News & Events
BRAIN Lab News & Events
Upcoming Events
Sensory-Friendly Touch-A-Truck
Saturday, August 29th | 10am-12pm
The BRAIN Lab will be hosting a Sensory-Friendly Touch-A-Truck Event that is inclusive to all! Enjoy a calmer atmosphere with limited vehicle noise, sensory aids, and a quiet rest area available throughout the event. Families and children of all ages can climb aboard, explore, and interact with a variety of vehicles at their own pace.
This event will be at the Veldman Family Psychology Clinic located at 501 N Hill St, South Bend, IN 46617.
Click here for the social story intended to help children feel more comfortable and confident before the event!
News
July 2026 The BRAIN Lab hosted two First Look events, where preliminary results from the TREAT study were shared and community members were able to provide feedback and discuss the different aspects of the study together. Take a look at photos from the event here!
The lab's summer undergraduate research assistants, Tierneey Gasaway, Daniel Nguyen, and Emma Simard shared a poster reviewing the recent paper's published by the BRAIN Lab examining race- and sex-based biases for youth in the gold-standard autism evaluation, the ADOS, at Notre Dame's Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium. Take a look at their poster presentation and photos!
Veldman Family Psychology Clinic held its Open House this month! The BRAIN Lab shared information about its research and the TREAT study to families, friends, and community partners. Take a look at their photos here!
The Miracle League of Northern Indiana had a Park Exploration Day to unveil the new, accessible, Normain Heights Park and Miracle Field. The BRAIN Lab attended and provided information about the TREAT study and the new Veldman Family Psychology Clinic. See their picture here!
June 2026 Members of the BRAIN Lab presented at the Youth Mental Health Summit. Dr. Caitlin Clements presented data on mental health challenges experienced by autistic youth. Undergraduates Emma Simard and Sophia Waddell shared a poster reviewing the recent papers published by the BRAIN Lab examining race- and sex-based biases for youth ages 5–19 in the gold-standard autism evaluation, the ADOS. Take a look at their photos and the poster here!
The BRAIN Lab hosted the Cool Down Room at Raclin Murphy Museum of Art during their Family Day, creating a welcoming sensory-friendly space for families to relax, recharge, and explore!
May 2026 Congrats to all our graduating seniors Nichele Abeyesundere, Ava Batz, and Brett Foster! We will miss you so much next year! Finishing her BRAIN Lab tenure, Ava Batz presented her psychology honors thesis on pressMORE. See her photos and presentation here!
We have officially moved to our new home at the Veldman Family Psychology Clinic! We are excited to continue our research at our new facility! The new building was put to use right away as the BRAIN Lab completed our EEG installation and training. Special thanks to Ryan from MagstimEGI for leading an informative and fun two-day training.
Annabella Mayer presented at the College of Science and Engineering Joint Annual Meeting (COSE-JAM) discussing preliminary results about reward positivity associated with the "Doors Task". Take a look at pictures from the event and her poster here!
The BRAIN Lab hosted a table at Bittersweet's Spring Fest, giving a hands-on demonstration of brain caps to all who attended.
April 2026 Dr. Matthew Lerner spoke for the Shaw Center’s Scholar Series on Rethinking Social Outcomes Across the Spectrum, where he shared an emerging perspective on social outcomes in autistic individuals and emphasized the role of community-informed research. He also discussed how this approach can inform more responsive interventions and support meaningful change in research and service programs.
Several BRAIN Lab members traveled to the annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) in Prague. Kaylee McEllin, Yvonne Kuo, and Austin Wyman presented posters, and Chenhao Li delivered a symposium presentation, with projects conducted in collaboration with the ND Intelligent Interaction Lab, ND Virtual Reality Lab, the ND Lab for Big Data Methodology, the Labs of Cognitive Neuroscience at Boston Children’s Hospital, and the Center for Autism Research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Take a look at the poster presentations here!
Elle Fox presented preliminary results on anticipatory gaze in 3- to 5-year-olds at the Purdue Autism Research Conference (PARC) in West Lafayette. Take a look at her poster presentation and photos!
The BRAIN Lab participated in Golden Steps ABA’s Art for Autism event, celebrating World Autism Awareness Day. Lab members hosted an information table for families and offered brain caps for kids to color. See photos here!
The BRAIN Lab joined South Bend Cubs' Autism Awareness Night, celebrating Autism Awareness Month and promoting neuroinclusive environments. Lab members hosted an information table for families and offered helicopters for families to enjoy. See photos here!
The BRAIN Lab helped run a science workshop at La Casa de Amistad for elementary school students. BRAIN Lab members, along with La Casa volunteers, demonstrated the unique properties of Oobleck, allowing participants to have a hands-on experience with science! See photos here!
March 2026 Dr. Clements spoke to the Inclusion and Belonging Committee for the Notre Dame College of Arts & Letters about Autism in Adulthood & the Workplace, where she shared insights on the unique challenges faced by autistic adults and provides actionable best practices for recruiting, retaining, and supporting autistic talent in the professional world. Watch the video here!
