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Welcome to the Social Connections & Treatment Lab (SCTL), a.k.a. the "Lerner Lab!" At the AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University.
We focus on understanding how kids and teens connect to one another and make friends and help develop new ways to help them to do so. The lab has a particular focus on helping those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). |
Announcement from Dr. lerner and sctl
For the last 10 years, Stony Brook has been my professional home, and the home of the Social Competence & Treatment Lab (SCTL; a.k.a. the “Lerner Lab”). However, there are occasionally opportunities that arise that bear serious personal and professional consideration - and such an opportunity has emerged for me. So, to cut to the chase: I am writing to share that I am accepting a position as Associate Professor and Life Course Outcomes Program Leader at the AJ Drexel Autism Institute, effective at the end of the Summer; the SCTL will be moving to Philadelphia. This opportunity will allow the SCTL team to continue to make - and to grow - a significant impact on the autism community through expanded research and community & clinical program implementation (including developing, establishing, and implementing programs to support individuals through the transition to adulthood and beyond), to increase mentorship of junior faculty and graduate students, and to provide even deeper supports for autistic people and their families and communities. For all these reasons and more, this is the right decision at this time.
As you know, working to improve understanding, care, and support for autistic individuals and their families, schools, and communities, has long been a core focus of the SCTL team. When we started here, our goals were to build connections, conduct impactful research, provide valuable services, build excellent training programs, and establish a record and reputation of trust and engagement throughout the community. I am so proud of all the SCTL team has accomplished in that regard. Stony Brook is now routinely listed as among the most impactful autism-focused research sites in the country. The research to which you have contributed has genuinely and positively affected the direction of understanding and support of social connections, social competence, autistic strengths, employment opportunities, treatment practices, mental health, the nature of autism, and the development of positive and well-lived lives for people the world over. We have done this together – by listening carefully to the perspectives of all the key stakeholders whose lives are affected by these questions. The entire field of autism research – and social development – is better, and thankful, for the contributions of time and effort you have made. I cannot thank you enough for this.
Meanwhile, trainees from SCTL routinely populate the field across disciplines (medicine, psychology, social work, education, etc.) at high levels of leadership and accomplishment, sharing all they have learned here with others who can benefit. Dozens of licensed clinicians and hundreds of other providers and educators are making a difference in the world thanks to the opportunities they have obtained by working with – and learning from – you.
Perhaps most importantly, the families, individuals, and providers with whom we have connected have built solid communities that I believe are – and will remain – durable into the future. Friendships have been forged, collaborations built, networks reinforced. Each and every one of you is the glue that holds these networks together, and I so hope that the momentum of cohesion I have seen over the last decade only continues to grow.
Importantly, so much WILL continue here at Stony Brook. Many of the individuals at the Autism Initiative will remain. The Autism Clinic will remain, the KPC will continue to conduct evaluations. Stony Brook Medicine will continue its efforts to expand and improve clinical and medical care for autistic people. Our SPIRIT and ISLEA training programs will continue. Several of our current studies, including Social Thinking/Superflex, PEDAL, and SPARK(here), will continue. If you are currently participating in a study here, please do continue to do so!
Of note, I will be retaining a role at Stony Brook as a Research Associate Professor, and will have a hand in each of the above efforts, and more. So, while I will physically be in Philadelphia most of the time, I will still be back here often, and will continue to support all the great work happening here.
Stony Brook’s history of work with and contribution to the field of autism research and services stretched back more than 40 decades. I am hopeful that this grand and invaluable tradition will continue. I will always hold Stony Brook in the highest regard and will forever be grateful for the opportunities and growth here.
Once again, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for all of the time, effort, and care you have offered over the years. It has been an honor to work with each and every one of you. Through my new position, I hope, as well, to continue to work and collaborate with many of you, and to maintain the invaluable connections we have forged. As a practical matter, I will be here, and the lab’s work will continue, through the end of the summer. Thank you for your understanding during this transition. Please do feel free to reach out to me or the lab (lernerlab@stonybrook.edu) with any questions or concerns.
Finally, when thinking about the north star that guides the work we do, I am often led to reflect on this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived — that is to have succeeded.”
I am ever-hopeful and sincerely believe that the work we have done here – and to which you have contributed – is seen, in this light, as a success.
As you know, working to improve understanding, care, and support for autistic individuals and their families, schools, and communities, has long been a core focus of the SCTL team. When we started here, our goals were to build connections, conduct impactful research, provide valuable services, build excellent training programs, and establish a record and reputation of trust and engagement throughout the community. I am so proud of all the SCTL team has accomplished in that regard. Stony Brook is now routinely listed as among the most impactful autism-focused research sites in the country. The research to which you have contributed has genuinely and positively affected the direction of understanding and support of social connections, social competence, autistic strengths, employment opportunities, treatment practices, mental health, the nature of autism, and the development of positive and well-lived lives for people the world over. We have done this together – by listening carefully to the perspectives of all the key stakeholders whose lives are affected by these questions. The entire field of autism research – and social development – is better, and thankful, for the contributions of time and effort you have made. I cannot thank you enough for this.
