The Team
Staff
Elizabeth Laugeson, Psy.D., Founder and Director
Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson is a licensed clinical psychologist and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Dr. Laugeson is the Founder and Director of the UCLA PEERS® Clinic, which is an outpatient hospital-based program providing parent-assisted social skills training for adolescents and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other social impairments. She is also the Director of The Help Group – UCLA Autism Research Alliance, which is a collaborative research initiative between The Help Group and the UCLA Semel Institute, dedicated to developing and expanding applied clinical research in the treatment of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.
Dr. Laugeson has been a principal investigator and collaborator on a number of studies funded by the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigating social skills training for youth with developmental disabilities from preschool to early adulthood and is the co-developer of an evidence-based social skills intervention for teens and young adults known as PEERS®. She was the two-time recipient of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the NIH from 2004-2007, recipient of the Semel Scholar Award for Junior Faculty Career Development in 2008, and received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Pepperdine University in 2010. Dr. Laugeson has presented her research at international conferences throughout the world including the U.S., Canada, England, Italy, Australia, and Finland. Her groundbreaking work has been featured on national and international media outlets such as People Magazine, USA Today, the LA Times, New York Times, Washington Post, CBS, NBC, and Channel 4 in the United Kingdom.
Enjey Lin, Ph.D., Intake Coordinator
Enjey Lin, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and currently serves as the intake coordinator and parent group co-facilitator at the PEERS® Clinic. Dr. Lin is a PEERS® certified provider and has received training in implementing a range of evidence-based behavioral interventions for a wide range of ages as well as providing parent training in Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), functional behavioral assessments, functional communication training, parenting strategies for managing challenging behaviors, social skills development, and adaptive living skills. Dr. Lin received her graduate doctoral training in clinical psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara under the mentorship of Robert Koegel, Ph.D. Along with broad training in child clinical psychology, she received specialty training in the assessment and treatment of youth with developmental disabilities, with a particular emphasis in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Dr. Lin completed a 2 year external practicum training at UCLA under the supervision of Jeffrey Wood, Ph.D. focusing on cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to treat anxiety disorders in typically developing youth as well as children with ASD, and completed her predoctoral clinical internship at the Stanford Children’s Hospital/Children’s Health Council where she gained additional clinical training in assessments and treatment for children and adolescents with a range of presenting issues, including social skills. In 2008, Dr. Lin returned to UCLA to obtain her postdoctoral training in cognitive behavioral intervention targeting co-occurring emotion and behavioral regulation difficulties in youth with ASD under the mentorship of Jeffrey Wood, Ph.D. Her current research interests are in developing and studying evidence-based interventions for youth with autism spectrum disorders and the interplay between autism symptoms (e.g., social skills, restricted interests, etc) and co-occurring psychiatric conditions (e.g., anxiety).
Mina Park, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow
Mina Park, Ph.D., BCBA is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson. As a postdoctoral fellow for the UCLA PEERS® Clinic and a PEERS® certified provider, Dr. Park co-facilitates parent training groups, serves as an intake clinician, and assists Dr. Laugeson in conducting PEERS® Training Seminars for mental health professionals and educators. Dr. Park received her doctorate from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2012 and completed a clinical internship in child psychology/developmental disabilities at UCLA from 2011-2012. She has extensive experience in Pivotal Response Treatment, parent training, and other empirically supported treatments for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) through the UCSB Koegel Autism Center. Dr. Park’s clinical research interests are to enhance the social competence of youth with ASD through the development and testing of evidence-based social interventions. As part of her post-doctoral research fellowship, Dr. Park will be testing the efficacy of PEERS®for Preschoolers, a parent-assisted social skills program for children 3-6 years of age with ASD.
Jessica Hopkins, Clinic Coordinator
Jessica Hopkins is the Clinic Coordinator for the UCLA PEERS® Clinic. She manages all aspects of the PEERS® for Adolescents and PEERS® for Young Adults social skills intervention groups, and serves as a behavioral coach in these groups. In addition, Jessica coordinates the PEERS® Training Seminar series conducted both onsite at UCLA and offsite in various domestic and international locations. Jessica graduated from UCLA with a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychobiology in 2012. During her undergraduate career, she worked as a Staff Research Associate for Dr. Carrie Bearden on several studies investigating psychosis and genetic disorders. She was a research assistant under Dr. Susan Bookheimer as part of the UCLA Center for Autism and Research Treatment, and joined the PEERS® team as a research assistant in 2011 before becoming the PEERS® Clinic Coordinator. Jessica’s research interests center on the evolution and maintenance of social skills for young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Yasamine Bolourian, M.A., Project Coordinator
Yasamine Bolourian, M.A. is Project Coordinator for the UCLA PEERS® Clinic and The Help Group – UCLA Autism Research Alliance. As Project Coordinator, Yasamine manages the daily activities of the PEERS® and Alliance labs, trains and supervises all research assistants, and is currently overseeing a research study testing the benefit of using the PEERS® Virtual Coach mobile application in combination with an evidence-based social skills program for adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In addition to working as a behavioral coach and co-facilitator for the PEERS® social skills groups, Yasamine also works closely with staff and faculty at The Help Group and UCLA Semel Institute to support the objectives of The Help Group – UCLA Autism Research Alliance, which is a collaborative research initiative dedicated to developing and expanding applied clinical research in the treatment of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Yasamine attended Boston University where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology in 2009. She received a Master’s of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology in 2011. Yasamine’s clinical research interests relate to social skills treatments, particularly for adolescents diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, and/or Depression.
