Child Study Center Faculty
Fred Volkmar
Chair
Irving B. Harris Professor in the Child Study Center and Professor of Pediatrics, of Psychiatry and of Psychology
Chief, Child Psychiatry at Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital
Chair, Child Study Center
Research Interests:Autism and related disorders; Asperger's disorder; Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD); Social development; Diagnosis; Neuropsychology
Clinical Interests:Child and adolescent psychiatry; Autism and pervasive developmental disorder; Asperger's disorder; Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD), Social development, neuropsychology
Diana Abate
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Jean Adnopoz
Clinical Professor in the Child Study Center
Director of In-Home Clinical Services
Research Interests:Primary area of expertise: development, supervision and support of intensive in-home interventions for children at high risk for placement outside of their homes and communities for reasons of serious psychiatric disorders, abuse, neglect, and/ or chronic parental illness or substance abuse. Current research interest is the Family Health and Development Project (FHDP) a randomized controlled trial of the Intensive In-Home-Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Service (IICAPS), developed at the Yale and now replicated at 20 locations in Connecticut. The effectiveness of IICAPS is being compared to the Home-Based Child Treatment Coordination Program (HCTC) a clinically informed, less intensive, child centered, parent focused intervention. Outcome variables include psychiatric hospitalization, service utilizations, behavioral and functional changes, parental perception and the attainment of treatment goals. A recent Service to Science award from SAMHSA will support the development of a pilot study of Family Based Recovery (FBR) an integrated in-home substance abuse and parent-child relationship-based treatment program also developed at Yale with the support of the Department of Children and Families and replicated at 5 additional sites in Connecticut.
Clinical Interests:Development of mental health treatments delivered to high risk children and families in their own homes, training of mental health professionals to deliver home-based treatment models
Maysa Akbar
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Research Interests:Pediatric psychology; Cultural diversity; Developmental evaluations; diagnostic clarification; treatment of children 0-5
Clinical Interests:child and adolescent psychology
Katherine Ambia
Clinical faculty
George Anderson
Senior Research Scientist in the Child Study Center and Research Scientist in Laboratory Medicine
Director, Core Resource Laboratory of the Yale Interdisciplinary Research Consortium on Stress, Self-Control and Addiction
Director, Laboratory of Developmental Neurochemistry (Child Study Center)
Research Interests:Stress response systems; serotonin neurochemistry and psychopharmacology; early biomarkers
Karyn Bailey
Lecturer in the Child Study Center
Kathleen Balestracci
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Evaluation Coordinator, IICAPS Services
Research Interests:Mental Health Services Research
Baptiste Barbot
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Research Interests:Adolescence; Creative cognition; Identity; Personality; Self; Juvenile Delinquency; Psychosocial Adjustment and Development; Intervention and Prevention; Psychological Assessment; Differential Approach to Development; Person-Centered Approach; Longitudinal Modeling.
Mary Jane Bentley
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Evaluation Coordinator, IICAPS Services
Miriam Berkman
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center
Mary Best
Assistant Clinical Professor in the Child Study Center
Michael Bloch
Assistant Professor in the Child Study Center
Research Interests:tourette syndrome; obsessive-compulsive disorder; trichotillomania
Clinical Interests:Tourette's Syndrome; obsessive compulsive disorders, trichotillomania
Leah Booth
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Clinical Interests:Social communication; developmental disorders; receptive/ expressive language; educational programming
Pia Britto
Assistant Professor in the Child Study Center
Lecturer & Fellow, McMillan Center for International and Area Studies
Associate Director, Global Policy
Research Interests:Early child development and education programming and policy; Development of national standards and indicators for monitoring child development outcomes; Government early childhood policies; Early intervention programs in several countries; Growing up Muslim in the United States and the influence of the present socio-political context on young Muslim children's identity development
Fay Brown
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Director, Child and Adolescent Development School Development Program Yale Child Study Center
Laurie Cardona
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center and Assistant Clinical Professor of Nursing
Chief of Psychology, Yale Child Study Center
Co-Director, Yale Child Study Center Pediatric Consultation-Liaison Service
Research Interests:child and adolescent psychiatry; psychological testing; pediatric consultation-liaison