Meanwhile, trainees from SCTL routinely populate the field across disciplines (medicine, psychology, social work, education, etc.) at high levels of leadership and accomplishment, sharing all they have learned here with others who can benefit. Dozens of licensed clinicians and hundreds of other providers and educators are making a difference in the world thanks to the opportunities they have obtained by working with – and learning from – you.
Perhaps most importantly, the families, individuals, and providers with whom we have connected have built solid communities that I believe are – and will remain – durable into the future. Friendships have been forged, collaborations built, networks reinforced. Each and every one of you is the glue that holds these networks together, and I so hope that the momentum of cohesion I have seen over the last decade only continues to grow.
Importantly, so much WILL continue here at Stony Brook. Many of the individuals at the Autism Initiative will remain. The Autism Clinic will remain, the KPC will continue to conduct evaluations. Stony Brook Medicine will continue its efforts to expand and improve clinical and medical care for autistic people. Our SPIRIT and ISLEA training programs will continue. Several of our current studies, including Social Thinking/Superflex, PEDAL, and SPARK(here), will continue. If you are currently participating in a study here, please do continue to do so!
Of note, I will be retaining a role at Stony Brook as a Research Associate Professor, and will have a hand in each of the above efforts, and more. So, while I will physically be in Philadelphia most of the time, I will still be back here often, and will continue to support all the great work happening here.
Stony Brook’s history of work with and contribution to the field of autism research and services stretched back more than 40 decades. I am hopeful that this grand and invaluable tradition will continue. I will always hold Stony Brook in the highest regard and will forever be grateful for the opportunities and growth here.
Once again, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for all of the time, effort, and care you have offered over the years. It has been an honor to work with each and every one of you. Through my new position, I hope, as well, to continue to work and collaborate with many of you, and to maintain the invaluable connections we have forged. As a practical matter, I will be here, and the lab’s work will continue, through the end of the summer. Thank you for your understanding during this transition. Please do feel free to reach out to me or the lab (lernerlab@stonybrook.edu) with any questions or concerns.
Finally, when thinking about the north star that guides the work we do, I am often led to reflect on this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived — that is to have succeeded.”
I am ever-hopeful and sincerely believe that the work we have done here – and to which you have contributed – is seen, in this light, as a success.
Why Should I Participate in Research?
Research helps us to make discoveries that lead to new and improved therapies for people on the autism spectrum. Anyone can get involved in autism research! Participating in research can involve anything from simply filling out questionnaires to engaging in a social group to collaborating with our lab as a professional. Together we can make the world a better place for people with autism!
Research helps us to make discoveries that lead to new and improved therapies for people on the autism spectrum. Anyone can get involved in autism research! Participating in research can involve anything from simply filling out questionnaires to engaging in a social group to collaborating with our lab as a professional. Together we can make the world a better place for people with autism!
Lab Director
Matthew D. Lerner, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry, & Pediatrics
Department of Psychology
Stony Brook University
Matthew D. Lerner, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry, & Pediatrics
Department of Psychology
Stony Brook University
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SCTL NEWS & EVENTS
April 2022 ***STUDY PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITY*** Ava Gurba, a masters student in neuroscience at Stony Brook University and Elliot Gavin Keenan, a PhD candidate at UCLA, are recruiting individuals over 18 on the autism spectrum for a quantitative online survey study examining the relationships between sticky thinking (repetitive thinking), stimming (repetitive behaviors), and mental health. Both official and self-diagnosed adults on the autism spectrum from anywhere in the world can participate. Individuals will complete two 30 minute online surveys two weeks apart, consisting of several sets of multiple choice questions. Ava and Elliot are valued members of our SCTL community, and we're excited to support their work! We would like to welcome Jared Richards, SCTL’s newest Ph.D. student! Prior to applying to join SCTL as a graduate student, they graduated from Rowan University in 2019 with a B.S. in Psychological Science, then after graduating they remained at Rowan to work in a full time research coordinator position under Dr. Katherine Gotham. Jared is super excited to be joining the team! March 2022 In January of 2022, Jenna Stadheim, one of our amazing lab coordinators, was accepted to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) within their School Psychology PhD Program for the Fall of 2022. Jenna accepted her position within the program in March of 2022, and also received the Burn Johnson Fellowship within UNL's