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My research focuses on early identification and intervention strategies for infants in the first years of life. Some infants begin life with a heightened likelihood for autism, shaped by genetic or perinatal factors such as family history or preterm birth. I use behavioral and physiological measures in both naturalistic and experimental contexts to examine how early differences in attention, autonomic regulation, and motor behavior unfold across systems and contribute to emerging autism outcomes. By capturing these developmental processes from the first months of life, my work aims to identify early biomarkers that reflect developmental variation and signal foundational differences before autism symptoms emerge. My intervention research centers on naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs), exploring how parent self-regulation strategies can be integrated into parent-mediated models and how NDBI approaches can be adapted for very young infants. Ultimately, my goal is to translate early detection science into biomarker-informed interventions that can support infant development and promote well-being for infants and families.

James C. McPartland, Ph.D., is the Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry and Psychology at the Yale Child Study Center. He is a practicing licensed child psychologist and Director of the Yale Developmental Disabilities Clinic. Dr. McPartland is a Director of the Yale Center for Brain and Mind Health, Co-Director of Team Science at the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation, Director of Undergraduate Studies at the Child Study Center, and the Principal Investigator of the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials, a US-based effort to identify biomarkers to support intervention research in autism. Dr. McPartland’s program of research investigates the brain bases of neurodevelopmental conditions to develop biologically-based tools to improve detection, treatment, and, ultimately, the quality of life for autistic people and their families.

Julie Lounds Taylor, Ph.D. is a Professor of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Co-Director of Vanderbilt’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. She also holds an Endowed Directorship in Autism Research at Vanderbilt. A major focus of Dr. Taylor’s research is on factors that promote a positive transition into adulthood for individuals with developmental disabilities, in particular those who are autistic. Dr. Taylor's work has been funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health, The United States Department of Defense, the United States Department of Education’s Institute for Educational Sciences, Autism Speaks, and the FAR fund. She is an associate editor for Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, and served two terms as a member of the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.

Dr. Ishii is a physician-scientist whose expertise is in Neurology and Sleep Medicine. He is a postdoctoral researcher in the Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, where he is conducting research to elucidate the bidirectional relationship between sleep and cognitive function. He obtained his doctoral degree in neuroscience, specializing in neuroimaging techniques, including MRI, positron emission tomography (PET), and electroencephalography (EEG). Using these methods, he has conducted research on the neural mechanisms of memory and the early detection of neurodegenerative disease.

Dr. Ishii is also a member of the Center for Sleep in Autism Spectrum Disorder at Stanford University and is actively involved in studying sleep problems in autism through analyses of polysomnography (PSG), actigraphy, and circadian rhythms of melatonin secretion as part of the NIH-funded Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) project.

Dr. Lynn Koegel is a clinical professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She and her husband developed Pivotal Response Treatment, which focuses on motivating individuals with autism. The Koegels have received numerous awards for their work including the Children’s Television Workshop and Sesame Street Parents “Sunny Days Award” for “Brightening the Lives of Children”. Dr. Lynn Koegel appeared on the hit show Supernanny working with a child with autism. She has published well over 125 scientific articles and chapters and 10 books. She is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Currently Dr. Koegel is working with Professor Monica Lam, Tommy Bruzzese, and others to create AI programs that improve verbal communication in children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorder.

Tommy Bruzzese is a software engineer for AI research at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He earned a B.S. in Symbolic Systems and an M.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University, where he concentrated on human-centered interactions and AI. At Stanford, Tommy served as a teaching assistant for graduate AI courses, including on Conversational Assistants with Large Language Models, and he led the technology initiatives for Stanford FashionX over multiple years, applying AI and AR to creative domains such as fashion garment design. His broader interests include developing tools that support user-driven reflection and help individuals make sense of their experiences through technology. For the last years, he has been working with Clinical Professor Lynn Koegel and together, the lab published what is believed to be the first randomized clinical trial of an AI/LLM-based therapeutic intervention for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), specifically targeting verbal expressions of empathy.

Holly Tabor, PhD, is the Director of the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. She is Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, and by Courtesy of Pediatrics and Epidemiology and Population Health. She is also Co-Chair of the Ethics Committees at Stanford Hospital and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. She is a globally recognized expert on the ethical issues surrounding health care and research for patients with disabilities, especially intellectual and developmental disability, and on the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) in genetics. Her research has shed light on the benefits and risks of participating in genomic research, particularly of rare and undiagnosed diseases. She is Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Bioethical Empirical Research.