Clinical Interests:child and adolescent psychology; psychological testing; learning disabilities; pediatric consultation-liaison, pediatric-oncology psychosocial services
Lisa Castagnola
Clinician, Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic for Children
Clinical Instructor of Social Work
Katarzyna Chawarska
Associate Professor in the Child Study Center and of Pediatrics (General Pediatrics)
Director, Toddler Developmental Disabilities Clinic
Research Interests:social and cognitive development of infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities
Clinical Interests:Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders
Ann Close
Assistant Professor in the Child Study Center
Associate Director of the Yale Program in Early Childhood Education
Lecturer in Psychology
Research Interests:child development; child psychopathology; developmental assessment and clinical evaluation; mental health consultation; early childhood education
Clinical Interests:developmental assessment;child psychotherapy;parent counseling;preschool mental health consultation
James Comer
Maurice Falk Professor in the Child Study Center and Professor of Psychiatry
Associate Dean for Student Affairs, School of Medicine
Research Interests:Child development; education
Camille Cooper
Lecturer in the Child Study Center
Director of Teaching and Learning for the School Development Program
Gianfilippo Coppola
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Michael Crowley
Assistant Professor in the Child Study Center
Jeanne Croy
Clinical Social Work Instructor
Jennifer Cunningham
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Christine Dauser
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Director of the Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic
Clinical Interests:depression; attention deficit disorders; disruptive behaviors; anxiety; mood disorders; self-harming behaviors; family discord; attachment difficulties
Tara Davila
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Lauren Dennehy
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Clinical Interests:infant&child/parent psychotherapy; developmental assessment; treatment of children exposed to trauma; school consultation; psychotherapy with adolescents; family therapy
Diane Dodge
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Ashley Donovan
Clinical Instructor of Social Work in the Child Study Center
Sasha Durso
Lecturer in Nursing
Judith Eisenberg
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Christine Emmons
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Research Interests:psychosocial environment and learning; psychosocial environment and behavior; mindset development; mindset stability; mindset change; role of mindset in behavior
Carrie Epstein
Assistant Clinical Professor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Adife Ercan-Sencicek
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Research Interests:Characterizing the genetic and genomic architectures of Tourette Syndrome and Mental Retardation, autism and learning disabilities in children by understanding the contribution of rare genetic variation.
Matia Finn-Stevenson
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Associate Director Zigler Center
Director, School of the 21st Century
Director, The Mutt-i-grees Initiative
Research Interests:Program development/evaluation; social and emotional learning/mental health prevention
Clinical Interests:animal assisted therapy
Alisa Fulvio
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Nicole Gentili
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Director, Yale Child Study Center at Madison
Clinical Interests:Family therapy/family systems; parent guidance and support; child/adolescent therapy; couples therapy; cognitive-behavioral approaches to treating anxiety and mood disorders; family interventions for anxiety disorders
Jennifer Gereda
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Postgraduate Associate
Postgraduate Associate in the Child Study Center
Postgraduate Associate
Kimberly Gereda
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Postgraduate Associate
Postgraduate Associate in Child Study Center
Postgraduate Associate
Walter Gilliam
Associate Professor in the Child Study Center
Associate Professor of Psychology
Director, The Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy
Research Interests:child care and early childhood education; intervention policy analysis; early childhood mental health consultation; child and family social policy; young child development
Clinical Interests:young child development; developmental assessment; preschool, child care, and early education consultation; early intervention; infant; toddler; preschool
Phyllis Gladstein
Clinical Interests:Early onset disorders including autism, tourette syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorders, and learning difficulties, developmental delays and emotional difficulties.
Adriana González
Faculty - Clinician
Research Interests:Child Maltreatment; Attachment Relationships; Resilience and Dysfunction; Developmental Psychopathology.
Clinical Interests:Survivors of childhood maltreatment; victims of trauma; attachment based interventions; internalizing and externalizing expressions of dysfunction; opportunities and challenges in adolescence; interpersonal processes in psychodynamic psychotherapy.
