Alessandro Morganti, MS, MD

Position: Visiting Research Scholar (2021-2022)

Dr. Morganti received his MD from the Università di Milano-Bicocca and his MS from Politecnico di Milano. He is an Italian researcher who was a visiting scholar in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department at Stanford Medicine. During his time at Stanford, Dr. Morganti researched hospital design and planning. He primarily investigated the relationship between the built environment and both physical and mental health--with a specific focus on autism spectrum disorder. Within his research, he explored the impact that sensorial sources coming from physical spaces have on patients with autism. 

As he continues with his research in Italy, he aims to provide experience-based design strategies for healthcare spaces that can promote the wellbeing of ASD users, preventing sensory overload and fostering their compliance during medical investigations, procedures, and therapies.

Marc Abi Karam (he/him), MS, MD

Position: Post Doctoral Research Fellow (2021-2023)

Dr. Abi Karam graduated from university in Lebanon, recieving both his MS and MD. Dr. Abi Karam designed, organized, and conducted specialized and advanced experiments using established scientific protocols and procedures. He plans to pursue further education in the autism field. 

Alexandria Aarrestad (she/her), BS

Position: Clinical Research Coordinator (2021-2023)

Allie Aarrestad coordinated the SPARK for Autism genetic study at Stanford and the Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) Home vs. Clinic Based Clinical Trial (PRT- HvC). Allie also served as a PRT behavior technician in the Preschool Autism Lab (PAL), supported the Early Support Program for Autism (ESPA), coordinated the Stanford Child Mental Health Projects for Ukraine, and ran the social media pages and website for the Autism and Developmental Disorders Research Program. Allie's interested in naturalistic/child-led interventions, social skills groups, and recreational programs focusing on holistic and strength-based approaches.