Department of Education for the 2022-2023 academic year. Congratulations and best of luck to you, Jenna! November 2021 We are excited to share the Autism Science Foundation's weekly science podcast featuring SCTLers Erin Libsack and Dr. Lerner discussing their findings on the topics of camouflaging, masking, and passing as non-autistic. See more here August 2021 We are so excited to announce that Stony Brook University is the first institution on Long Island to receive a federal grant designed specifically to train students, professionals, families and self-advocates for the purpose of improving the lives of children and adults with autism spectrum disorders and other neurodevelopmental disabilities (ASD/ND)! Our very own Dr. Matt Lerner will Co-Direct this program called Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disorders (LEND)! May 2021 We would like to welcome Jenna Stedheim, SCTL's newest Coordinator! We are so glad you are joining our team and can't wait to see what you accomplish with us! We would like to welcome Kristin Walker, an incoming doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Stony Brook University, and the newest member of the SCTL Team! September 2020 We are excited to share Dr. Matthew Lerner presented at the Autism Science Foundation's 7th Annual Day of Learning. April 2020 We are happy to announce that we are now recruiting for our newest research study, Promoting Resiliance in Teens with ASD. Visit our Projects page to learn more. We would like to welcome Dr. Melissa Palatucci, PsyD to the lab as the Program Director of the ASD Residential Training for Staff at USAH (ARTS-U) Project! She will bring her experience Psychiatry Outpatient Clinics, Counseling at Stony Brook’s Counseling services, and training director for the quad Preparatory School in Manhattan. She has had previous Stony Brook experience as serving as a counselor for the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). She has also worked as the Chief Psychologist and Training Director for the Quad Preparatory School in Manhattan, a school for twice-exceptional (2e) students that fully integrates social and emotional learning for twice-exceptional (2e) students that fully integrates social and emotional learning with engaging academics. We are excited that she is bringing her expertise to SCTL! March 2020 We would like to welcome Caitlin Eamotte, LMSW to the SCTL Team! Cait has been working directly with youth and adults with ID/DD and ASD, as well as their families, since 2012. Through her time working directly with the ASD community, Cait has experience in developing programs designed to support the unique needs of those with ASD, providing case management services and linkages to community supports, crisis intervention, family/caregiver education, and advocacy. We are excited that she is bringing her expertise to SCTL! February 2020 New Studies Come check out our 2 new studies Promoting Resilience in Teens with ASD and Electrophysiological Correlates of Social Feedback! Friday, February 14th from 6 pm to 7 pm We're excited to share that we're continuing Video Game Night! Join us for an evening full of fun and games! It will be held Friday, February 14th. Click here to register! Friday, February 28th from 7 pm to 9 pm Come to the Hearts and Chocolate Adult Social at the LDS Center here at Stony Brook University! November 2019 SCTL is excited to announce a new study: Romantic Relationship Workshop! This FREE workshop teaches skills for how to improve communication in and around relationships! The first round of workshops begins in November! Click here for more information and here if you think you might want to participate! October 2019 We're excited to share that we're continuing Video Game Night! Join us for an evening full of fun and games! It will be held Friday, October 11th. Click here to register! September 2019 We will be at the Maritime Festival this Sunday, September 22nd. Come on down and visit our table to say hi! Welcome back to school! Check out our newsletter or Facebook page for all of our studies and exciting programs coming out this fall. May 2019 SCTL will be hosting Asperger's Are Us here at Stony Brook University on May 18th! We are super excited to be able to have them come out in person, and do a show for us. Click here to learn more about them and how to get tickets! Mar 2019 We are very excited to share the work of one of our senior PhD students at SCTL, Erin Kang! Check out her work on Autism Communication Patterns here! Feb 2019 We're thrilled to announce that our 2 senior PhD students, Tamara Rosen & Erin Kang, have matched for their Clinical Internships! They will be going to AHRC in New York and University of Colorado School of Medicine (JFK Developmental Disabilities track)! Congratulations, Tammy & Erin! We are thrilled for you, and we will miss you! We're excited to share that we've started a new program called Video Game Night! Join us for evenings full of fun and games! It will be held the last Friday of every month. Click here to register! Nov 2018 We are happy to announce that we are now recruiting for our newest research study, Assessing Primary Care Providers’ Knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Click here to learn more. Oct 2018 We are thrilled to invite you to this year's CEDAR Conference, which will be held at the Branford House at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point Campus. Click here to learn more! We are excited to share word of our upcoming Town Hall on Transitions for Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum event, co-sponsored by SCTL and Autism Speaks Long Island! Check out