Faculty & Staff

Denis Sukhodolsky is Professor in the Yale Child Study Center. His research concerns the efficacy and biomarkers of behavioral interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder, Tourette Syndrome, irritability, and related neurodevelopmental disorders. This work has been supported by grants from NIMH, NICHD, DoD CDMRP, and Simons Foundation. Currently, he is a principal investigator of clinical trials of behavior therapy for anxiety in school-age children with autism and another clinical trial of behavior therapy for irritability and aggressive behavior in adolescents with autism. He is also a Yale site PI of the ACE network study of gender differences and neural signatures of optimal outcomes in ASD during adolescence and young adulthood. In addition to his research, Dr. Sukhodolsky is a licensed and board-certified clinical psychologist working with children and their families at the Yale Child Study Center.

Karim Ibrahim is an Assistant Professor at the Yale Child Study Center. His translational neuroscience research focuses on brain networks associated with emotion regulation impairments in childhood-onset psychiatric disorders. Dr. Karim Ibrahim’s research is interdisciplinary and integrates multimodal imaging methods including functional and structural MRI, machine learning, and network neuroscience/connectomics approaches to identify biomarkers relevant to child psychopathology. His recent interests lie in using and developing tools predictive modeling/machine learning approaches that leverage large-scale neuroimaging datasets, including data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, for identifying robust brain-based biomarkers. Among other things in this area, his research also investigates dynamics of the human functional connectome and large-scale networks, how brain connectivity is altered in mental health disorders (such as a disruptive behavior disorders, anxiety disorders, and autism spectrum disorder) and the neural response to treatment in youths. As a licensed clinical child psychologist, he also has extensive experience in developmental psychopathology, including assessments and cognitive-behavioral interventions for autism spectrum disorder, mood, anxiety, and disruptive behavior. Karim completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center T32 research program in Translational Developmental Neuroscience and through an award from the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation multidisciplinary research training program.

Born and raised in NYC, Robert acquired his general Psychiatry residency training at Columbia University, College of Physicians & Surgeons on site at Harlem Hospital where he was the recipient of the “2019 Outstanding Research Award.” He currently serves as a SAMHSA Minority Fellow for the American Psychiatric Association and Fellow on its Council of Psychiatry and Law. Prior to residency, Robert studied medicine at Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine. During medical school, Robert was given the “Wright Family Endowed Scholarship” by his medical school, highlighting his interest and passion for Psychiatry. While in medical school he was awarded the Eli Lilly Endowment “Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Grant” that he used to co-organize the conference entitled:  “Healing From a Broken Place: Supporting Trauma Survivors through Collaboration of Ministry and Mental Health Providers.” Robert’s commitment to Spirituality & Health has its roots in his prior theological training. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and was a co-moderator for its Association of Latino/a, Hispanic American Seminarians. While pursuing his theological education, Robert completed a Clinical Pastoral Experience summer course working as a student chaplain at Yale New Haven Hospital. Right before going to seminary, he spent several exciting weeks in South Africa conducting wholistic health workshops for children and adolescents. Robert completed his undergraduate degree at SUNY at Buffalo majoring in philosophy while conducting research in molecular biology as a Ronald McNair Scholar. His interests include trauma, forensics, health disparities, and collaborations between faith and health professionals to improve the well-being for faith leaders and their communities. He has published in medical, social science, and theological journals; and has presented at regional and national conferences. In his free time, Robert enjoys having fun with his children, playing video games, and watching Star Wars!

Jordan Linde graduated from Colgate University in 2020 with high honors, receiving a B.A. in Psychological Sciences. While at Colgate, Jordan completed a yearlong honors thesis examining the bidirectional relationship between parenting and child self-regulatory processes. Jordan was involved in various clinical experiences in the local community, including working at a pre-school as an aid for a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). After graduating, Jordan spent two years as a laboratory manager for The Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at Georgetown University under Dr. Chandan Vaidya. Her lab used a transdiagnostic approach to look at executive function dysregulation across a variety of pediatric psychiatric disorders. Jordan was responsible for fMRI data collection, working primarily with children and adolescents with ASD, ADHD, learning disabilities, and anxiety. While in DC, Jordan also worked as a personal care attendant for a 13-year-old with ASD, irritability, and other cognitive impairments. She is currently a doctoral student in clinical psychology at University of Hartford, with hopes of pursuing a career as a pediatric neuropsychologist. Outside of school, Jordan enjoys baking, ice-skating, and reading a good psychological thriller curled up on the couch with her two cats.

Megan Rutten (she/her) completed her Bachelor of Science at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in May 2022. She studied Developmental Psychology with minors in Integrative Neuroscience and Family Social Science. She is passionate about early social and brain development and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Specifically, she is interested in sex-differences related to ASD. While attending the University of Minnesota, Megan worked as a research assistant and recruitment coordinator for the Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS) in the E-lab with Dr. Jed Elison and Dr. Casey Burrows. In the Sukhodolsky Lab, Megan is coordinating a study evaluating gender differences in adolescents with autism. After her time in the Sukhodolsky lab, Megan hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking, reading, yoga, theater, and dancing.

Joshua Snyder graduated Summa Cum Laude from Rutgers University in 2021 with a B.A. in Psychology. While at Rutgers, Josh was a research assistant for the Regulation, Action, and Motivated Perception (RAMP) lab for 2 years. He worked with the RAMP team to support their research regarding the social, cognitive, and perceptual processes that predict and promote effective goal pursuit. Additionally, Josh was a research assistant for the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services during his senior year. There, he conducted research in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis and assisted with a social skills-based research assessment. Most recently, Josh has worked as a Direct Support Professional for Bancroft NeuroRehab to assist individuals with traumatic brain injuries in achieving a greater level of independence. Josh is currently earning his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) at the University of Hartford. Outside of work, Josh enjoys playing sports, performing magic, and juggling.