The BRAIN Lab members and collaborators published a paper with open access titled "The Under-Identification of Autism in Females: A Review and Analysis of Sex-Based Scoring Differences Observed in Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) Module 3." The study examines potential sex bias in specific items of the ADOS, a highly regarded autism evaluation. Read the full article here!
The TREAT study has officially reached 100 participants! Thank you to the BRAIN Lab team and the wonderful families who have participated in the study!
February 2026 The BRAIN Lab had 4 posters accepted for the International Society for Autism Research's (INSAR) annual conference in Prague! The BRAIN Lab's Yvonne Kuo and Austin Wyman, a Quanitative Psychology PhD student and collaborator of the lab, were both awarded INSAR diversity travel awards. Congratulations, Yvonne and Austin!
Dr. Clements spoke to the Northern Indiana Trauma Clinician Collaborative about the intersection between autism and trauma, and to the Inclusion & Belonging Committee on Autism in Adults and the Workplace.
Elle Fox shared information about the TREAT Study and Autism Assessment Clinic with community members at the Ready to Grow St. Joe Community Meeting.
January 2026 The BRAIN Lab members and collaborators published a paper with open access titled "An Examination of Racial Bias in Scoring the ADOS Module 3: An Item Response Theory Analysis." The study examines potential race bias in specific items of the ADOS, a highly regarded autism evaluation. Read the full article here!
December 2025 We’ve released our first newsletter, highlighting recent updates and lab news! View the PDF here.
The BRAIN Lab supported Winter Wonders at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art. Families were able to enjoy holiday-themed crafts, music, and other winter activities in a sensory-friendly and inclusive environment. A "cool-down" room was hosted by members of the lab that included fidget toys, sensory aids, and BRAIN Lab resources.
October 2025 The BRAIN Lab's friends and family come to visit the lab!
Elle Fox presented on the TREAT Study and shared preliminary results with community members at the Healthy Babies monthly meeting.
Chenhao Li published a paper titled “A Qualitative Study of the Diagnostic Experiences of Young Autistic Adults in China.” The study explores the diagnostic journeys of young autistic adults within China’s sociocultural context, highlighting barriers to recognition and post-diagnostic experiences. Read the full article here!
September 2025 The BRAIN Lab partnered with the National Guard to host a Sensory-Friendly Touch-A-Truck Event at the Armed Forces Reserve Center. Kids and adults enjoyed exploring a variety of vehicles at their own pace in a calmer atmosphere with limited noise, sensory aids, and a quiet rest area available throughout the day. The event provided a supportive and accessible space for everyone to engage a variety of vehicles in ways that felt comfortable to them, with BRAIN Lab resources on hand. See photos here!
Yvonne Kuo presented preliminary results on neural response to reward in 3- to 5-year-olds at the FIT'NG (Fetal, Infant, and Toddler Neuroimaging Group) conference in Dublin. Take a look at her poster presentation and photos!
August 2025 The BRAIN Lab welcomes two new graduate students, Kaylee McEllin and Chenhao Li in the clinical psychology PhD program here at ND. We also welcome three new undergraduate research assistants, Laura Chillemi, Caden Baudek, and Nicholas Mays. Welcome to the BRAIN Lab!
July 2025 Two of the lab's undergraduate research assistants, Anna Mayer and Ava Batz, created and a poster on PressMORE together at Notre Dame's Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium. Take a look at their poster presentation and photos!
Yvonne Kuo is awarded the FIT’NG Young Investigator Award, which recognizes early-career researchers for outstanding scientific contributions and career potential in the field of neuroimaging. Yvonne will attend the 2025 FIT’NG Conference in Dublin to present preliminary results on neural response to reward in 3- to 5-year-olds. Congradulations, Yvonne!
We supported a Sensory-Friendly Open Studio at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art. Kids and adults enjoyed the studio, which was a free space where participants could create (or not create) in whatever manner they wanted. The studio was a sensory-friendly and inclusive environment for all, where BRAIN Lab resources were available for anyone who wanted them. See pictures here!
June 2025 Welcome Elle Fox, recent IU graduate and our fabulous new lab manager! We are also lucky to be joined by 3 undergraduate summer interns: Ava Batz (recipient of a Franco Family Insitute grant), Anna Mayer (recipient of ND College of Science Summer Undergraduate Research Funding), and Mariela Rodriguez (recipient of the RAMP scholarship).
We supported Sensory-Friendly Family Day at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art (see photos here). Families enjoyed interactive and creative games and activities in a sensory-friendly and inclusive environment. A "cool-down" room was hosted by members of the lab that included fidget toys, sensory aids, and BRAIN Lab resources.
May 2025 Congratulations to our advisory board member Joel Boehner on receiving the Strategic Data Excellence Award from the Harvard Center for Education Policy Research! Watch the video describing how he created data dashboards for South Bend Community School Corporation that eased burden for teachers and administrators — and improved compliance with the special education protections of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by 92%! Congratulations, Joel, and thanks for all you do for us and the whole community.