Upcoming Events in the "News, Updates, & Media Coverage" tab to learn more about it! We have an exciting talk coming up, Autism Spectrum Disorders: Complexities Associated with Sex Differences, Screening and Diagnosis by Dr. Roald A. Øien! Check out Upcoming Events in the "News, Updates, & Media Coverage" tab for more information! May 2018 SCTL published its first ever newsletter: The SCTL Scoop! The Scoop is a new periodical newsletter highlighting some of our most recent findings in the past year. Check out the Scoop in the "News, Updates, & Media Coverage" tab! The SCTL is thrilled to be a part of the Autism Awareness Obstacle Color Run 2018 hosted by the Port Jefferson Elementary School PTSA! The SCTL was so glad to attend the Bellmore-Merrick SEPTA Meeting on Wednesday, May 15th! The SCTL attended the AHA Spring Conference on Sunday, May 6th! April 2018 The SCTL was THRILLED to be a part of the FIRST Port Jefferson SEPTA General Membership Meeting! The SCTL attended TWO on campus events this month, Diversity in Neuroscience and Earthstock! Woot woot! Our April Music & ASD + SCTL Fair event on Sunday, April 22nd at the Staller Center was a success! See you all at the next one! March 2018 We are happy to announce that we are recruiting for the SENSE Theatre Study and Tackling Teenage Training! Please be advised that the CEDAR Conference has been postponed! February 2018 Our first ASD & Music Event this spring will be held on February 18th 1-3 PM! January 2018 The SCTL would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year! December 2017 Dr.Matthew Lerner spoke at the SASI en Espanol meeting on Thursday, December 14th! Our semi-annual ASD & Music Event was held on Sunday December 3rd! Dr. Matthew Lerner spoke at the Suffolk Aspergers/Autism Support & Information (SASI) support group meeting on Friday, December 1st! November 2017 Several SCTLers will be presenting their work at the ABCT Conference in San Diego! October 2017 The SCTL is excited to attend the AHA Fall Conference on Saturday, October 28th! Join us! The SCTL is pleased to announce that our new ASD Employment Survey is now LIVE! The SCTL was pleased to host Dr. Sonya Girdler (Director) and Dr. Ben Milbourn from the Curtin Autism Research Group in Australia! September 2017 SCTL alum Elliot Keenan was recently interviewed by the Suffolk County News about his new book! Check it out here! The SCTL was so glad to attend the Long Island Parent's Day on Sunday September 17th! August 2017 The SCTL was so glad to attend the Back to School Blast event at the Smithhaven Mall on August 26th! June 2017 The The "It's Not "Just Autism": Understanding Co-occurring Psychiatric Disorders in ASD Conference will be taking place on June 7th from 8:30am-4:00pm. We hope to see you there! April 2017 April brings many fantastic events where you can find SCTLers! We will be setting up informational tables at the following events: AHA Spring Conference Saturday, 4/8 at Adelphi University The third ASD & Music Event hosted right here at SBU on Sunday, 4/23 from 2:00pm-3:00pm. The Special Needs Fair Saturday, 4/29 at the Patchogue-Medford Library. The All Kids Fair Sunday, 4/30 at the Huntington Hilton. March 2017 SBU School of Medicine is hosting an Autism Dance Class for Adults on the autism spectrum! SCTL's director Dr. Matthew Lerner will be featured in a radio segment with DDI on Autism and ASD research on 3/4 and 3/11. Tune in to 103.9 FM at 10:00AM! SCTL is also excited to be attending our second QUAD Preparatory School for the Twice Exceptional conference Thursday, 3/16. Lastly, SCTL director Dr. Matthew Lerner will be a featured Keynote speaker for Nassau County Community College's Achilles Project event on Friday, 3/24. November 2016 SCTL was pleased to host our SECOND ASD & Music Event hosted right here at SBU! We were so glad to offer another event this Fall for families to enjoy! The SCTL was excited to attend An Evening with Dr. Temple Grandin: Different Kinds of Minds hosted by the Variety Child Learning Center on November 1st! October 2016 Several SCTLers presented at this year's 50th Annual ABCT Convention in NYC! Follow the link for details! SCTL attended the AHA Fall Conference on October 15th! Click here for details. SCTL was pleased to attend the Longwood SEPTA Resource Fair on October 8th! SCTL had a table at the Resource Fair durinf the Autism Speaks Walk on Long Island on October 2nd! Follow the link for details! September 2016 The new study we are collaborating on is now seeking volunteers! Check out ASD Brain Imaging Study at Stony Brook! The SCTL hosted the 3rd annual ASD & Music Event on September 25th! Click here for details! August 2016 SCTL attended SASI Family Fun Day on August 28th! The new study we are collaborating on is now seeking volunteers! Check out ASD Brain Imaging Study at Stony Brook! May 2016 The new study we are collaborating on is now seeking volunteers! Check out ASD Brain Imaging Study at Stony Brook! On May 26th, SCTL Director Dr. Matthew Lerner will present at the Rising Stars of Clinical Science Symposium at the 28th Annual Convention of The Association for Psychological Science! Click here for more info! On May 11th, Eight SCTL lab members presented talks and posters at the 2016 Annual IMFAR Conference ! Click here for more info! April 2016 The new study we are collaborating on is now seeking volunteers! Check out ASD Brain Imaging Study at Stony Brook! SCTL Director Dr.Lerner presented at The University of Kentucky's Psychology Department's Colloqium Series and Brown Bag Lecture Talks (Developmental Area) on April 28th and 29th! On April 26th, SCTL was pleased to host the Suffolk Asperger/ Autism Support and Information Group ! Click here for info. SCTL Director Dr.Lerner was the keynote speaker for this year's 4th Annual Psychology Student Alliance Gala on April 19th. On April 19th, the Stony Brook Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders hosted a panel right here on the Stony Brook Campus ! SCTL Director Dr.Lerner spoke at the 10th Annual New York Statewide Autism Conference on April 15th! Click here for more info. November 2015 SCTL Director, Dr. Lerner, is also a part of the Stony Brook Medicine Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinic. Visit their page for more info! Check out our new study, Measuring Social Cognition in Youth with ASD for children 6-10 years old with ASD! The SCTL now invites adults with ASD to participate in our study, Paying Attention to Social Interactions! Click for more information! October 2015 The SCTL attended and tabled at this year's AHA Fall Conference, "Issues in Education for School-Age Students and Adults on the Autism Spectrum" at Adelphi on October 24! SCTL Director Dr. Lerner spoke at the 2015 Meeting on the Minds: Autism Spectrum Disorders on October 30th, where the SCTL team also held an informational table. September 2015 Dr. Lerner spoke to the SBU New Jersey Alumni Chapter on September 16th! July 2015 The SCTL has a new study running, Paying Attention to Social Interactions for adults with or without ASD to participate in! Click for more information! June 2015 The ASD & Music Event that the SCTL helped organize and run, along with the SBU Music Department is featured on SBU Happenings! May 2015 Dr. Lerner, Tamara Rosen, and Jacquelyn Gates presented work from the SCTL at the 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research in Salt Lake City, UT, May 13-16! April 2015 Dr. Lerner gave a talk at DDI, "New Directions in Understanding and Supporting Social Competence on the Autism Spectrum," during Autism Awareness Month on April 9th! Dr. Lerner spoke at the North Bellmore SEPTA Meeting on April 14. Dr. Lerner spoke at the Suffolk County Association of School Nurses Conference on April 18. Dr. Lerner spoke at Queens College Clinical Psychology Colloquium, "Catch Me If You Can: Novel Mechanisms of Social Functioning and Intervention in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders" on April 20. Dr. Lerner spoke at North Shore Special Education Parent-Teachers Association (NS SEPTA) meeting on April 22. The SCTL attended & held an informational table at this year's AHA's Annual Spring Conference: Issues in Independent Living for Adolescents & Adults on the Autism Spectrum on April 25. The SCTL, the SBU Autism Awareness Club, and the SBU Department of Music hosted a free ASD Friendly Music Event on April 26. This event was a blast, and we plan to have it again in the future! The success of the CASL Conference made SBU headlines! Check out the article here. March 2015 Dr. Lerner gave a talk at theASPIRE Center for Learning on March 11 at 7 PM in Melville, NY. SCTL members presented at the 2015 Biennial Meeting for the Society for Research in Child Development in Philly! Lab director, Dr. Matthew Lerner, spoke on March 7, 2015 at The Quad's Conference "Break Through the Walls: Breakthroughs in Twice Exceptional Education!" December 2014 The SCTL was proud to co-present the inaugural CASL Conference on 12/15/2015 - 12/16/2014! November 2014 Dr. Lerner presented as part of Harvard Medical School's ASD Course on 11/14/2014-11/15/2014! The SCTL teamed up with the Center for Embodied Cognition to hold an Autism & Theatre Symposium on 11/19/2014! |
SCTL ACCOMPLISHMENTS & AWARDS
April 2022 We would like to congratulate Alan Gerber, who has accepted a T32 Postdoctoral Position at the Yale Child Study Center in Dr. James McPartland’s lab. This is a highly competitive research fellowship that offers unique training opportunities in child psychology research. Alan looks forward to continuing to build on the work he's started while at Stony Brook. We are pleased to announce that Noshin Shakawat, our very own undergraduate research assistant, has received the 2022 URECA Biology Alumni Research Award. This grant will provide a stipend to support Noshin’s research activities for the summer of 2022. Noshin's research proposal explores the correlation between an individual's age bias and recognizing facial affect in individuals with and without ASD by studying neural processing speeds through EEG data. The goal of this research is to see if an individual is better at recognizing facial emotions of a person of similar age and if there are differences between individuals with and without ASD. Congratulations to Kristin Walker on receiving the Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation! She is the first of many SCTL graduate students to be granted this award. This fellowship gives three years of financial support to aid in Kristin’s research pursuits. Kristin has also received an honorable mention for the Ford Fellowship, a fellowship aimed to promote ethnic and racial diversity in academia. Read more about the award here. March 2022 Kristen Walker, Jacqueline Gates and Dr. Matthew Lerner were coauthors on the paper “Exploring the intersection of race and autism in young adults: Do provider adverse childhood experience (ACE) inquiries differ based on patient race?”