Sandra Gossart-Walker
Assistant Clinical Professor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Michele Goyette-Ewing
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Director, Psychology Training
Research Interests:Clinical Interests: child psychology; psychological assessment; educational evaluations; learning disabilities; parenting. Research Interests: longitudinal followup of children diagnosed with autism
Clinical Interests:Child psychology; psychological assessment; educational evaluations; learning disabilities; parenting
Elena Grigorenko
Emily Fraser Beede Professor in the Child Study Center and Professor of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases) and of Psychology
Research Interests:Psychology; Learning disabilities; Neuropsychiatric genetics
Clinical Interests:Yale Academic Skills Clinic (www.yale.edu/eglab/yasc)
Mary Gunsalus
Lecturer in the Child Study Center
Hilary Hahn
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Project Director, Childhood Violent Trauma Center
Karen Hanson
Assistant Clinical Professor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Lesley Hart
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Clinical Interests:reading development, skilled reading performance, and impairments in language and reading processes; particularly interested in children with complex reading profiles including difficulties with reading decoding, encoding, fluency, vocabulary, and/or comprehension.
Ellen Hoffman
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Carla Horwitz
Lecturer in the Child Study Center
Director, Calvin Hill Day Care & Kitty Lustman-Findling Kindergarten
Research Interests:Child development, early childhood education, teaching, learning, mentoring, public policy
Roger Jou
Instructor in the Child Study Center
Clinical Interests:Autism Spectrum Disorders, Intellectual Disability, Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Young-Shin Kim
Associate Professor in the Child Study Center
Research Interests:Epidemiology, Genetics, and Gene-Environmental Interactions of Childhood onset Neuropsychiatric disorders including Autism Spectrum Disorders and Bullying
Clinical Interests:child and adolescent psychiatry
Elizabeth Kimball
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center
Robert King
Professor in the Child Study Center and of Psychiatry
Medical Director, Tourette's/OCD Clinic at Yale Child Study Center
Research Interests:tic disorders; Tourette's syndrome; obsessive-compulsive disorders (children and adolescents); adolescent suicide
Clinical Interests:Child and adolescent psychiatry; psychoanalysis; psychotherapy; psychopharmacology; tic disorders; Tourette's syndrome; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (OCD) in children and adolescents; trichotillomania (hair-pulling)
Bethany Kleine
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Program Coordinator, Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) Program at Yale Child Study Center
Kathy Koenig
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Clinical Nurse Specialist in Psychiatry
Clinical Interests:autism spectrum disorders; developmental disabilities; girls with autism spectrum disorders; group therapy for autism spectrum disorders; cultural and religious issues as they impact diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders;
Pradeep Kotapurathu kurup
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Kristen Kowats
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Nicole Landi
Research Interests:Cognitive and neurobiological bases of reading and language impairment
Eli Lebowitz
Assistant Professor in the Child Study Center
Research Interests:Anxiety disorders; Family accommodation; Parent based treatment; Motion-tracking
Clinical Interests:anxiety disorders; obsessive compulsive disorder; tic diosrders
James Leckman
Neison Harris Professor in the Child Study Center and Professor of Pediatrics and of Psychiatry
Research Interests:Child and adolescent psychiatry; Tourette's syndrome; Obsessive/compulsive disorder (OCD)
Clinical Interests:Child and adolescent psychiatry; Tourette's syndrome; Obsessive/compulsive disorder (OCD)
Paul Lombroso
Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor in the Child Study Center and Professor of Neurobiology and of Psychiatry
Director, Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology
Research Interests:Child and adolescent psychiatry; Neuropharmacology
Clinical Interests:Translational Neuroscience; fragile x syndrome, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease; Child and adolescent psychiatry; Neuropharmacology
Gwendolyn Lopez-Cohen
Instructor in the Child Study Center
Clinical Interests:Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Megan Lyons
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Suzanne Macari
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Katherine Malensek
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Steven Marans
Harris Professor in the Child Study Center
