Katherine Meltzoff, Ph.D., SEARCH Director, is an Associate Professor of Special Education in the Graduate School of Education at UC Riverside. Dr. Meltzoff conducts translational studies to explore the reward system in ASD, as well as how anxiety contributes to social deficits in ASD. Recent work includes: 1) Measuring brain activity before and after a behavioral intervention for teens with ASD; 2) Studies of social motivation and anxiety in young children (ages 3-6) and school-aged children (ages 7-12) with and without ASD. Dr. Meltzoff is a licensed clinical psychologist and helps train PhD students in administration and interpretation of screening measures for ASD.

Jan Blacher, Ph.D., is Distinguished Research Professor and Founding Director of SEARCH. Dr. Blacher developed her vision for the SEARCH Center based on more than 30 years of research with hundreds of Southern California families who had children with ASD and other developmental disabilities, many of whom were Spanish-speaking. Recent work includes: 1) The development of Smooth Sailing, a neurodiversity-affirming professional development program designed to improve student-teacher relationships with young autistic children; 2) Understanding Mental Health Impact of the Transition to Adulthood; 3) The documentary, Autism Goes to College, based on the Autism 101 project at SEARCH.

Jordan Mullins is a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Education. She graduated with her Ph.D. in Psychology from UCR in June 2025. Her doctoral research focused on neurobiological and sociocultural factors that shape developmental trajectories of anxiety in youth. In her current role, she splits her time between various research and coordination responsibilities for the Smooth Sailing Study and the SEARCH Center.

Katharine O'Brien is a PhD candidate in Special Education. She came to UCR with experience in general and special education as a science teacher, and she now works on autism assessment for young adults using autoethnographic methods as an autistic assessor. She is also a passionate advocate for neurodiversity, hosts the Autism Goes to College podcast, conducts research within the Smooth Sailing study on student teacher relationships, and teaches about autism in the classroom at UCR.

Cameron Alexander, M.A., is a fifth year doctoral candidate in the School Psychology program at the University of California, Riverside. He holds a B.S. in Human Development, with minors in Education and Psychology, from the University of California, Davis and a M.A. in Education (School Psychology) from University of California, Riverside. Prior to joining SEARCH, Cameron served as a research coordinator and lab manager for an Institute of Education Sciences grant at the UC Davis School of Education and MIND Institute Collaborative Autism Research in Education (CARE) Lab. His research interests include utilizing biomarkers and neurological activity as tools to aid our understanding of emotion regulation, stress, and anxiety in autistic adolescents. He is also interested in diagnostic practices for autistic individuals such as early diagnosis and telehealth. 

Amy Hoffman is a PhD Candidate in Special Education, with Medical and Health Humanities Designated Emphasis. She holds a BA in English, a California Secondary Single Subject Credential in English/Language Arts, and an MA in Education: Curriculum and Instruction. After teaching secondary students and undergraduates for many years, experience with late autism diagnosis in her family led to a new passion: neurodiversity-affirming research and autism assessment. She is an assessor and co-coordinator at the SEARCH autism assessment clinic, and a graduate student researcher for Smooth Sailing, an IES-funded intervention for teachers designed to improve student-teacher relationships with their autistic students. Her research involves adapting research tools for autistic adults, understanding autistic camouflaging as a response to stigma, and studying the life context around autism diagnosis. 

Sarah Touati, M.A., is a fourth year doctoral candidate in the School Psychology program at the University of California, Riverside. She earned both her B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Education and her M.A. in Education (School Psychology) from the University of California, Riverside. Before joining SEARCH, Sarah gained experience supporting autistic individuals in a variety of settings, including as a behavior technician, a kindergarten special education aide, and an adapted swim instructor for children and adults with disabilities. Her research focuses on anxiety and depression among late-diagnosed autistic adults, with a particular interest in understanding the barriers and facilitators they encounter when accessing mental healthcare.

Jingqi (Kristen) Li is a doctoral student in the Special Education program at UC Riverside and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Her work focuses on autism assessment, intervention, and the application of emerging technologies to improve clinical practice. Her current interests include integrating artificial intelligence into Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to support report writing, treatment planning, data-informed decision making, and caregiver and clinician efficiency while maintaining ethical, human-centered care. She is also interested in social skills interventions, adaptive behavior assessment, and improving access to high-quality services for individuals with autism and their families.

Cameron Ryczek, M.A. is a doctoral student in the Special Education program at the University of California, Riverside. He holds a M.A. in Psychological Science with a concentration in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, from California State University, San Bernardino. Prior to joining UCR, Cameron worked as a tutor, specializing in supporting neurodiverse students with their academic challenges. His research interests include exploring underlying neural substrates associated with cute aggression and emotional regulation among children with and without ASD.

Breanna Davis, M.A., is a fourth year Ph.D. student in School Psychology.

Selena Arana, B.S. is a first-year doctoral student in the Special Education program at the University of California, Riverside. She earned her B.S. in Biology from the University of California, Riverside. Prior to joining SEARCH, Selena supported individuals with autism as an in-home Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and later as a supervisor at the University Center for Developmental Disabilities at California State University, San Bernardino. Her research focuses on autism and family systems, with particular interests in interventions for siblings of children with autism and the parenting practices of Latine families raising children with autism. Through her work, she aims to develop and refine interventions that are culturally responsive and meaningful for the diverse communities they are designed to serve.