. This paper was accepted to the INSAR 2022 conference. The poster will be displayed and read by autism researchers around the globe! Also, Morgan's abstract, "Identifying Features of Minimally-Structured Interaction Activities That Facilitate or Impede Social Opportunities for Autistic Youth," was submitted to INSAR 2022 in Austin, TX and was accepted as a poster presentation. Additionally, Morgan received an INSAR Student and Trainee Workshop Award. We would like to congratulate and wish the best of luck to Erin Libsack who has been chosen as one of three full time doctoral Psychology Interns at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Read more here January 2022 We would like to congratulate Ph.D student Kristin Walker on her recent co-authorship! Kristin's publication looks at how language impacts behavior and attention in preschoolers with hearing impairments. Read more here December 2021 Congratulations to Talena Day who received the John Neale Endowed Graduate Student Excellence Fund in Clinical Psychology from the Stony Brook University Psychology Department. This award provides funds to Psychology graduate students who demonstrate outstanding achievement in the areas of academic excellence, research, or leadership. November 2021 We are pleased to announce that Matthew Lerner, PhD and PI of the SCTL, has won the 2021 Outstanding Mentor Award from the Autism & Developmental Disabilities Special Interest Group of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies! This award seeks to acknowledge and appreciate individuals who have had a significant impact on mentees’ careers, professional development, and personal growth. June 2021 We are pleased to announce, Dr. Kathryn Hauschild, our Associate Director has received an Autism Science Foundation COVID-19 Research Grant! Kathryn will be examining the effects of pandemic induced isolation on the mental health of youth with ASD. We are pleased to announce that our post-doctoral scholar, Cynthia Brown, has accepted an Assistant Professor position in the Applied Psychological Sciences program in the School of Graduate Psychology at Pacific University. Dr. Brown will also serve as the Director of Clinical Training for the Applied Psychological Sciences program. May 2021 We are pleased to announce (soon-to-be) Doctor Cara Keifer successfully defended her Dissertation. Cara will begin her job as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Yale Autism Program at the Yale Child Study Center this summer! April 2021 We are pleased to announce our very own undergraduate research assistant Maanasi Dudi has been awarded the 2021 URECA Biology Alumni Research Award which funds 10 weeks of faculty-mentored research with Dr. Matthew Lerner! July 2020 We are pleased to announce (soon-to-be Doctor) Erin Kang successfully defended her Dissertation and will be starting a research lab of her own in the Fall as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Montclair State University! We are pleased to announce Tamara Rosen and Erin Kang graduated from their PhD programs! Congratulations to both of them! March 2020 We are pleased to announce that our very own Alan Gerber has won the 2020 John Neale Awards for Graduate Student Excellence for his role as Advisor! Congrats Alan! We are pleased to announce that our very own Erin Kang has won the 2020 President's Award to Distinguished Doctoral Students For her Role as Advisor! Congrats Erin! February 2020 We are pleased to announce that our very own Cara Keifer will be interning for the Yale Child Study Center! January 2020 Mariam’s Win Mariam Quaraishi, a student of Ward Melville High School, worked with Dr. Lerner on a Project for the Simons Summer Research Program. The title of the project is The Effect of Sibling Status of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder on Symptom Severity and Social Development. Mariam submitted the project for The Regeneron Science Talent Search and won! Congrats on contributing to ASD research and winning $2000 for you and your school! September 2019 SCTL will be at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Conference(ABCT)! It was SCTL had 5 posters and 5 talks accepted for presentation at this international research conference. Master's student, Jessica Granieri's abstract was top-rated in her category and will be presented as a talk at the ABCT ASDD SIG Preconference! July 2019 Our very own Erin Kang, 5th year PhD student in SCTL, won the Launch Award at the JCCAP Future Directions Forum!! This is an amazing award and we are so proud of her! The Future Directions Launch Award serves as a capstone to the academic training of its recipients—a signal to the field and larger public that they are ready to enter academia and begin independent research careers. Congratulations Erin!! May 2019 SCTL is proud to announce that our very own Lee Ann Santore has been awarded three distinguished awards: the Provost's Award for Academic Excellence, the Sigma Xi Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award and the Undergraduate Recognition Award for Academic Excellence! Congratulations Lee Ann! Apr 2019 The SCTL is pleased to welcome onboard PhD students, Morgan McNair and Talena Day, and Post-Doctorate Scholar, Peter Felsman! Mar 2019 Congrats to SCTL Director, Dr. Matthew Lerner, for his receipt of the Early Career Research Contributions Award from the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)! Check out the feature here! Jan 2019 We are very proud to announce our very own Lee Ann Santore has been awarded Researcher of the Month at Stony Brook. Check out the feature here! Oct 2018 Our Ph. D student Erin Libsack had an awesome interview with Anderson Center for Autism about the SCTL and her research. Click here to check it out! June 2018 The SCTL is excited to introduce our newest post-doctorate scholar, Dr. Kathyrn Mary Hauschild! Welcome to lab! May 2018 The SCTL is excited to welcome our newest RA, Janine Meurer! Congratulations! April 