Gail Chodron, PhD

Position title: Director, Wisconsin Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities

PhD, University of Toronto
Scientist II
WI LEND Director
UCEDD Community Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator

Contact Information

Waisman Center
UW Madison
1500 Highland Avenue
Room S101H
Madison, WI 53705

Programs & Projects

Wisconsin Care Integration Initiative
Project Director
Community Solutions for Health Equity
Project Director
Act Early State Team
Team Lead

Interest Statement

Gail Chödrön, PhD, has a passion for applied research and training aimed at improving access to integrated systems of care for children with ASD/DD and their families. She has been involved in interdisciplinary university instruction related to social sciences and health for over fifteen years, and currently provides training leadership through her roles as the director for the Wisconsin Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program and the coordinator of community training and technical assistance for the UCEDD. She completed her doctoral degree in Public Health Sciences at the University of Toronto, Canada. Her research interests focus on early identification of ASD/DD and access to service systems for socially and economically marginalized families. She is particularly interested in community leadership development, community-participatory approaches to identifying and responding to barriers to service system access, and implementation science in the service of health equity outcomes.

Professional Certifications and Education

PhD, Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada
MA, Anthropology, University of Toronto, Canada
Certificate in Maternal and Child Health Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Public Health Program Faculty, School of Medicine and Public Health, UW-Madison

Research Statement

Dr. Chödrön’s research interests are in early identification and access to health care services for ASD/DD among socially and economically marginalized families. She recently completed studies on implementation of evidence-based developmental monitoring tools and processes in childcare and Early Head Start settings.

Selected Publications

Morgan, E., Winters, I., King, C., Shaw, B., Burns, J., Stahmer, A., Chödrön, G. (2023). Paths to equity: Parents in partnership with UCEDDs fostering Black family advocacy for children on the autism spectrum. Developmental Disabilities Network Journal, 3(1):6-29.
Smith, J. D., Nidey, N., Chödrön, G. S., Czyzia, J., Donahue, M. L., Ford, K., James, C., Klimova, O., Macias, M. M., Rabidoux, P., Whitaker, T. M., & Brosco, J. P. (2022). A Quality Improvement Network for Interdisciplinary Training in Developmental Disabilities. Pediatrics, 150(6), e2022058236. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-058236
Abercrombie, J., Pann, J., Taylor, E., Brisendine, A., Biasini, F., Swanson-Holm, R., James, C,. Viehweg, S., and Chödrön, G. (2021). Evaluation of the Feasibility and Perceived Value of Integrating Learn the Signs. Act Early. Developmental Monitoring Resources in Early Head Start. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50, 1169–1181. DOI: 10.1007/s10643-021-01247-5
Chödrön, G., B. Barger, K. Pizur-Barnekow, S. Viehweg, A. Puk-Ament. (2021). ‘Watch Me!’ training increases knowledge and impacts attitudes related to developmental monitoring and referral among childcare providers. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 25(6): 980-990. DOI: 10.1007/s10995-020-03097-w
Chödrön, G., K. Pizur-Barnekow, S. Viehweg, A. Puk-Ament, B. Barger. (2019). Childcare providers’ attitudes, knowledge, and practice related to developmental monitoring to promote early identification and referral. Early Child Development and Care, 191(4): 520-534. DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2019.1626373