Megan Ledoux, M.A., BCBA, is a graduate of the Special Education program at UCR, focusing on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She served as a graduate student researcher at the SEARCH Family Autism Resource Center. Megan earned her M.A. in Special Education with an emphasis on Autism from San Diego State University. While earning her M.A., Megan served as a researcher and coach for the CSESA Project (Center on Secondary Education for Students with Autism), collaborating with high school educators to support their students with autism in the classroom. 

Ann Marie Martin, Ph.D., is a graduate of the Special Education program at UCR and served as a graduate student researcher at the SEARCH Family Autism Resource Center. She is now an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. She previously earned her B.S. in Psychology from UCSD. Ann Marie is a bilingual assessor and has experience in assessment and intervention for school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Ann Marie's research interests include minority culture, bilingualism, language acquisition, and ASD. 

Yasamin Bolourian, Ph.D., was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Riverside, where she also earned her Ph.D. in Special Education, specializing in Autism Spectrum Disorders.  She is currently the Director of Outreach and Dissemination at the UCLA Tarjan Center, a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). Dr. Bolourian completed the UC-LEND progam, designed to develop leaders in the field of autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities across the lifespan. In addition, she received extensive training in autism screening and assessments at the SEARCH Center. Her research focuses on examining outcomes of college students on the autism spectrum, as well as co-occurring mental health issues among youth with autism. Her postdoctoral work involved developing and piloting a three-component teacher-focused program that promotes positive relationships for general education teachers and their students with autism in early school years (PI: J. Blacher).

Ainsley Losh, Ph.D., is a graduate of the School Psychology program at UCR. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics-Developmental Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine. Ainsley previously earned her B.S. in Neuroscience and English from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining the SEARCH Family Autism Resource Center team, she worked at the University of Michigan STEPS Autism Treatment Program as an SLP clinical assistant and served as the research coordinator for the TRANSCEND Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital studying functional connectivity in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) using MEG neuroimaging. During her time at UCR she was involved in the Smooth Sailing research project exploring the transition into early schooling for young children with ASD, and the development of a teacher-directed intervention to improve this transition.

Elina Veytsman, Ph.D., is a graduate of the School Psychology program at UCR, specializing in social skills interventions for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder. Dr. Veytsman is a licensed clinical psychologist and is currently the Director of Training at the UCLA PEERS Clinic. Elina was a graduate student researcher at the SEARCH Family Autism Resource Center, where she facilitated the UCR PEERS for Teens social skills groups. She was previously the clinic coordinator of the UCLA PEERS Clinic. Elina completed the UCLA/UCR LEND (Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopment Disabilities) fellowship program in 2018. She earned her B.A. in psychology with a minor in education from UCLA. Her current research projects include examining the effects of the PEERS intervention with Latino families of teens with ASD, and investigating the family and youth experience during the transition to adulthood for young adults with ASD and intellectual disabilities (Collaborative Family Study).

Giselle Salinas, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow at the UCLA PEERS Clinic and Tarjan Center. She earned her Ph.D. in Special Education at UCR, specializing in autism. Her current work supports initiatives in partnership with the California Department of Rehabilitation and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to expand employment opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). She provides evidence-based training and information to vocational specialists, program coordinators, business specialists, employers, and educational coaches (peer mentors) who support job seekers with IDD. In addition to her work in employment, she is dedicated to advancing culturally responsive care for Spanish-speaking and Latine families, ensuring that supports and services are accessible, inclusive, and community-driven.

Hayley McAvoy is a recent graduate of the School Psychology program at UCR, focusing on research involving autistic students. Hayley earned her B.A. in Psychology at UCLA with minors in Applied Developmental Psychology and Disability Studies. Prior to UCR, she worked with children with ASD in a variety of settings: as a therapist at the Early Childhood Partial Hospitalization Program at UCLA, as an in-home therapist, as a behavior technician, as a therapist for a Speech and Language clinic, and, most recently as a paraeducator in an inclusive elementary school. Her research interests revolve around education/training for teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents of autistic students.  She was also involved in the IES-funded Smooth Sailing intervention project (Blacher, P.I.), examining the relationship between teachers and their autistic students.

Chanel Nettle, Ph.D., is a recent graduate of the School Psychology program at UCR. Chanel previously earned her B.A. in Psychology with a double-minor in Applied Developmental Psychology and Disabilities Studies at UCLA. At UCLA, Chanel was a research assistant at the Childhood Anxiety, OCD, and Tic Disorders program and was a child development intern at UCLA's Early Childcare and Education center. After graduating, Chanel worked at UCLA as the clinic coordinator and research lead for UCLA's Parenting and Children's Friendship program, as well as a therapist for UCLA's Early Childhood Partial Hospitalization program. She also worked as a private in-home behavioral interventionist and as a therapist at a Speech and Language Pathology clinic. During her time at UCR, she was involved in the IES-funded Smooth Sailing intervention project (Blacher, P.I.), working with general education teachers in the early grades who have autistic children in their classrooms, and served as the media/outreach coordinator for the documentary Autism Goes to College. 

Tricia Choy, Ph.D. is a graduate of the School Psychology doctoral program at UCR. She is currently a neurodevelopmental pediatric psychologist at Rady's Children’s Health, Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center.

Liz Baker, Ph.D. is a graduate of the School Psychology doctoral program at UCR. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and an assistant professor of clinical psychology at the Yale Child Study Center and McPartland Lab.