Miller Lab | Our Team | UC Davis MIND Institute

Meghan Miller, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the MIND Institute. Her research uses a developmental psychopathology framework to understand the early emergence of neurodevelopmental disabilities, with a particular focus on autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The long-range goal is that this work will help identify factors that account for the transition from risk to disorder, and will be highly translational, delineating core shared processes to be targeted by transdiagnostic prevention and early intervention efforts. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist.

Heather Elahi is a clinical psychology graduate student at Alliant International University. She received her B.S. in Public Health and a M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Walden University. Her research interests focus on the co-occurrence of autism and autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). She is particularly interested in exploring early detection, developmental trajectories, and overlap in symptomatology in autism and ADHD.

Monique received her M.A. in Psychology from California State University, Sacramento and her B.A. in Psychology from San Francisco State University. She has been at the MIND Institute since 2007 serving as a project manager and examiner on studies investigating the earliest manifestations of autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and tracking longitudinal developmental outcomes in infants, toddlers and school-aged children.

Tonya Piergies is a Developmental Psychology Ph.D. student. In 2019, she earned her B.A. from Carleton College, where she majored in Psychology and minored in Neuroscience. Her research interests are focused on tracking social communication and self-regulation development from infancy through the preschool period among children at increased likelihood for autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Tonya is also an examiner for the LAAMB study.

Jaishree Ramamoorthi earned her B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior with a minor in Computational Biology from the University of California, Davis. Her research interests include applying computational methods to analyze behavioral data and integrating psychophysiological markers with behavioral measures. She is particularly interested in improving early detection and intervention for neurodevelopmental and other psychiatric conditions in adolescents. In the future, Jaishree plans to pursue a medical career in psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Veenavarsha "Veena" Vimal completed her B.Sc. in Psychology with a biology focus at the University of California, Davis. Her research interests include symptom presentations of autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). She's also interested in understanding how social and cultural factors can influence how autism and ADHD are diagnosed, especially in different genders. In the future, Veena plans to attend graduate school to study developmental psychology and law.

Gracie Walker earned her B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research interests include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism, with a particular focus on gender-based differences. She is also interested in understanding the lived experiences of neurodivergent people and improving access to early diagnostic services and treatment. In the future, Gracie plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

Yue Yu is an Assistant Professor and licensed clinical psychologist at the MIND Institute. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis and completed her clinical psychology internship from Charleston Consortium - Medical University of South Carolina. She is a recipient of the Clinical and Translational Science Center TL1 Postdoctoral level grant, through which she examines the effectiveness of a novel family/friend network program in improving caregiver engagement in early interventions in under-resourced families. She has over 10 years of experience working with children with autism and their families and currently provides training on Mind the Gap and Project ImPACT, two evidence-based interventions, through the Autism Intervention Research Network on Behavioral Health Study and BRIDGE: Project ImPACT for Toddlers Study in the Collaborative START Lab. She is an examiner for the LAAMB Study.