Who We Are
The PANDA Lab: Psychosocial Adjustment, NeuroDevelopment, and Autism
The Psychosocial Adjustment, NeuroDevelopment, and Autism (PANDA) Lab was established by Dr. Angela Scarpa and is associated with the VT Autism Clinic & Center for Autism Research (VTAC/CAR). The lab, made up of graduate student clinicians from the Psychology Department's Clinical Science program, focuses on psychosocial and physiological factors related to socioemotional functioning in autistic individuals across the lifespan. More specifically, we have ongoing projects evaluating stress and coping in families and individuals touched by ASD, as well as the efficacy of psychosocial interventions, including pivotal response treatment, parent education, and Dr. Scarpa's Stress and Anger Management Program (STAMP). We are very interested in improving access to evidence-based practices for underserved populations through research on innovative delivery models, such as our Mobile Autism Clinic and telehealth. The PANDA Lab also offers a number of opportunities for families and autistic individuals to participate in research studies.
PANDA Lab Graduate Student Clinicians
- Kevin Pitts - Dean, College of Science
- Jamie Edgin - Chair, Psychology Department; Director, Memory Development and Policy Lab
- Karen Roberto - Executive Director, Institute for Society Culture and Environment
- Angela Scarpa - Clinical Core, Faculty, Psychology Department, Director of VTAC/CAR
- Thomas O. Williams, Jr. - Educational Core, Faculty in the School of Education
- Denis Gracanin - Technology Core, Faculty in the Department of Computer Science
- John Richey - Biomedical Core, Faculty in the Department of Psychology
- Rosanna Breaux - Clinical Core, Faculty in the Department of Psychology, Director of the VT Child Study Center
- Caroline Branscome - Autism-Centered Design, Faculty in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Felicity Adams-Vanke, MD - Carilion Clinic
- KJ Holbrook, LCSW - Mount Rogers Community Service Board
- Letitia Hawkins-Beatty, LPC - DePaul Community Resources
- Jerry Hulick - The Washington Group Special Care Planning Team
- Julie Ligon, PhD - Montgomery County Public Schools
- Ethan Long, PhD, BCBA-D - Virginia Institute of Autism
- Michole Pineda, MD - Carilion Clinic
- Kate Lewis, BCBA, LBA - VCU Autism Center for Excellence
- David Hamrick - National Weather Service
- Amy Trail - Family Advocacy Creating Education and Services
- Angie Leonard - St. Vincent's Home Services
- Luke Achenie: VT Department of Chemical Engineering
- Felicity Adams-Vanke: Carilion Clinic Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine
- Richard Ashley: VT Department of Economics
- Amy Azano: VT School of Education
- Julia Basso: VT Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise
- Alan Beach: ASD Counseling and Social Groups
- Martha Ann Bell: VT Department of Psychology
- Dorita Berger: Music Therapy Academy
- Bonnie Billingsley: VT School of Education
- Caroline Branscome: VTCAR Human-Centered Design representative, Self-Advocate & Self-Advocate Committee Co-Leader; VT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Rosanna Breaux: VT Department of Psychology, VT Child Study Center
- Barbara Burkett: Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services
- Julie Carper: My Seat Buddy, LLC; The Auburn School; Skill Builders
- Pearl Chiu: VTC Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
- Circe Cooke: New River Valley Community Services Psychiatric Services
- Gabriel Dichter: UNC School of Medicine, Psychiatry
- Julie Dunsmore: University of Houston Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences
- Jamie Edgin: Chair, Psychology Department; Director, Memory Development and Policy Lab
- Carla Finkielstein: VTC Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
- Roseanne Foti: VT Department of Psychology
- Edward Fox: VT Department of Computer Science
- Michael Fox: VTC Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, VT School of Neuroscience
- Bruce Friedman: VT Department of Psychology
- Denis Gracanin: VT Department of Computer Science
- Jeffrey Jackson: VT Department of Human Development and Family Science
- Myounghoon (Philart) Jeon: VT Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Department of Computer Science (by courtesy)
- Sunwook Kim: Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Charlie Klauer: VT Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Benjamin Knapp: VT Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology
- Richard Kriner: Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services
- Yong Woo Lee: VT Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics
- Teresa Lyons: Fit Learning Salem
- Scott McCrickard: VT Department of Computer Science
- Elle Miller (Driscoll): Trauma-informed Yoga Therapy
- Tara Mitchell: Carilion Clinic Pediatric Behavioral Health
- Read Montague: VTC Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
- Tom Ollendick: VT Department of Psychology, VT Child Study Center
- Justin Owens: VT Transportation Institute
- Robin Panneton: VT Department of Psychology
- Bryan Parsons: Roanoke College
- Michole Pineda: Carilion Clinic Pediatric Child Development
- Eugenia Rho: VT Department of Computer Science
- John Richey: VT Department of Psychology
- Greg Robinson: Carilion Clinic Pediatric Child Development
- Tina Savla: VT Department of Human Development and Family Science
- Angela Scarpa: VT Department of Psychology, VT Autism Clinic & Center for Autism Research
- Robert Settlage: VT Advanced Research Computing
- Carolyn Shivers: Niagara University Department of Psychology
- Lavinia Uscatescu: VT Department of Psychology
- Bevlee Watford: VT Department of Engineering
- Deborah Wells: Montgomery County Public Schools Special Education
- Thomas O. Williams, Jr.: VT School of Education
- Hongxiao Zhu: VT Department of Statistics