For the latest Q&A spotlight in a series highlighting Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) community members and their work, meet Bela Ponjevic, LMSW. She has been at the YCSC for nine years and currently serves as an outreach and intake manager in the McPartland Lab.
How long have you been at Yale, and what roles have you filled in this time?
In my nine years at the YCSC, I have had the privilege of helping individuals and families gain access to an evaluation through research and clinical opportunities. First, as a study coordinator in the McPartland Lab, I helped recruit participants for our research studies while ensuring regulatory compliance and data integrity. This role involved communicating with families, facilitating their children’s participation in research studies that also provided access to evaluations conducted by clinicians in the lab.
Following this, I was the developmental disabilities program coordinator. I coordinated multidisciplinary evaluations for individuals presenting with complex developmental concerns, working alongside psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and psychiatrists.
Currently, I oversee study recruitment and participant engagement across multiple ongoing studies, serving as the primary liaison between research staff, community partners, and families. I help with recruitment efforts to help meet specific recruitment targets for children ages 3-17 and adults ages 18–40, providing detailed information about study eligibility and procedures, addressing clinical and logistical inquiries, and coordinating appointments for research-based evaluations.
Additionally, I lead collaborative outreach initiatives with local organizations, providers, and community organizations to expand awareness of our research opportunities. These efforts are aimed at providing individuals with access to research participation and to evaluations.
Through these roles, I have developed a deep understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders, research, and family-centered care, all of which inform my ongoing commitment to bridging clinical science and community impact.
What led you to your current career?
As a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), I am passionate about providing individuals and their families with access to care and resources. My roles at the YCSC have allowed me to help provide research and clinical opportunities as well as share resources in the community.
What is a work-related accomplishment that made you feel proud?
More recently, in collaboration with our outreach team at the McPartland Lab, we established a Community Council that brings together autistic adults, parents of autistic children, and representatives from various autism organizations. During our quarterly meetings, I have the privilege of learning from our members, which is helping us better understand and serve our community.
What three words would your friends use to describe you?
Detail-oriented, goal driven, and caring
If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
I would like to travel to Saint Lucia one day.
This spotlight series is a spin-off of a similar effort launched in 2023 to feature integrated business operations (IBO) and administration staff at the Yale Child Study Center (YCSC), Department of Psychiatry, and Department of Pediatrics, All in the YCSC community are welcome (and encouraged) to nominate colleagues for this new spotlight series. Self-nominations are also welcome.