2018 Our undergraduate RAs Kim Tena, Hira Shah, Christopher Esposito, Lee Ann Santore and Fatema Noor shared some awesome work at the Undergraduate Research And Creativity Symposium on campus! Congratulations! The SCTL is thrilled to share that our very own Cara Keifer has received a 2018 Autism Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship! The SCTL would like to welcome our newest RAs, Lydia Librizzi, Suzanne Tawch and Megan Armstrong! March 2018 The SCTL is so excited to keep growing! We want to welcome new Research Assistants Dilsa Perez, Kisa Abidi and Tiffaney Batista to the team! We are so excited to welcome new Research Assistant Khushi Narvekar to the SCTL team! February 2018 Be sure to check out some of SCTL's recent media coverage on the awesome work we're doing here! Congratulations to Emily Fowler and David Zontak on joining the SCTL as Research Assistants! January 2018 Congratulations to Caroline Downs and Micaela Rodriguez for joining the SCTL as Research Assistants! Congratulations to Mable Lam for joining the SCTL as a Research Assistant! The SCTL is excited to welcome undergraduate RAs Gor Grigoryan and Leslie McMahon to the lab! December 2017 The SCTL is excited to welcome Dr. Lea Theodore as one of our newest clinical consultants! The SCTL is honored to welcome PhD candidate Jiaqi Zhou to the team! We are so excited to have you! November 2017 The SCTL is excited to welcome Cindy Nguyen to the lab as a Research Assistant on our Coding Team! Our SCTL team just keeps growing! We are proud to welcome Aaradhana Natarajan to the SCTL as a Research Assistant! Have you seen all of the great work present & past SCTLers have published this year? Congratulations to Dr. Megan Tudor, James Rankin, Jacquelyn Gates, Erin Kang, Cara Keifer, Rebecca Weber, Bianca Marro, Tamara Rosen, Alan Gerber and Elliot Keenan on their recently published papers! Congratulations to the several SCTLers who had poster presentations and talks accepted to the ABCT Conference! San Diego, here we come! The SCTL is honored to welcome Rebecca Bianchi to the SCTL as our newest coordinator! October 2017 We are pleased to welcome Mina Abdelmalik to the lab as a research assistant! September 2017 The SCTL is pleased to welcome Fanny Talledo as a research assistant! Welcome to the team! SCTL Doctoral candidate Erin Kang has won the Student Achievement Award from the Autism Spectrum & Developmental Disabilities Special Interest Group of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies! Congrats to Erin! The SCTL is pleased to welcome our two newest RAs, Kevin Carroll and Zaineb Qureshi! Welcome to the team! SCTL alum Elliot Keenan has been featured in an interview with the Suffolk County News for his soon to be published book! Click here to read the article! August 2017 We are excited to welcome a new Master's Student to the SCTL, Russell Vogel! Our lab keeps growing! Welcome to the RA team, Divya Kumar, Jeremy Jacob and Abigail Zurhorst! July 2017 We are excited to welcome visiting scholar Juan Mayor Torres, MSc! We're excited to work with you! The SCTL is pleased to welcome our newest RAs, Liana Davidoff and Alexa Gombert ! June 2017 The SCTL is pleased to welcome new RAs Ryan Newell and Mohamed Heiba to the team! The SCTL is pleased to welcome our newest high school volunteer, Julia Pollina! We are also pleased to welcome our newest PhD student, Erin Libsack, to the SCTL team! Congratulations! May 2017 We are excited to welcome our newest Undergraduate Research Assistants, Aisha Mamoor and Karlie Lamia! Welcome to the team! April 2017 We would like to welcome our newest Master's Students, Caitlin Simson, and Catherine Halpern to the SCTL! We're excited to have you on board! March 2017 Congratulations to our SCTL RAs for getting accepted into the following post-bachelor/grad school programs for Fall 2017: Elliot Keenan: UCLA’s Human Development and Psychology PhD program working with Dr. Jeffrey Wood Rebecca Weber: Stony Brook University's Clinical Psychology PhD program working with Dr. Nicholas Eaton Kaitlin Darmiento: Columbia University’s MA in School Psychology Program at Teachers College Christine O’Brien: St. John's University MA in School Psychology program Christine Spaulding:Columbia University's MA in Education Policy Program at Teachers College Samantha Coyle: Stony Brook University’s Nursing Program We will miss you and wish you all the best in your future endeavors! We are so proud of our very own Christopher Esposito for his receipt of an Undergraduate Summer Grant from the Autism Science Foundation! The SCTL is pleased to welcome many new undergraduate RA members, Fatema Noor, Cassie Donohue and Hira Shah, recruitment team members Hayley Rein, Rachit Bhatt, Christopher McClean and Spotlight coding team members Ryna Xu, Joseph Tirella, Lauren Moskowitz, Aruba Asad, Nawrin Nishat and Shaina Harkins! Welcome all! October 2016 The STCL is pleased to welcome onboard undergraduate RA Kimberly Tena to our Recruitment Team! September 2016 The SCTL is pleased to welcome several new RAs ! Coders for our Usual Care Study now include Chris McLean, Shaina Harkins, Beren Gokcil, Mehak Ijaz, Ryna Xu and Fatema Noor. Welcome to the team, everyone! SCTL Director Dr. Matthew Lerner was featured on The Village Times for the awesome work being done here at the SCTL! Please click here to read! We are pleased to welcome KerriAnn McCabe to the SCTL team as a Research Assistant ! The SCTL is so glad to welcome our newest member Rebecca Girard as our Clinical Consultant! Welcome to the Team! August 2016 SCTL is extremely excited to announce that SCTL Director Dr. Matthew Lerner was awarded the