Clinical Team

PicforBioJessicaPeterson(Berg)

Jessica Peterson, Ph.D., is a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine in the laboratory of Dr. Raphe Bernier. Dr. Jessica received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Seattle Pacific University and completed a clinical internship in child psychology/developmental disabilities at UCLA. Dr. Jessica’s research interests focus on factors influencing psychiatric comorbidity in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, neurocognitive development, and the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders. In her free time she enjoys hiking, boating, dance, and spending time with family and friends.

Jennifer Beighley, Ph.D.,IMG_20170303_110238 (1) is a post-doctoral fellow in the Bernier Lab at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Jen completed the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Louisiana State University and did her clinical training at Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Child Development Center in Columbus, Ohio. Jen is interested in studying factors relating to early identification and treatment of children with developmental disabilities. Clinically, she is interested in behavioral treatment of co-occurring psychopathology including obsessive compulsive disorder and challenging behavior such as feeding difficulty in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Outside of work, Jen enjoys spending time at home with her two young children, adventuring with family and friends, and exploring the great outdoors.

Jones_HeadshotMegan Jones, M.S., is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University. She received her B.S. in Psychology and Business Administration at the University of Oregon. Megan has experience working with children and adolescents in a variety of settings with a wide range of abilities. Her research interests include  studying evidence based technological interventions for the treatment of youth anxiety and depression. Megan is also interested in research and practice of early identification of autism spectrum disorders and effective intervention strategies for these disorders. In her free time, Megan enjoys playing flag football and soccer as well as line dancing with her friends.

Sandy Trinh SP Practicum PhotoSandy Trinh, M.S., is a doctoral student in Educational Psychology. She received her B.S. in cognitive neuroscience at Brown University and an M.S. in neuroscience and education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Sandy’s research interests involve understanding the neural underpinnings of autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities to refine intervention and educational practices. She is also interested in research and practice aimed at improving access to intervention and education for those with developmental disabilities in low-resourced areas. Outside of work, Sandy enjoys hiking, eating berries at farmer’s markets, and discovering great coffee shops.

shapeimage_12_1Ghina Haidar is a doctoral student in Educational Psychology at the University of Washington. She received her B.A. in Mass Communications at the Lebanese International University prior to receiving her second B.A. in Psychology at the University of Washington. Ghina’s research interests involve the socio-emotional trajectories of children with developmental disabilities and creating effective intervention strategies to aid children with autism and their families. In her free time, Ghina enjoys traveling, reading, photography, and a good cup of coffee.

8f081455-d0bd-49c4-8479-ae26b0fc696aCandace Rhoads, M.A., is a doctoral student in Educational Psychology at the University of Washington. She received her B.A. in Psychology from The University of Arizona, and M.A. in Developmental Psychology from San Francisco State University.Candace’s research interests focus on early identification of autism spectrum disorders and validation of new diagnostic and behavioral assessments. She is also particularly interested in neurocognitive development of individuals with autism. In her free time, Candace likes to spend time with her two dogs, explore Seattle, catch up with friends, read, and binge-watch TV shows.

Daisy Ma PictureRuqian Ma (Daisy), M.A., M.S.W., is a doctoral student in Educational Psychology at the University of Washington. Daisy graduated from Boston College with a MA in Developmental Psychology and a MSW in Social Work. Daisy has a particular interest in using neuroimaging and behavioral methods to investigate early brain development, functioning and social interactions in typically and atypically developing populations. Daisy is also very passionate about adapting culturally competent interventions and treatment methods into other cultural backgrounds. Outside the lab, Daisy likes to play with her guinea pig and cats, read, cook, camp, travel, and attend concerts.