Congratulations to our graduating seniors, Sophia Agurcia, John Kaste, Ximena Palacios, and Julia Savino! We are so proud of Julia for winning the Universal Scholar Award in Neuroscience & Behavior and Sophia, one of only four seniors recognized in Psychology. The BRAIN Lab won't be the same without you four!
April 2025 Several BRAIN Lab members traveled to the annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) in Seattle. Kaylee McEllin, Yvonne Kuo, and Austin Wyman four poster presentations, in collaboration with the ND Intelligent Interaction Lab, ND Virtual Reality Lab, the ND Lab for Big Data Methodology, the Labs of Cognitive Neuroscience at Boston Children's Hospital, and the Center for Autism Research at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
The BRAIN Lab had an amazing time meeting families and sharing resources at the Debartolo Performing Art Center's sensory-friendly movie event (see photos here)! It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with people of all ages and neurotypes and inform them about the work we do. We also loved watching FernGully in an open and calm environment designed to reduce sensory overload.
March 2025 Two clinical psychology doctoral students have accepted offers to join the BRAIN Lab this fall. Lab manager Kaylee will transition to a graduate student in the lab along with Chenhao Li, who is joining us from Yale.
February 2025 The BRAIN Lab, in collaboration with the Veldman Family Clinic, completed training on the ADOS-2, a diagnostic tool used to evaluate autism.
For the local Neuroscience Impact Summit, undergraduate research assistants developed two poster presentations on causes of autism and the connection between vaccines and autism. Check out their poster presentations at the local library!
Two of these undergrads, Brett Foster and Ximena Palacios, also completed training on the TREAT study protocols. Take a look at pictures of all three of these events!
January 2025 Dr. Clements is awarded the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation's Young Investigator Grant to complete the TREAT study. Congratulations, Dr. Clements! The grant includes funds to host community events, so the lab's Community Advisory Board provided autism-friendly event ideas, among other feedback, at our January 30th meeting.
We published a paper using data from toddlers with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, a rare genetic syndrome associated with autism. The paper reports how seizures and medication use influence brain activity (EEG power), and describes the implications for the potential of using EEG power features as biomarkers. This includes a social media thread that breaks it down, and a full publication.
The BRAIN Lab also had 4 posters accepted for the International Society for Autism Research's annual conference in Seattle! Austin Wyman, a Quanitative Psychology PhD student and collaborator of the lab, was awarded a conference travel grant. Congrats, Austin!
December 2024 The TREAT study has officially reached 50 participants! Thank you to the BRAIN Lab team and the wonderful families who have participated in the study!
November 2024 Dr. Clements and Kaylee attended the annual convention of the Association for Behavior and Cognitive Therapies where Kaylee presented a poster showing the feasibility of one of our novel tasks. It has been successfully completed by individuals ages 6 months and 6 years, and everyone in between!
October 2024 The BRAIN Lab's friends and family come to visit the lab!
August 2024 The BRAIN Lab welcomes our new graduate student, Yvonne Kuo, to the clinical psychology PhD program here at ND. We also welcome three new undergraduate research assistants. Welcome to the BRAIN Lab!
July 2024 The TREAT Study has reached 30 participants! Julia presents data on pressMORE from these participants at the ND Undergraduate Research Symposium!
June 2024 John and Julia completed their first few weeks of summer with the BRAIN Lab! With their help, we have officially run 15 participants through the TREAT Study. Along with this, Kaylee celebrates her first 6 months with the lab!
May 2024 Piloting has finished for the TREAT study. Preliminary data looked good! Our first participants (3-5 year olds) participated in the TREAT study! We also received very insightful and constructive suggestions from our Community Advisory Board at our May 29th Meeting.
April 2024 The pilot phase of the TREAT study has begun! We have officially run 3 adult and 1 child participant (see photos here) at Notre Dame. Take a look on our website to learn more about participating in the TREAT study.
March 2024 RAs John Kaste and Julia Savino are awarded SURF funding to work full-time in the BRAIN Lab this summer! We are beyond excited to have these two hard working RAs this summer. Congratulations, John and Julia!
February 2024 BRAIN Lab completes EEG installation and training! Special thanks to Ryan and Trey from MagstimEGI for leading an informative and fun three day training.
January 2024 Five stellar Notre Dame undergradutes join the BRAIN Lab!
December 2023 BRAIN Lab hires Kaylee McEllin, a passionate and dedicated IU graduate from the Chicago area who has been working with autistic children since she graduated last spring. Kaylee will manage all lab operations as we build a community advisory board, launch data collection, and train the first set of Notre Dame undergraduates in autism research this spring. Welcome aboard, Kaylee! We're so excited you're here.
November 2023 All equipment has officially arrived in South Bend. Time to schedule the installation and training for early spring semester so new students (and hopefully the future lab manager!) can join for the training!
August 2023 BRAIN Lab opens at Notre Dame! The BRAIN Lab is opening at the William J. Shaw Center for Children & Families at the University of Notre Dame. Renovations of the space are ongoing, and our EEG system and eye-tracker will arrive soon!