletski, E. C., Kecskemeti, S. R., Dean Iii, D. C., Weismer, S. E., Alexander, A. L., & Travers, B. G. (2022). Brainstem white matter microstructure is associated with hyporesponsiveness and overall sensory features in autistic children. Molecular Autism, 13(1), 48. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-022-00524-3

Singh, K., García-Gomar, M. G., Cauzzo, S., Staab, J. P., Indovina, I., & Bianciardi, M. (2022). Structural connectivity of autonomic, pain, limbic, and sensory brainstem nuclei in living humans based on 7 Tesla and 3 Tesla MRI. Human Brain Mapping, 43(10), 3086–3112. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25836

Salhi, S., Kora, Y., Ham, G., Zadeh Haghighi, H., & Simon, C. (2023). Network analysis of the human structural connectome including the brainstem. PLOS ONE, 18(4), e0272688. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272688

Edlow, B. L., Olchanyi, M., Freeman, H. J., Li, J., Maffei, C., Snider, S. B., Zöllei, L., Iglesias, J. E., Augustinack, J., Bodien, Y. G., Haynes, R. L., Greve, D. N., Diamond, B. R., Stevens, A., Giacino, J. T., Destrieux, C., Van Der Kouwe, A., Brown, E. N., Folkerth, R. D., … Kinney, H. C. (2024). Multimodal MRI reveals brainstem connections that sustain wakefulness in human consciousness. Science Translational Medicine, 16(745), eadj4303. https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.adj4303

Curriculum Vitae

My program of research focuses on risk factors for violence and exploitation among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), as well as the role of adverse childhood experiences in physical and behavioral health outcomes among individuals with IDD. My research approach is guided by the following beliefs: (a) research is impactful when the population(s) of interest perceive it as as both important and relevant; and (b) a crucial component of effective research is the active participation of community members. My goal is to develop comprehensive interpersonal violence prevention programming that balances safety and empowerment through consistent community engagement and partnership.

Training mentor: Sigan Hartley, PhD

Disciplines that I pull from in my research: Social Work, Public Health, Sociology, and Education

Articles that influenced my research:

Reid, J. A. (2018). Sex trafficking of girls with intellectual disabilities: An exploratory mixed methods study. Sexual Abuse: Journal of Research and Treatment, 30(2), 107–131. https://doi.org/10.1177/1079063216630981

Rizo, C.F., Klein, L.B., Chesworth, B.R., O’Brien, J.E., Macy, R.J., Martin, S.L., Crews, M.E., & Love, B.L. (2019). Educating youth about commercial sexual exploitation of children: A systematic review. Global Social Welfare, 6, 29–39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40609-018-0119-7

Rothman, E. F., Heller, S., & Graham Holmes, L. (2023). Sexual, physical, and emotional aggression, experienced by autistic vs. non-autistic U.S. college students. Journal of American College Health, 71(9), 2786–2794. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1996373

Rothman, E. F., & Graham Holmes, L. (2022). Using formative research to develop HEARTS: A curriculum-based healthy relationships promoting intervention for individuals on the autism spectrum. Autism, 26(1), 160–168. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211024521

Curriculum Vitae

My research focuses on health and public benefit access and efficacy for autistic adults. In doing so, I aim to listen to and collaborate with autistic adults. In my research, I hope to understand autistic adults’ perceptions of and use of public benefits throughout the lifespan. The ultimate goal of this research is to inform more effective and accessible public benefit policies and supports for autistic adults.

Home department: Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work

Major professor: Lauren Bishop, PhD

Disciplines that I pull from in my research: Social Work, Public Policy, Sociology

Articles that influenced my research:

Shea, L. L., Koffer Miller, K. H., Verstreate, K., Tao, S., & Mandell, D. (2021). States’ use of Medicaid to meet the needs of autistic individuals. Health Services Research, 56(6), 1207–1214. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13671

Jariwala-Parikh, K., Barnard, M., Holmes, E. R., West-Strum, D., Bentley, J. P., Banahan, B., & Khanna, R. (2019). Autism Prevalence in the Medicaid Program and Healthcare Utilization and Costs Among Adult Enrollees Diagnosed with Autism. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 46(6), 768–776. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-019-00960-z

Botha, M., & Gillespie-Lynch, K. (2022). Come as You Are: Examining Autistic Identity Development and the Neurodiversity Movement through an Intersectional Lens. Human Development, 66(2), 93–112. https://doi.org/10.1159/000524123

Bell, E., Christensen, J., Herd, P., & Moynihan, D. (2023). Health in citizen-state interactions: How physical and mental health problems shape experiences of administrative burden and reduce take-up. Public Administration Review, 83(2), 385–400. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13568

Curriculum Vitae

My research explores the relationship between language development and social cognition in young children. Employing innovative methodologies such as gaze-contingent eye-tracking paradigms, I investigate how toddlers acquire and use the complex social rules governing language use. This approach allows for the study of early pragmatic competencies while minimizing confounding factors like social engagement or language production requirements. By developing and openly sharing novel empirical methods and computational tools, I also seek to enhance research accessibility in developmental psychology. My work aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of language acquisition and social cognition across diverse populations, bridging insights from various disciplines within human development to advance our knowledge of early cognitive and linguistic processes.