Director, National Center for Children Exposed to Violence/Childhood Violent Trauma Center at the Yale Child Study Center
Director, Trauma Service
Professor of Psychiatry
Research Interests:Child, adolescent, and adult psychoanalysis and psychotherapy; Trauma consultation and treatment
Clinical Interests:Child, adolescent and adult consultations, psychoanalysis and psychotherapy; Trauma consultation and treatment
Carla Marin
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Research Interests:assessment and treatment of pediatric anxiety; anxiety sensitivity; the role of parental control in anxiety in youth; the role of Latino culture in anxiety
Clinical Interests:anxiety disorders; phobias; school refusal behavior; selective mutism
Andrés Martin
Riva Ariella Ritvo Professor in the Child Study Center and Professor of Psychiatry
Deputy Chair for Training and Education and Director of Medical Studies, Yale Child Study Center
Medical Director, Children's Psychiatric Inpatient Service at Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital
Research Interests:Inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Pediatric psychosomatic medicine; Psychosocial aspects of pediatric oncology; Medical education in child and adolescent psychiatry
Clinical Interests:Inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry; Pediatric psychopharmacology; Pediatric psychosomatic medicine; Psychosocial aspects of pediatric oncology
Cristina Martins
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Postgraduate Associate
Postgraduate Associate
Linda Mayes
Arnold Gesell Professor in the Child Study Center and Professor of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases), of Pediatrics and of Psychology
Chair, Directorial Team Anna Freud Centre at London
Special Advisor, Dean
Research Interests:Early adversity; Stress regulation; Parental addiction; Risk for drug use in adolescence; Neural circuitry of social attachment and parental behavior; Developing reward systems; Electrophysiology
Clinical Interests:Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Early child development
Christopher McGirr
Clinical Instructor in Nursing
James McPartland
Assistant Professor in the Child Study Center and of Psychology
Associate Director, Developmental Electrophysiology Lab
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Yale Child Study Center
Director, Yale Developmental Disabilities Clinic
Research Interests:developmental neuroscience; social perception
Clinical Interests:Child psychology; autism spectrum disorder; developmental disabilities
Christiana Mills
Assistant Clinical Professor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Clinical Interests:Assessment and treatment of young children; Parenting; Adjustment issues in young children; Trauma & young children; Zero To Three Safe Babies Project
Amy Myers
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Family-Based Recovery Clinician
Sarah Nicholls
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Barbara Nordhaus
Assistant Clinical Professor in the Child Study Center
Signy Peck
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Kevin Pelphrey
Harris Associate Professor in the Child Study Center and Associate Professor of Psychology
Director of the Child Neuroscience Laboratory
Research Interests:brain mechanisms; child development; neurodevelopmental disorders
Heather Pizzanello
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Clinician
Clinical Instructor In Social
Yann Poncin
Assistant Professor in the Child Study Center
Research Interests:Child and adolescent psychiatry; Psychopharmacology or medication management; Individual psychotherapy; Parent guidance for a range of emotional and behavioral concerns
Clinical Interests:Child and adolescent psychiatry; psychopharmacology and medication management; parent guidance for a range of emotional and behavioral concerns
Kristin Pracitto
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Program Coordinator, IICAPS Services
Kyle Pruett
Clinical Professor in the Child Study Center
Clin Prof Psychiatry & Sch of Nursing
Research Interests:1. Developmental consequences of father involvement in child development. Longitudinal study - 10 yrs. (in progress) 2. Development of creativity in children 3. Effects of Divorce Process on Families with Young Children 4. Reducing child neglect, abandonment and abuse by engaging at-risk fathers early in the lives of their children; randomized clinical trial of 700 families. International replication underway in Canada 5. Developmental effects of media exposure on young children
Jeanette Radawich
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Brian Reichow
Assistant Professor (Adjunct) in the Child Study Center
Research Interests:Evidence-Based Practice Treatment research Translation of research to practice
David Reiss
Clinical Professor in the Child Study Center
Elizabeth Rodriguez-Keyes
Assistant Clinical Professor in the Child Study Center
Cecilia Rowland, Ed.D.
