Research Team
Annette Estes, Ph.D.
Director, UW Autism Center
Annette Estes, Ph.D., directs the University of Washington Autism Center (UWAC), an organization devoted to supporting autistic people and their families, caregivers and community through clinical services, research, and training. She holds the Susan and Richard Fade Endowed Chair, is a Research Professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, and an Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington. She is also a licensed psychologist in the state of Washington. Her research is carried out at the UW Autism Center and Center on Human Development and Disability.
Over the last decade, Dr. Estes has served as principal investigator on a series of clinical trials to determine the best ways to support young autistic children. These collaborative, multisite, studies have investigated innovations in naturalistic, developmental, behavioral intervention and ask the question, “how can we improve outcomes for very young autistic children.” In collaborations with scientists and clinicians at University of California, Davis, University of Michigan, Vanderbilt University, Harvard, and University of California, Los Angeles, she has worked to expand the evidence regarding how to best support autistic children and their parents.
Dr. Estes has also been part of the Infant Brain Imaging Study Network (IBIS) for over 15 years. She is the co-principal investigator of with Dr. Stephen Dager at the University of Washington. She directs the behavioral assessment core of the multi-site IBIS Network with clinical sites at University of North Carolina, Washington University, Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania, and UW. The aim of the IBIS is to improve early recognition of infants at high likelihood of autism and identify brain mechanisms that may lead to new strategies to help children reach their full potential and live their best lives.
Dr. Estes was recently awarded a grant to study sleep in school-aged children at high likelihood of autism. She is especially interested in the role of the family in supporting positive outcomes for children with disabilities and improving the lives of autistic people.
Email: estesa@uw.edu
Martha Cagley
Research Coordinator
Martha Cagley is the Research Coordinator for the IBIS Sleep Study. She comes to the Autism Center from the University of Washington School of Nursing, where she was a team member in the Northwest Research Group on Aging (NWRGA). She was involved in research studies looking at Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, as well as sleep problems in relation to osteoarthritis pain in older adults. Martha was also involved in “Sleepsmart”, a study working with children experiencing arthritis pain and sleep problems.
Martha was the exercise professional in the NWRGA and is interested in how regular physical exercise can decrease pain, improve sleep and cognitive function. She has been a professional exercise class instructor for over forty years.
Ms. Cagley is very happy to be working with the Autism Center. She has a thirty-six year old son on the spectrum, with whom she lives. Since his birth, she has been interested in research regarding Autism, so working with the IBIS Sleep Study feels like two of her greatest interests have come together.
Giuliana Castelli
Research Study Coordinator
Giuliana Castelli is a Research Study Coordinator for the Infant Brain Imaging Studies. She collaborates closely with families by recruiting, enrolling, and scheduling visits to collect behavioral assessments, EEG data, and MRI scans.
Giuliana received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, in Philosophy and Art. She is passionate about clinical psychology and plans to pursue graduate studies in the field. She is excited to build on this experience and make a meaningful impact in mental health research and care.
Outside of the office, Giuliana enjoys painting, reading, and spending time with her family, her partner, and her dog.
Myles Jackson
Behavior Technician
Myles Jackson finds deep joy and fulfillment in working with children, especially those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). After earning a biology degree from Whittier College and a master’s in public health from Rutgers University, where his research focused on autism outcomes, he knew he had found the community he wanted to serve. His experience includes work as a paraeducator, kindergarten teacher, and collaborator with behaviorists in both classroom and clinical settings. Now based in Washington, Myles is dedicated to fostering a neuro-affirming culture and increasing public understanding of the connection between behavior and communication.
Assistant Professor, Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, UW School of Medicine Dept of Pediatrics
Dr. MacDuffie’s research focuses on understanding the ethical and social impacts of advances in neuroscience on children and families affected by neurodevelopmental, neurological, and psychiatric conditions. She uses a combination of qualitative, quantitative, and conceptual methods with the overarching goal of embedding the perspectives of research participants and other impacted stakeholders into the practice and process of neuroscience research. She has been a part of the UWAC research team since joining as a post-doctoral fellow in 2017. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking in the beautiful Washington woods with her family and dog.
Jeep Madison, M.A., CCC-SLP
Graduate Student Research Assistant
Jeep Madison is a PhD student and Research Assistant for the Infant Brain Imaging Study for Early Prediction of Autism Spectrum Disorder and study of Down Syndrome Infant Development. He works directly with families through recruitment, enrollment, and running visits for collecting behavioral assessments, EEG and MRI scans. He is also an ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP).
Jeep received his Bachelors of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and Sociology from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio prior to receiving his Master’s in Communication Disorders from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts. His expanding areas of interest include, autism development, pragmatics, and adult autism.
Outside of the office he enjoys spending time with family and friends, music festivals, staying active, the arts, and his tuxedo cat, Nigel.
Director of Technical Services
Dr. Munson studies variability in the development of children with autism. His research contributes to the identification of the genetic basis of autism and to the development of more accurate prognoses and interventions. Currently, he is developing methods to analyze social skills and language comprehension in children with limited abilities to communicate. In these studies, he uses eye-tracking and other technologies to measure the responses of children to real-time 3-D graphics. Munson also uses various statistical methods to analyze patterns of development in children with autism.
