Our Team

Dr. Nicole McDonald is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in the early identification of ASD. As an Attending Psychologist at the UCLA Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental (CAN) Clinic, Dr. McDonald conducts ASD-focused evaluations, primarily in young children, and family-based treatment of behavior problems in preschool-aged children (e.g., PCIT), and she oversees the clinic practicum program. Dr. McDonald’s research integrates brain-based (fNIRS, EEG) and naturalistic behavioral methods to study early social and emotional development in infants with elevated risk for ASD. She is a member of the Baby Siblings Research Consortium, with much of her past research focusing on infants with familial risk for ASD and, more recently, children with genetic conditions (e.g., TSC). Currently, she has a K23 award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to longitudinally study early brain and social development in high-risk infants who experienced extended NICU hospitalizations. It is Dr. McDonald’s eventual goal to apply the information gained from her longitudinal studies and clinical experiences to develop family-based interventions to improve early social development in at-risk infants.

Dr. Karolina Grotkowski is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Lezlie & Richard Atlas Early Childhood and Integrated Care Fellowship at UCLA. Her clinical work focuses on supporting children and their caregivers who have experienced trauma. Currently, Dr. Grotkowski provides psychotherapy and consultation services within the Family Development Program and Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Clinic. She is also one of the PCIT interventionists in Dr. McDonald’s RAINBOW study. Dr. Grotkowski earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago. Prior to beginning her work at UCLA, she completed her internship at Duke University where she specialized in promoting individual, family, and system healing from traumatic and adverse events.

Corinna Klein, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She has a joint appointment in the Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART), the Family Development Program (FDP), and the PCIT Clinic. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and a Within Agency Trainer for PCIT International, and has extensive experience providing PCIT to young children with a variety of clinical presentations. Dr. Klein earned her Ph.D. in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology with a clinical emphasis from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her Masters in Social Work from UCLA. She completed her doctoral internship in UCLA’s Stress, Trauma, and Resilience Clinic, treating youth and families healing from trauma and other stressors. Her research interests include the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based children’s and family-based mental health care.

Viviana graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology. As an undergraduate, she worked on several research projects focusing on the biopsychosocial benefits of mindfulness and a longitudinal study focusing on the effectiveness of a strengths-based relationship program for Latinx mothers and their children. After graduating, she worked as a community organizer advocating alongside community members for education and health equity before jumping back into academic research as a research associate. During her free time, she enjoys ceramic wheel throwing and going to the beach with her small pet dog, Mango.

Ying is a recent UCLA graduate who majored in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, and a research assistant in the McDonald Lab. Within the lab, Ying has helped with research on the NESTING and SSRI studies, both which she expressed have taught her so much and fascinated her greatly. She is passionate about working with children and has always been intrigued with studies on child development and child psychology. Therefore, unsurprisingly, she is currently interested in pursuing a career in pediatric medicine. Outside of the lab and academics, Ying personally enjoys cross country running and listening to film scores, her latest favorite being the "How to Train Your Dragon" soundtrack by John Powell. 

Anne is a 4th year UCLA student studying Psychology with a focus on working with children, aspiring to contribute to research and mental health in this field. As a French-American, she has a unique cultural perspective, complemented by a passion for languages and travel. She spent half of her 3rd year at UCLA working in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric wing of a hospital in Paris, France. In this role, she provided essential care and support to children ages 3-12 on the autism spectrum while actively participating in research initiatives. Anne loves to be around children and is especially interested in the complexities of their development. In her role at the lab, she assists in assessments and provides support to the team wherever she is needed. Through her experience working with children in the field of Psychology, Anne hopes to one day lead her own research and apply the knowledge she gains to effective early interventions to children at risk for developmental delays.