Research Assistants
David Diaz, Research Assistant
David Diaz is a research assistant at the UCLA PEERS® Clinic where he is involved with the scoring and verification of treatment outcome data and is a member of the research team in the PEERS® Virtual Coach study. David attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he received his Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology and minor in Education and Applied Psychology. Currently, he is attending Pepperdine University to obtain his Master’s of Arts in Psychology. David’s clinical and research interests include identifying appropriate protective factors and interventions for children struggling socially, emotionally and/or academically, in particular for those from underserved populations.
Meagan Cronin, Research Assistant
Meagan Cronin is a research assistant for the UCLA PEERS® Clinic, working with the research team on the scoring and verification of research data, and working in the PEERS® social skills groups as a behavioral coach. Meagan attended St. Joseph University where she received her Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology and a minor in Healthcare Ethics in 2011. She is currently in her second year of obtaining her Master’s of Arts in Psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy from Pepperdine University. Meagan’s current clinical and research interests relate to the treatment and symptom reduction of young adults with depression.
Cecilia Costa, Research Assistant
Cecilia Costa is a research assistant for the UCLA PEERS® Clinic, working with the research team on the scoring and verification of research data. Cecilia attended the University of California, San Diego where she received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology and investigated habituation in 9 month old infants as a research assistant for Dr. Karen Dobkins. She is currently pursuing her Master’s of Arts degree in Psychology from Pepperdine University. Cecilia's clinical and research interests relate to the treatment of adults with major depressive disorder and post traumatic stress disorder.
Tiana Bayrami, M.A., Research Assistant
Tiana Bayrami, M.A., is a research assistant for the PEERS® for Young Adults research study where her primary responsibilities include scoring and verifying psychological testing batteries. Tiana is also a research assistant for The Help Group-UCLA Autism Research Alliance under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, where her duties include recruiting participants with autism spectrum disorders and/or intellectual disabilities for current projects. Tiana received her Master’s of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University in 2012. In addition to her research interests in autism, her clinical interests include using Dialectical Behavioral Therapy methods, particularly with women who have varied psychiatric disorders including borderline personality, major depressive, generalized anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders.
Rohini Bagrodia, Research Assistant
Rohini Bagrodia is a research assistant for the PEERS® for Young Adults research study as part of the assessment scoring and verification team. In addition, Rohini is a research assistant for The Help Group-UCLA Autism Research Alliance under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson where she assists in the scoring and verification of various psychological batteries included in the research studies conducted through the Research Alliance. Rohini attended Cornell University where received her Bachelors of Science degree in Biology in 2011. She completed a thesis analyzing the immediate early gene expression in the anterior thalamus, retrosplenial cortex, and the hippocampus during an olfactory learning task. Rohini’s primary research interest centers on understanding the neurodevelopmental impairments of learning and memory disorders.
Kathryn Fitzpatrick, Research Assistant
Kathryn Fitzpatrick is a research assistant for the PEERS® for Young Adults research study where her primary responsibilities include scoring and verifying psychological testing batteries. Kathryn is also a research assistant for The Help Group-UCLA Autism Research Alliance under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson where she assists in the maintenance of protocols used in the PEERS® Training Seminar series. Kathryn attended Lynn University where received her Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology. She is currently attending Pepperdine University to obtain her Master’s of Arts in Clinical Psychology. Kathryn’s clinical and research interests include the investigation of transitions into young adulthood among individuals with ASD.
Behavioral Coaches
Allison Vreeland, Behavioral Coach
Allison is a behavioral coach in the PEERS® for Adolescents and PEERS® for Young Adult social skills intervention groups. Allison graduated Cum Laude from the University of Southern California with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology. During her undergraduate career, she was a research assistant for The Help Group-UCLA Autism Research Alliance under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson. Upon graduating in May of 2012, Allison joined the UCLA Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Program as the coordinator for the Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Outpatient Training Clinic, as well as a research coordinator for multiple clinical research studies for youth with obsessive compulsive disorder.
Siena Whitham, Behavioral Coach
Siena Whitham is a behavioral coach in the PEERS® for Young Adults intervention groups and has been a behavioral coach for the adolescent and young adult groups since 2009. Siena is a third-year doctoral student in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, Division of Psychological Studies in Education at UCLA under the advising of Dr. Jeffrey Wood. Siena attended Scripps College and received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology. She currently works as an independent evaluator on Dr. Wood's SEBASTIEN Project, which consists of a 32-week treatment program for children and adolescents with high functioning autism. Additionally, Siena works as a research therapist for an intervention study investigating the adaptation of cognitive behavioral methods for treating anxiety in youth with autism and intellectual disability.
Ben Schwartzman, Behavioral Coach
Ben Schwartzman is a behavioral coach in the PEERS® for Young Adults intervention groups and has been a part of the PEERS® team since 2011. Ben is a second-year doctoral student in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, Division of Psychological Studies in Education at UCLA under the advising of Dr. Jeffrey Wood. Ben attended the University of California, Santa Barbara and received his Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology. Ben currently participates in Dr. Wood's SEBASTIEN Project, which consists of a 32-week Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for children and adolescents with high functioning autism.
Devi Beck-Pancer, Behavioral Coach
Devi Beck-Pancer is a behavioral coach in the PEERS® for Teens intervention groups and has been a behavioral coach for the adolescent and young adult groups since January 2012. Devi is the project coordinator for the Center for Autism Research and Treatment imaging core at UCLA under the advising of Dr. Mirella Dapretto. Currently, she is involved in research with a focus on the identification of brain-based markers within the first year of life in infant siblings of children with autism, and the longitudinal development of brain structure and function in children and adolescents with autism. Devi attended UCLA and received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology as well as Interpersonal Communications.
