Faja Laboratory | Research Clinicians

Dr. Kate Driscoll studied Human Development at Colby College before receiving her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Virginia in 2007. With expertise in early childhood assessment and intervention, she currently serves as a staff psychologist in the Developmental Medicine Center (DMC) at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH). Dr. Driscoll has collaborated in several research studies, including a teacher-child intervention in Head Start classrooms and a pilot study of the use of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) intervention with young children diagnosed with co-occurring autism and anxiety conditions. In the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience (LCN), Dr. Driscoll assists the team in providing neurodevelopmental and neuropsychological assessment to children with neurodevelopmental conditions and other mental health diagnoses. Dr. Driscoll loves to spend time with her family and running. She has completed 29 marathons including Boston.

Aanchal is currently a developmental/behavioral pediatrician in the Department of Developmental Medicine here at Boston Children’s Hospital. She was also a fellow in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program-Boston. Aanchal received her bachelor of Arts in neuroscience and Master of Public Health with a concentration in maternal and child health from Boston University. She went on to receive her Doctor of Medicine degree from St. George’s University. She completed her residency training in pediatrics at Staten Island University Hospital in Staten Island, NY, where she was a three-time recipient of the resident of the year award. Aanchal has a passion for research and advocacy. Her goal is to work in multidisciplinary settings to serve and support her patients, their families, and their communities. Aanchal identifies herself as a culinary enthusiast, a.k.a. a “foodie,” and loves all things related to food. In her time outside of work, Aanchal enjoys spending quality time with her daughter.

Ellen is originally from northern New Jersey. She earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She recently completed her clinical internship at Marcus Autism Center through Emory University/Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, where she provided comprehensive diagnostic assessments to children and adolescents presenting with concerns related to autism, as well as early intervention services via caregiver-training. Ellen is passionate about serving children and families from diverse backgrounds with evidence-based practices, pursuing translational research that is grounded in the dissemination of naturalistic/play-based and developmentally focused strategies, and investigating early indicators of autism to facilitate optimized assessments and interventions for individuals on the spectrum. Personally, Ellen enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, cooking, hiking, and exploring restaurants.

Erin is a doctoral student in clinical psychology, working with Dr. David Pantalone at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Erin obtained their bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University, Bakersfield, and their master’s degree in psychology, with a concentration in research and experimental methods from San José State University. Erin has worked as a research assistant in multiple research labs. They have conducted social psychology research that looked at the impact of cultural norms and personality type on discriminatory attitudes towards racial and sexual minority individuals. Currently, they work in a lab that explores the behavioral aspects of HIV in the U.S. and mental health disparities more broadly in the sexual and gender minority community. Though eclectic, Erin’s current research interests explore the experiences of individuals with intersecting marginalized identities (i.e., holding diverse sexual, gender, racial/ethnic, and ability status). Additionally, they have interest in understanding how marginalization impacts mental health outcomes, and how identity can be a source of strength and resilience. Erin has clinical interests in minority stress, identity development, trauma, psychosis, autism spectrum, and anxiety disorders. Outside of research and clinical work, Erin enjoys running, yoga, listening to music, and going to the beach.

Karen is originally from Mexico City, Mexico where she earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from the Universidad del Valle de Mexico and her master's degree in psychology from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. Since 2014, she has been working with children and adolescents on the autism spectrum. In 2015, she founded Abriendo Posibilidades, a non-profit organization that provides diagnostic and therapeutic care to low-income children on the autism spectrum in Mexico City. During her master's program, she became interested in the study of cognitive processes associated with human learning. Karen is excited to be part of the Faja Lab team and have the opportunity to expand her clinical research skills as she would like to pursue a PhD in psychology in the future. Karen is interested in researching about the processes involved in learning and the effects of family-mediated therapies for children on the autism spectrum, particularly among disadvantaged communities within the US and Latin-America.

Kohrissa is currently a clinical psychology doctoral student working with Dr. Abbey Eisenhower at the University of Massachusetts Boston. There, she is involved in a research study providing coaching for teachers with autistic students in their classrooms. She is also researching factors related to psychological distress among youth on the autism spectrum as well as improving access to care for underserved children. Kohrissa obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Oakwood University and a master’s degree in clinical psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to beginning her doctoral program, Kohrissa completed a two-year postgrad research fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center researching emotional processing in infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children on the autism spectrum as well as a multimedia screener to aid in early diagnosis of autism. In her free time, Kohrissa enjoys singing, playing her guitar, and traveling.

Maryam completed her Master’s degree in Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology from Boston College with a certificate in Autism Spectrum in 2019. During her Master’s program, she was a fellow at the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) and a psychology extern at the Autism Center at BCH. Maryam is passionate about inclusion culture, social model of disability, neurodiversity, mental health, accessibility, and autism advocacy. In particular, she is enthusiastic about integrating these concepts into autism research and practice. Over the past three years, Maryam has worked with autistic children, adolescents, and their families in different settings. During the pandemic, she also held online educational workshops for Farsi-speaking families of newly diagnosed autistic children from different parts of the world. Maryam also develops educational and motivational content about autism for her Instagram page, trying to bridge the gap between science and community. Outside work and advocacy, she enjoys reading and writing poems in Farsi, painting, listening to audiobooks and music, learning to play Santoor (a traditional Iranian instrument), nature, camping, traveling, and, most importantly, spending time with her spouse and their two children.