Study Coordinators

Rachel Ni earned her Master of Science in Developmental Psychopathology from the Durham University and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Drexel University. Prior to joining the lab, she worked with Dr. Sally Ozonoff, in the Early Detection Lab, on early identification of ASD. Rachel currently leads the middle childhood phase of the GAIN and APP studies. Outside of research, Rachel enjoys leading NeuroTeens, a social support group for neurodivergent girls and non-binary teens, and volunteering as a co-leader for various social skill groups at the MIND Institute. In the future, Rachel intends to pursue a career in autism research, with a focus on early identification and program development.

Sophia Harimoto is graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior (NPB). Her honors thesis project explored sex differences in the association between socioeconomic status and brain structure in individuals with autism. She joined the team in 2022 as a volunteer, then as a student assistant. She is now a study coordinator and works on the adolescent (15-19 year olds) phase of APP. In the future, she hopes to attend a doctoral program in neuroscience and pursue a career in research to better understand the neurobiological mechanisms that motivate human behavior and related disorders.

Val Sierakowski graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Psychology. As an undergraduate, he worked as a research assistant aiding in MRI scans and outreach in the Memory and Development Lab with Dr. Simona Ghetti studying associate memory formation in toddlers. We are excited to have him join our team as a study coordinator. He leads the early childhood phase of the GAIN study. In the future, Val plans to pursue a career in teaching and research, with a focus on equitable and flexible education.