Our Team

Principle Investigator: Natalia Kleinhans, Ph.D.

Natalia Kleinhans, Ph.D.

Natalia Kleinhans is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Washington. Her primary research interests involve using magnetic resonance imaging techniques to study the neural correlates of social and sensory impairment in autism spectrum disorders. She earned her Ph.D. at San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego’s joint doctoral program in clinical psychology in 2005 and completed her predoctoral clinical internship at Brown University Clinical Psychology Training Consortium, Neuropsychology Track. Dr. Kleinhans is the principal investigator on the Social and Sensory Processing study. Dr. Kleinhans was the recipient of a Biobehavioral Research Award for Innovative New Scientists (BRAINS) from the National Institute of Mental Health. She has won a number of awards for her research, including the Young Investigator Award and Neurobiological Dissertation Award from the International Society for Autism Research. She also collaborates with investigators at the University of Washington to investigate the neural correlates of blast-related mTBI in veterans and exposure to trauma in children.

Post-Doctoral Fellows

Dani (Dahyeon) Kang, Ph.D

Dani joined KLab as a Research Fellow in 2023 after completing her PhD in Clinical Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she studied how alcohol affects brain responses using EEG. Following her studies, she completed her clinical residency at the University of Washington’s Harborview Medical Center, working with rehabilitation populations dealing with alcohol and substance-related issues. In KLab, Dani collaborates with Dr. Kleinhans and the CUBS team, exploring the effects of cannabis exposure on the brain, utilizing imaging methods such as fMRI and EEG techniques. Beyond her academic pursuits, she enjoys exploring nature, especially backpacking in the wilderness!

Research Scientists

Sarah Reeser, M.S.

Sarah started as a Research Scientist with KLab team in the spring of 2021. She has had a long affiliation with the University of Washington, graduating most recently with a BS in Neuroscience and previously with both a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering. Her scientific research has focused on regions of the limbic system ranging from hypothalamus centered projects looking at the neural basis of menopausal hot flashes, and the neuro-endocrine control of Diabetes, to the impact of circadian rhythm on adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Sarah’s engineering focus was on Digital Signal Processing using a wide variety of software development tools. Sarah is excited to bring the two elements of her diverse background to the analysis of fMRI, DTI and other imaging methods for a variety of KLab projects.

Kary S. Kublin, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Kary joined the KLab in the spring of 2022 as a clinician for the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials. Her work with children with autism and their families began at Florida State University where she studied with Amy Wetherby and was instrumental in data collection for the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales and establishment of the FIRST WORDS Project. A Fulbright award took Kary to New Zealand where she researched narrative language development and literacy for her dissertation. She spent the last 20 years in school and community settings suppporting neurodiverse students and building teachers’ capacity long-term. Kary is a licensed speech-language pathologist and welcomes her return to the research setting. She hopes to contribute to a better understanding of autism in girls and to advocate for addressing disparities in health and educational outcomes for those who have been historically excluded.

Allegra Johnson

Allegra first joined the KLab team in 2017 as an undergraduate research assistant for a year, and then later returned in 2019 to complete her neuroscience honors thesis with Dr. Kleinhans. After graduating with a BS in Neuroscience and a BA in Psychology, she began her career as a research coordinator in the KLab. Allegra’s primary interests are in using MRI and fMRI methods to better understand infant brain development, in parallel with the development and implementation of methods to collect and quantify adult cannabis use in relevant and meaningful ways. She plans to pursue a graduate degree in data science in hopes to continue her work in data science and analytics.

Psychometrists

Jennifer Skadden, M.S., BCBA, LBA

Jennifer is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of Washington. She is originally from Houston where she received her BA in Psychology from University of Houston. She received her MS in Applied Behavior Analysis from the Florida Institute of Technology, and relocated to Seattle in 2008. Jennifer has worked with kids with autism since 2003 in a clinical setting and joined the UW in the summer of 2021 as a psychometrist in the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials. Outside of work she enjoys making memories with her family and friends, transforming her garden, and traveling around the world.

Research Coordinators/Assistants

Molly Kamicar, M.Ed.

Molly joined the KLab as a Research Study Coordinator in 2023. She is thrilled to return to the PNW after graduating with her B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and her M.Ed. in Clinical & Developmental Child Psychology Research from Vanderbilt University. Molly’s graduate thesis focused on perceived behavioral outcomes associated with the use of online support groups; her current research interests involve the intersection of technology, learning, and social development in neurotypical and neurodiverse individuals. In her free time, Molly likes to write, SCUBA dive, and spend time with her cat.

Grace Mattson

Grace joined the KLab as a Research Study Coordinator in 2023. She was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, and graduated from the University of Washington in 2023 with a BS in Public Health-Global Health. As a student at the University of Washington, Grace was an intern at Seattle Children’s Research Institute researching ASD. She also had the opportunity to travel abroad to Rwanda in the summer of 2022 where she spent time researching health education provided by hospitals to mothers who had given birth to premature infants. Grace hopes to pursue a career as a physician in pediatrics as one of her biggest passions is working with children. In her free time, she loves to run, spend time with friends, and be outside.

Alyssa Guthrie

Alyssa joined KLab as a Research Study Coordinator in 2023. She was born and raised in Petersburg, Alaska and graduated with honors in 2023 from Duke University with a BA in Neuroscience and a minor in Sociology. Her Senior Thesis researched the effects of anxiety, and perfectionism on learning from prediction error. Alyssa hopes to pursue a graduate degree in behavioral health and eventually provide care to underrepresented populations with a focus on children and families. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, gardening, and trying new foods.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Claire Smith

Raised on Bainbridge Island, WA, Claire will complete her BS in Medical Anthropology and Global Health from the University of Washington in Spring of 2024. Following graduation, she endeavors to attend graduate school in clinical psychology with a focus on neurobiological and social aspects of OCD. Prior to joining KLab in 2024, Claire received advocacy training through Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services in Bellingham, WA and worked towards prevention by assisting in an anthropological research project at the University of Washington. In her free time, she enjoys reading, going for walks, and listening to Taylor Swift.

Peyton Moe

Peyton joined the KLab as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the beginning of 2024. She is a current senior graduating in June with a B.S. in Global-Public Health with a focus on Nutritional Sciences. Peyton is planning to pursue a graduate degree in Public Health with a focus on Epidemiology. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer and skiing at White Pass. She also enjoys music and baking.

Sanuthi Ranasinghe

Sanuthi joined the Klab as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the beginning of Spring quarter of 2024. She is currently completing her BS in Neuroscience at the University of Washington. Following graduation, she plans on attending graduate school for Cognitive Neuroscience with a focus on learning and memory. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and swimming.