Trainees at the Tarjan Center

Dr. Blake Warner (he/him) is a postdoctoral fellow at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior in the Program for Education Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) Clinic and the Tarjan Center. He received his PhD with a dual specialization in Clinical and Disaster Psychology from the University of South Dakota, where he was a two-time Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) trainee. Dr. Warner's research and clinical interests center on disability-related policy and advocacy training as well as interventions focused on the intersection of gender, sexuality, and neurodiversity.

Danica Limon-Mialkowski is a Clinical Psychology PhD doctoral candidate at Brigham Young University. She is completing her internship at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior in the Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Assessment Track. Danica is involved in the Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental (CAN) clinic, the Program for Education Enrichment and Relational Skills (PEERS) Clinic, the Spanish-Speaking Psychosocial Clinic, and the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Clinic. She is passionate about ensuring that neurodiverse individuals from underrepresented communities receive fair and inclusive support. Her clinical and research pursuits focus on improving... more

Eryca Yamane (she/they) is a Master of Social Welfare student at the University of California, Los Angeles. They received their undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where they worked at the Koegel Autism Center. Currently, they work at the Special Patient Care Clinic in the School of Dentistry at UCLA. Eryca’s clinical and research interests include increasing access to healthcare, providing trauma-informed care, and disability justice policy. Their experience and work with individuals include working with grief and complex PTSD. The hats Eryca has worn include case manager, transitional kindergarten teacher, academic adviser, high school therapist, and... more

Anshika Sharma is a graduate student pursuing a Master’s in Social Welfare at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs. She is currently completing her internship at the UCLA Cerebral Palsy Orthopedic Clinic and the Center for Cerebral Palsy. In her role as a social work intern, Anshika provides psychosocial support and outpatient care to cerebral palsy patients and their families. She is passionate about advocating for individuals from underrepresented communities, particularly those navigating the healthcare system, ensuring they receive inclusive support, resources, and assistance to improve their quality of life.

Valentina is a Master of Social Welfare student at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and a Shapiro Fellow with the UCLA School of Dentistry. Valentina is completing her second year practicum at UCLA Dentistry with the Special Patient Care Clinic where she is working with patients who are medically complex or who have intellectual and developmental disabilities who require specialized dental care. Valentina earned her B.A. in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz and completed her field internship working with foster youth in a Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP). Valentina's research interests are focused around providing trauma informed care in medical settings,... more

Emily Nguyen is an undergraduate Disability Studies intern at the Special Patient Care Clinic at the UCLA School of Dentistry. She is working toward earning her Neuroscience B.S. and Disability Studies B.A. degrees in Winter of 2025. Emily has previously taught dance to children with disabilities and is currently pursuing a career in dentistry, where she hopes to work toward increasing access to dental care through research and advocacy. She is especially passionate about the Tarjan Center's core values of reducing societal barriers, promoting diversity, and eliminating the stigma surrounding disability to create a more inclusive world and a better quality of life for all.

Rachel is a senior at UCLA, majoring in Human Biology and Society with a minor in Disability Studies. Her academic interests focus on genetics, biomedical ethics, and disability advocacy. With a strong background in supporting students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Rachel has served as an educational coach at Pathway at UCLA Extension and now contributes to the Tarjan Center’s postsecondary education initiatives. She is also the founder and president of Collar Scholars at UCLA, a club dedicated to service dog training and advocacy, and leads the Genetic Counseling Student Interest Group. Passionate about advancing health literacy, Rachel plans to become a genetic... more

Samantha Rae (she/ella) is a MSW scholar in the UCLA Luskin department of Public Affairs with a background in psychology, public health, medicine, and research. She has a passion for working with individuals who have experienced trauma, challenges navigating their mental health, and neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disabilities. She has notably worked with patients who have autism, schizophrenia, dementia, mood disorders, and PTSD at Los Angeles and San Diego-based community mental health, school, and assisted living settings, as well as through research at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in the division of pediatrics. Currently, she is a Shapiro Fellow at the Orthopaedic... more