Miller Lab | Our Team | UC Davis MIND Institute

Meghan Miller, Ph.D. is an Associate 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 hyperactive 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.

Sarah Bayoumi received a B.A. in Psychology with Honors from UC Berkeley. Her research interests center around autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which include picky and disordered eating, sensory processing, gender differences in trait presentations, and the development and co-occurrence of autism and ADHD throughout the lifespan. Sarah is a passionate advocate for neurodiversity-affirming research and school/workplace inclusivity for autistic individuals. Sarah plans to pursue a career in clinical psychology.

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 hyperactive disorder (ADHD). She is particularly interested in exploring early detection, developmental trajectories, and overlap in symptomatology in autism and ADHD.

Girija Kadlaskar, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow in the Autism Research Training Program. She received her Ph.D. in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences from Purdue University where she examined sensory processing, particularly touch, in infants at risk for, as well as in older children diagnosed with, autism. Her current research is focused on understanding the developmental trajectories of sensory processing differences in infants at risk for autism and autism and attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). The long-term goal is to examine whether differences in sensory response patterns could serve as reliable early risk markers for autism and ADHD. She is also an examiner for the LAAMB study.

Hastings Lorman earned her B.S. in Human Development with a minor in Psychology from UC Davis. Her research focuses on the early development of autism and how health-related social factors can affect early detection and intervention outcomes. In the future, Hastings plans to further her education in public health and clinical psychology to continue studying the challenges that prevent families with autism from accessing health services.

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 autism and attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Tonya is also an examiner for the LAAMB study.

Emily Pompan is a clinical psychology pre-doctoral intern at the UC Davis MIND Institute. She is a doctoral candidate in School Psychology and completed her master’s degree in Special Education at the University of Oregon. Emily is passionate about fostering equity and inclusion for neurodivergent individuals in schools and communities, through the implementation of evidence-based practices. She is interested in early identification, person and family centered interventions, and school-clinic collaboration. Emily is an examiner for the LAAMB Study.

Jenna Sandler received a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Linguistics from Brandeis University. Her research interests center on the assessment and early detection of autism and autism and attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), including individual variability in presentations, masking, and how to best provide support to neurodivergent children and their families. Jenna plans to pursue graduate education and a career in clinical psychology, focusing on a pediatric population.

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 hyperactive 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.

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.