prestigious BRAINS Grant from the NIMH! We are so excited for this new development! Way to go! SCTL Director Dr. Matthew Lerner was featured twice this month on the Brain Waves Video Anthology Youtube Series! Please follow the links at our Media Coverage page. SCTL is pleased to announce that our very own Deborah Gross is one of our newest study coordinators! We are so glad to have Debi working with us and look forward to what lies ahead! July 2016 The month of July has been a very exciting time of growth here at the SCTL! We are enthusiastic to welcome new PhD student Elizabeth Trimber to the team, as well as Masters student Christine O'Brien, Volunteers Sarah Lewis and Paul Young, and finally Research Assistants William Perez and Antonia Labozetta. We are so glad to have so many new faces here at the SCTL! June 2016 We are very pleased to have SCTL alum Dhara Doshi featured in SBU Happenings! Click this link to check it out! This month the SCTL has welcomed several new members! We are pleased to welcome our new PhD students, Alan Gerber and Tessa Clarkson . We are also excited to welcome Masters Students Lauren Wagler and Alex Mulhall. Also coming on board are Lab Volunteers Dana Ellis, Leeanne Zinn, Chris Kleva and Marco Ponzo! And finally, we are enthusiastically welcoming undergraduates Veronica Milito, Ashta Narain and Sarah Lewis! Woo hoo! Welcome to the team, everyone! May 2016 Congratulations to Dr. Lerner for receiving "Professor of the Year" at the Psychology Department's Commencement Ceremony! SCTLers Jesus Pichardo, Ashley Culoso, Lindsay Bungert, Dhara Doshi and William Friedman graduated with their Bachelor's Degrees on May 20th! Congratulations, we're excited to see where you'll go next! Special congratulations to SCTLers Bianca Marro and Anthony Burns for receiving their Masters Degrees on May 20th! Way to go! April 2016 Congratulations to SCTLer Elliot Keenan for being a recipient of the Autism Science Foundation Undergraduate Summer Research Grant! Way to go, Elliot! Masters Student Bianca Marro received the INSAR Student Travel Award for her work on the Usual Care Study! Congratulations, Bianca! February 2016 Christina Li, Jessica Genovese and LeeAnn Santore have joined the SCTL as coding team members for the Spotlight Summer Study 2015! Welcome! December 2015 SCTL Director, Dr. Lerner, was designated a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science! Samantha Coyle joins the SCTL team! Welcome! October 2015 Nicole Saitta, BA, Valarie Winter, Kaitlin Darmiento, William Friedman, & Jessica Garofalo, have all joined the SCTL as our new coding team for the Usual Care Study! Welcome! September 2015 Lena Jaggi, Mlaw, MS has joined the SCTL to help out on a project involving evaluations with the Maryhaven Center! Welcome, Lena! July 2015 Cara Keifer, BA, joins the SCTL Team as a Clinical Psychology PhD student! Welcome! June 2015 Anthony Burns, BA, joins the SCTL Team as a Psychology Masters student! Welcome! Deborah Gross, BA, a Master's student in the Theater department, joins the SCTL Team! Welcome! May 2015 Undergraduates Ashley Culoso, Samantha Sommer, & Elliot Keenan, and post-bacc Lauren Allegue join the SCTL Team! Welcome! Congrats to Jackie Gates on completing her Master's degree in Psychology! Congrats to SCTL RAs James Rankin, Christine Spaulding, Sruthi Jonnalagadda, Trish Medina, Bianca Marro, and Lauren Allegue on earning their bachelor's degree! Where are they now? April 2015 Congratulations to our psychology honors student, James Rankin, for accepting the offer to join Dr. Ted Tomeny's lab as a Clinical Psychology PhD student at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa! Congratulations to our RA, Arjun Iyer, for accepting the offer to join Dr. Lisa Scott in the joint Developmental Psychology and Behavioral & Cognitive Neuroscience PhD program at University of Florida, Gainesville! We are excited to welcome Cara Keifer, BA, to the SCTL, who will be joining us as a Clinical Psychology PhD student this summer! March 2015 Congratulations to our PhD student, Meg Tudor, for receiving this years Distinguished Doctoral Student Award! Congratulations to our psychology honors students, James & Christine, for receiving the Undergraduate Recognition Award for Academic Excellence! Congratulations to our RA, Bianca Marro, who was accepted to Stony Brook University's Psychology Master's Program and will be staying with the SCTL for another year! January 2015 Undergraduates Andrea Charidemou, Dhara Doshi, and Denisse Janvier join the SCTL Team! Welcome! October 2014 James Rankin has been awarded a URECA mini-grant for his submission at NYSABA! Congrats James! Megan Tudor, MA, recently had a paper accepted to the journal, Clinical Child & Family Psychology Review! Congrats Meg! Undergraduates Chris Esposito & Jesus Pichardo join the SCTL Team! Welcome! July 2014 Erin Kang, MA, & Tammy Rosen, BA, join the SCTL Team as Clinical Psychology PhD students! Welcome! Jackie Gates, BA, joins the SCTL Team as a Psychology Masters student! Welcome! Arjun Iyer, MS, joins the SCTL Team! Welcome! June 2014 Becca Weber, BA, joins the SCTL Team as Lab Coordinator! Welcome! |
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Matthew D. Lerner, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology Psychology B-354 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY 11794-2500 Phone: 631-632-7660 Fax: 866-829-4976 Email: matthew.lerner@stonybrook.edu |
Social Competence & Treatment Lab
Department of Psychology Psychology A-140 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY 11794-2500 Phone: 631-632-7857 Fax: 866-829-4976 Email: LernerLab@stonybrook.edu |