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center
Program Coordinator, Yale IICAPS
Clinical Interests:home-based therapy; psychiatric hospitalization in children; attachment, treatment of trauma, family therapy
Helena Rutherford
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Research Interests:parenting; maternal brain; neurobiology; EEG/ERP; emotion perception and regulation; addiction; depression
Cynthia Savo
Lecturer in the Child Study Center
Camilla Schnaitmann
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
John Schowalter
Professor Emeritus in the Child Study Center
Victoria Seitz
Research Scientist in the Child Study Center and in Psychology
Frederick Shic
Assistant Professor in the Child Study Center and of Computer Science
Director, Technology and Innovation Laboratory (TIL)
Co-Director, Yale Early Social Cognition Laboratory (YESCog)
Research Interests:autism; eye-tracking; gaze-contingent technology; magnetic resonance spectroscopy; galvanic skin response; electrodermal activity; augmentative and alternative communication
Melinda Silva
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Wendy Silverman
Alfred A. Messer Professor in the Child Study Center
Director, Yale Child Study Center Program for Anxiety Disorders
Research Interests:child and adolescent phobic and anxiety disorders; developmental mechanisms; treatment development and evaluation; processes of change in treatment outcome
Clinical Interests:child and adolescent fears; phobias; anxiety; stress reactions; worry
Michelle St. Pierre
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Sherin Stahl
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center and in Pediatrics (General Pediatrics)
Hanna Stevens
Assistant Professor in the Child Study Center
Associate Director, Albert J. Solnit Integrated Training Program
Research Interests:Early Brain Development; Inhibitory Neurons; Prenatal Stress; Childhood Behavioral Problems; Behavioral Models of Psychiatric Disorders; Etiologies of Psychiatry Illness; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Anxiety; Schizophrenia; Depression; Autism
Clinical Interests:child psychiatry; autism; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); childhood anxiety; young child mental health; maternal mental health;
Carla Stover
Assistant Professor in the Child Study Center
Research Interests:Domestic violence; Recidivism; Interventions for families impacted by violence including fathers who perpetrate domestic violence; Domestic violence and substance abuse
Clinical Interests:The impact of violence exposure and trauma on children; parenting of fathers; Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); sexual abuse.
Dorothy Stubbe
Associate Professor in the Child Study Center
Program Director of Residency Training
Associate Medical Director Children's Psychiatric Inpatient Service Yale New Haven Hospital
Research Interests:Medical education; Practice patterns and workforce issues in child and adolescent psychiatry; Models of psychiatric care
Clinical Interests:Child and adolescent psychiatric diagnosis and treatment (psychotherapy, family therapy, psychopharmacology); inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry; consultation to schools
Denis Sukhodolsky
Assistant Professor in the Child Study Center
Clinical Interests:Behavioral and cognitive behavioral therapy for children with specialization in 1) Cognitive behavior therapy and parent management training for irritability and disruptive behavior 2) Habit reversal training for Tourette Syndrome 3) Exposure and response prevention for OCD 4) CBT for anxiety disorders
Prakash Thomas
Lecturer in the Child Study Center
Clinical Interests:Short term and long term psychotherapy; Psychodynamic Psychotherapy; Adult Psychopharmacology; Child & Adolescent Psychopharmacology; Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy; Young Child Play Therapy; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Mood Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Elif Tongul
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center
Katherine Tsatsanis
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Research Interests:autism spectrum disorders; nonverbal learning disabilities; assessment; neuropsychological profiles; co-morbidity; developmental trajectories; outcome
Clinical Interests:autism spectrum disorders; developmental disabilities; neuropsychology
Lilia Urquiza
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Flora Vaccarino
Harris Professor in the Child Study Center and Professor of Neurobiology and Residential College Associate Fellow in Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Research Interests:Neural stem cells; Cerebral cortex; Neuronal progenitors; Tyrosine kinase growth factors; Excitatory neurons; GABAergic neurons; Postmortem human brain; Induced pluripotent stem cells; Hypoxia
Brent Vander Wyk
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Pamela Ventola
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Clinical Interests:developmental disabilities; autism
Kelly Voccola
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
Erin Warnick
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Julie Wolf
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Clinical Interests:autism spectrum disorders; social skills training; sibling support
Joseph Woolston
Albert J. Solnit Professor in the Child Study Center and Professor of Pediatrics
Research Interests:Child and adolescent psychiatry; Inpatient child psychiatry; Intensive home-based treatment; Empirically based practice; Implementation of empirically based practice
Clinical Interests:Child and adolescent psychiatry; inpatient child psychiatry; intensive home-based treatment; empirically based practice
Jian Xu
Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center
Research Interests:Dr. Xu's research focuses on translational work examining the role of STriatal Enriched Protein tyrosine phosphatase (STEP) in neuropsychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and schizophrenia (SZ).
Virginia Zecchini
Clinical Instructor in the Child Study Center (Social Work)
