Autism Thinks

In this Autism Thinks episode, historian John Summers brings a fresh perspective. He is newly affiliated as a research fellow in History and Disability with the think tank New America and has been the President and Editorial Director of Lingua Franca Media. As a historian, he starts from the beginning, bringing context into the bigger picture as he discusses various issues in the realm of autism, from behaviorism and autism care se...

A Small Piece in Many Different Journeys: Innovating Healthcare & Medical Technology
Dr. Emily Reiser joins us this Autism Thinks episode, sharing how she makes innovation dreams come true. She is currently the Associate Director at Texas Medical Center (TMC). As a former Senior Manager of Innovation Community Engagement, she helped aspiring entrepreneurs and startups launch new technologies for public health at the Texas M...

This episode, Dr. Nadia Rachdaoui continues to share her story. She is the founder of biotechnology company, NutrArgan, and a former faculty member at the Endocrinology Program in the Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers University. Her story is a story of a true scientist, a story of obstacles and lessons learned along the way— and at the same time, it’s a story of resilience and hope. 

NutrArgan, Biotech company founded by Nadia...

In this Autism Thinks episode, Dr. Nadia Rachdaoui shares her story that highlights the importance of mentoring in academia. She was a faculty member at the Endocrinology Program in the Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers University. She narrates incidents that occurred with her mentors at Rutgers, supported by her colleagues, friends, family and others moved by her story. Her story is a story of a true scientist, a story of obs...

Growing up in Long Island, NY, Khaaliq Crowder is a recent graduate in Journalism from the University of New Haven. He joins us for this fun podcast episode, sharing his experiences as an autistic advocate and media journalist. Highlighting the power of connection, he gives advice for other autistic individuals navigating through college, internships and careers. 

Music/ Soundbites featured:
Excerpt from Khaaliq Crowder&apo...

In this podcast, we are amazed by our sensational guests Jamiyl Samuels and Tracy-Ann Samuels. Jamiyl, a creative writer of novels to screenplays, and Tracy-Ann, a social worker and Rutgers alumnus, are the co-founders of The Amazingly Sensational Kids (T.A.S.K), creating children's books that educate, entertain and empower. 

As parents of an awesome autistic child named Trey Samuels, they have advocated on behalf of ...

This episode, Elizabeth Rosenzweig shares her story as she pursues her PhD in Quantitative Biomedicine at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. Her thesis research focuses on statistical methods and software development for group-based modeling of longitudinal data using maximum likelihood estimation. She speaks about obstacles she has faced in her life and the importance of believing in yourself and being supported by others who beli...

In celebration of National Horticultural Therapy week (March 14 - 20, 2021), Rutgers Psychology graduate student, Master Gardener and horticultural therapy intern, Elisabeth Black shares her words of wisdom and experiences with gardening as well as helping her students learn the art and science of gardening. 

Elisabeth is also a high school teacher for students with special needs, and teaches several classes with organizat...

This week, Dr. Daniel Moreno De Luca tells us more about his work as a Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist, as well as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University. As a physician-scientist, he incorporates genetics research into his clinical practice and uses the field to bring precision medicine to psychiatry. 

He tells the story of his journey as a physician-scientist and highlights the importa...

This week, Dr. Daniel Moreno De Luca tells us more about his work as a Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist, as well as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University. He is physician-scientist, incorporating genetics research into his clinical practice and using the field to bring precision medicine to psychiatry. 

What you also may not have seen coming is that he is also a rock star! He delves into...

This episode, we are joined by the incredible Autism Level Up! team, Dr. Amy Laurent and Dr. Jacquelyn Fede. Dr. Amy Laurent is a developmental psychologist and occupational therapist, specializing in supporting autistic individuals of all ages. Dr. Jacquelyn Fede is a developmental psychologist, assistant research psychology professor and autistic advocate. 

This second part of our episode series highlights the importance...

This episode, we are joined by the incredible Autism Level Up! team, Dr. Amy Laurent and Dr. Jacquelyn Fede. Dr. Amy Laurent is a developmental psychologist and occupational therapist, specializing in the education of autistic children. 
Dr. Jacquelyn Fede is a developmental psychologist, assistant research psychology professor and autistic advocate. Tune in to learn more about leveling up, understanding useful reality and the ...

Meg Proctor, MS, OTR/L is an amazing occupational therapist and autism specialist. She joins us today, and speaks to us about her experiences as an occupational therapist as well as her company 'Learn Play Thrive'. Learn Play Thrive provides resources and training sessions for therapists to learn the latest evidence-based practices for supporting autistic individuals.

Listen to the 'Two Sides of the Spectrum&apos...

Learning more about our past ancestors, we can better understand the origins behind the way we think and act. Different traits can be seen passed from one generation to one another in our evolutionary history— Penny Spikins tells us more about how autistic traits have evolved and how they play crucial roles in our survival as a species. As a Professor of Archaeology in York University, she delves into how archaeological evidence ca...

Have you ever wondered about how we sense the world around us? Keith Perkins, a Neuroscience Scholar and third-year graduate student at the Psychology Department at Rutgers University, has studied the neurobiology of different perceptual systems— from the visual and auditory to his current project in the olfactory system. He also delves into sociological issues surrounding racism that adversely impact students of color in STEM fiel...

Tune in for an insightful conversation about social cognition, neuroscience and the importance of representation for women in STEM with Dr. Helen Genova. She is the assistant director of the Kessler Foundation's Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research and director of the Social Cognition and Neuroscience Laboratory. Recently, she was awarded a grant from the NJ Department of Health for a research project that aime...

This week, Christina Wilson tells us her story in pursuing her undergraduate degrees in psychology and cognitive neuroscience at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. With passion and purpose, she is motivated to become an inspiration for others, encouraging other students who are excited about math and science to be courageous, and explore different classes and research projects like she has. Our researcher also reflects on impacts o...

This episode, we focus on Maribel Patiño's story. Maribel is currently a UC San Diego graduate student studying Neuroscience in the Medical Scientist Training Program. Her research involves developing new circuit mapping technology and investigating the efficiency of monosynaptic rabies tracing. She highlights the disparities underrepresented minorities face in pursuing STEM fields, and gives her invaluable advice and wisdom i...