Home department: Psychology

Major Professor: Jenny Saffran, PhD

Disciplines that I pull from in my research: Developmental Psychology, Linguistics, Cognitive Science

Articles that influenced my research:

Koenig, M. A., & Woodward, A. L. (2010). Sensitivity of 24-month-olds to the prior inaccuracy of the source: Possible mechanisms. Developmental Psychology, 46(4), 815–826. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019664

Bohn, M., & Frank, M. C. (2019). The Pervasive Role of Pragmatics in Early Language. In Annual Review of Developmental Psychology (Vol. 1, Issue Volume 1, 2019, pp. 223–249). Annual Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-devpsych-121318-085037

Bazhydai, M., Westermann, G., & Parise, E. (2020). “I don’t know but I know who to ask”: 12‐month‐olds actively seek information from knowledgeable adults. Developmental Science, 23(5). https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12938

Raviv, L., & Arnon, I. (2018). Systematicity, but not compositionality: Examining the emergence of linguistic structure in children and adults using iterated learning. Cognition, 181, 160–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2018.08.011

Newport, E. L. (1990). Maturational Constraints on Language Learning. Cognitive Science, 14(1), 11–28. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1401_2

Curriculum Vitae

My research interests include the intersection of developmental disabilities, health disparities, and maternal and child health. Currently, under the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED), I am working to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the adaptive behavior among preschool aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Understanding the mechanisms through which the pandemic may have influenced specific areas of development in children with ASD will allow us to better deliver services during unprecedented times in the future. Additionally, I am working on estimating the statewide prevalence of children with ASD in Wisconsin using Medicaid claims and educational data. Future work involves the inclusion of biomedical informatics to create an ASD registry for the state of Wisconsin to gain a better understanding of the epidemiology of ASD.

Home department: Population Health Sciences

Major professor: Maureen Durkin, PhD, DrPH

Disciplines that I pull from in my research: Epidemiology, Public Health, Sociology

Articles that influenced my research:

Lyall, K, Croen, L, Daniels, J, Fallin, MD, Ladd-Acosta, C, Lee, BK, Park, BY, Snyder, NW, Schendel, D, Volk, H, Windham, GC, & Newschaffer, C (2017). The changing epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders. Annual review of public health, 38, 81-102. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031816-044318

Mandell, DS, Ittenbach, RF, Levy, SE & Pinto-Martin, JA (2007). Disparities in diagnoses received prior to a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 37(9), 1795-1892. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0314-8

Houtrow, A, Harris, D, Molinero, A, Levin-Decanini, T, & Robichaud, C (2020). Children with disabilities in the United States and the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicine, 13(3), 415-424. https://doi.org/10.3233/PRM-200769

Curriculum Vitae

My fundamental drive as a future physician-scientist is to improve the diagnosis, treatment and understanding of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. I aim to accomplish these goals through my research and clinical training in developmental neuroscience. My research aims to uncover the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern human brain development and evolution.

Home department: Medical Scientist Training Program; Cell and Molecular Biology

Major professor: André Sousa, PhD

Disciplines that I pull from in my research: Developmental biology, Evolutionary neuroscience, Genomics, Stem cell biology

Curriculum Vitae

My research centers on cognitive and adaptive functioning development in individuals with Down syndrome throughout the lifespan. One goal of this work is to determine how biological and environmental factors alter development and explain heterogeneity in these skills across individuals with Down syndrome; this information is important for directing interventions and individualized treatment plans. Another important aspect of studying cognition in individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities is measurement. My work is aimed at establishing feasible, reliable, and valid cognitive outcome measures for research studies and future clinical trials involving individuals with Down syndrome. This includes identifying cognitive measures that correlate with biomarkers of brain pathology in the unfolding of Alzheimer’s disease in Down syndrome. I am also interested in developing remote procedures for cognitive measurement to reduce participant burden and improve access to research in rural communities.

Training mentor: Sigan Hartley, PhD

Disciplines that I pull from in my research: Human Development and Family Studies, Psychology, Neuroscience, Aging, Education

Articles that influenced my research:

Hartley, S. L., Handen, B. L., Devenny, D., Tudorascu, D., Piro-Gambetti, B., Zammit, M. D., Laymon, C. M., Klunk, W. E., Zaman, S., Cohen, A., & Christian, B. T. (2020). Cognitive indicators of transition to preclinical and prodromal stages of Alzheimer’s disease in Down syndrome. Alzheimer’s & Dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 12(1), e12096. https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12096

Thurm, A., Kelleher, B., & Wheeler, A. (2020). Outcome Measures for Core Symptoms of Intellectual Disability: State of the Field. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 125(6), 418–433. https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-125.6.418

Esbensen, A. J., Hooper, S. R., Fidler, D., Hartley, S. L., Edgin, J., d’Ardhuy, X. L., Capone, G., Conners, F. A., Mervis, C. B., Abbeduto, L., Rafii, M. S., Krinsky-McHale, S. J., Urv, T., & Outcome Measures Working Group (2017). Outcome Measures for Clinical Trials in Down Syndrome. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 122(3), 247–281. https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-122.3.247

Karmiloff-Smith, A., Al-Janabi, T., D’Souza, H., Groet, J., Massand, E., Mok, K., Startin, C., Fisher, E., Hardy, J., Nizetic, D., Tybulewicz, V., & Strydom, A. (2016). The importance of understanding individual differences in Down syndrome. F1000Research, 5, F1000 Faculty Rev-389. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.7506.1

Kelleher, B. L., Halligan, T., Witthuhn, N., Neo, W. S., Hamrick, L., & Abbeduto, L. (2020). Bringing the Laboratory Home: PANDABox Telehealth-Based Assessment of Neurodevelopmental Risk in Children. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 1634. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01634

Daunhauer, L. A., Fidler, D. J., Hahn, L., Will, E., Lee, N. R., & Hepburn, S. (2014). Profiles of everyday executive functioning in young children with down syndrome. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 119(4), 303–318. https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-119.4.303