SARRC Research Faculty
Christopher J. Smith, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer
Dr. Christopher J. Smith is an experimental psychologist with expertise in diagnosing autism spectrum disorder and measuring associated traits. Dr. Smith oversees all diagnostic evaluations and assessments for our clients while also directing all internal and external research projects. Prior to joining us at SARRC, he worked as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he still maintains a faculty position. Originally drawn to study autism because of the complexity of the disorder, here at SARRC, Dr. Smith values the ability to work with clients across all age groups and engage in out-of-the-box research endeavors. Originally from New York, when he’s not doing science, he enjoys running, biking, hiking, and being active with his family.
Nicole Matthews, Ph.D.
Director of Research
Dr. Matthews’ research program includes multiple lines of research with a broad goal of improving quality of life for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. Her recent research includes: (1) development and testing of adaptive functioning and social skills interventions for adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); (2) the development of novel methods for improving access to ASD screening and evaluation, and (3) the experiences of individuals with ASD and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Raun Melmed, M.D.
Medical Director and SARRC Co-Founder
Raun D. Melmed, MD, co-founder and medical director of SARRC, is a developmental and behavioral pediatrician and is director of the Melmed Center in Scottsdale, Ariz. He is an Adjunct Senior Researcher at the Translational Genomics Institute in Phoenix and on faculty at Arizona State University. Dr. Melmed earned his medical degree at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa, and completed a fellowship at the Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston, where he was an Instructor at Harvard Medical School.
Research Staff
Karyssa Almanzan
Research Associate
Karyssa Almanzan is a Research Associate at SARRC. She graduated with honors from the University of California, Berkeley, earning her Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Psychology. There, she conducted longitudinal, idiosyncratic educational research, implementing reading interventions and modeling time-series data for at-risk youth. As a bilingual Spanish-speaking specialist, Karyssa has translated over 100 qualitative interviews to preserve cultural nuances in narrative analysis and is dedicated to bridging the gap between clinical research and community-based practices. At SARRC, Karyssa focuses on participant recruitment, data entry and assessment. In her free time, Karyssa loves to exercise, is a film enthusiast, and enjoys spending quality time with her cat Bella.
Summer Boyd, PsyD
Diagnostic Services Manager
Summer is a licensed psychologist who plays a crucial role in various research initiatives at SARRC, including a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) which is examining the progress and benefits of early intervention services. Her other responsibilities include leading the parent group for MINDful Time, assessment and diagnosis of children and adults on the autism spectrum as well as providing other psychological services as needed for various research studies. She is passionate about helping parents better understand their children, helping individuals to better understand themselves, and contributing to the research base regarding autism diagnosis and intervention. When not at SARRC, Summer enjoys spending time with her kids, exploring/hiking beautiful Arizona, billiards, yoga, tennis, and bowling.
Sophia Crisler
Research Coordinator I
Sophia is responsible for coordinating multiple clinical research studies, most of which aim to investigate how medications and therapies can be used to improve symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder. Her responsibilities include communicating with participants and study staff, scheduling, recording data, recruitment, administering study tests when needed, and most importantly ensuring all aspects of the trial run smoothly. In her free time, you can find Sophia traveling, spending time with her friends and family, or scouring Arizona for the best coffee shop.
Evelyn deVos
Research Coordinator
Evelyn is a Research Associate at SARRC. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Data Science from Wellesley College, where she also gained experience in an undergraduate research lab. Her academic research ranged from analyzing social media trends in beauty and advertising to completing an honors thesis on how individuals perceive statistical concepts across different education levels. At SARRC, Evelyn is involved in recruiting study participants, conducting assessments, and managing data entry. Outside of work, she enjoys playing chess, video games, and psychoanalyzing reality TV show contestants.
Garrett Gibbons
Clinical Research Coordinator
Garrett is a Clinical Research Coordinator here at SARRC. He graduated from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi with a degree in Biology and worked as an EMT and Emergency Room Technician before moving to Arizona. As a clinical trials coordinator, his responsibilities include facilitating clinical trial visits, data entry, administration of assessments and keeping subject study binders up to date and organized. He leads a clinical trial that focuses on irritability associated with ASD in adolescents. When he is not at work, Garrett enjoys spending time with his friends, family and dogs. He enjoys reality TV, traveling, scuba diving, hiking, boating/jet skiing, wakeboarding/wake surfing and paddle boarding.
Stephen James, Ph.D.
Research Data Manager
Stephen is responsible for the organization, consistency, and integrity of data collected, and the export, analysis, and summary of data for publications. Stephen’s research interests include sex/gender differences in ASD and improving early screening and access to early diagnosis among underserved populations. Outside of doing research, Stephen enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife and their two dogs.
Will Kirwan
Data Entry Specialist
Will is a Data Entry Specialist with over a decade of experience. His roles include entering assessments, management of physical folders, and creating reports through scoring programs. In his free time, Will enjoys drawing, watching movies, and eating pizza with his dog in central Phoenix.
Padmaja Lakamsani, BS; CCRC
Clinical Trials Manager
Padmaja received her bachelor’s degree in science from Andhra University, India. She has experience in phase II-IV clinical trials for ADHD, Fragile X, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Her responsibilities include coordinating studies in compliance with study protocol, local/federal laws and regulations, and overseeing the work of research coordinators. Padmaja loves her job and believes it is giving her the opportunity to help improve lives of individuals with ASD and their families. She speaks English, Telugu and Hindi languages. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family and friends, watching movies, and cooking.
Amanda Malligo
Research Training Manager
Amanda is the primary psychometrist for SARRC’S research team. She administers a variety of diagnostic assessments for research studies and other SARRC-wide programs, and trains other staff to administer these tools. She has experience working with infants as young as six-months old, toddlers, and young children, but teens and adults are her favorite population. After spending many sessions as the PEERS Teen Instructor, Amanda is currently the Parent Group Leader for the PEERS program. In her free time, she can be found creating in her studio, reading, spending time with her menagerie of cats, rockhounding, and cooking.
Olivia Melita
Research Coordinator
Olivia is a research associate at SARRC. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Arizona and a Master’s in Neuroscience Research from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Olivia has experience in neurodegenerative disease research, including the development of a novel blood-based biomarker for diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis. Additionally, she has worked in human-cognitive research, focusing on the electrophysiological assessment of neurons involved in cognition. As a member of our team at SARRC, Olivia is involved in recruitment for our clinical trials, data entry, and performing assessments. She is eager to learn and grow as a researcher while also contributing meaningfully to the ASD community. Outside of her research, Olivia enjoys cooking, vintage shopping, reading fiction and staying active through yoga and running.
Melissa Mitchell
Research Program Manager
Melissa plays a significant role in research, including managing clinical trials, overseeing clinical trial recruitment, leading the Recruitment Core team, and supervising RAs and interns. She also administers psychometric assessments for research studies and diagnostic evaluations. Additionally, Melissa is involved in writing and analyzing data for published manuscripts and co-leads the Teen Group of the MINDful TIME Study. In her free time, she can be found reading, doing yoga, or spending time with family, friends, and her cat.
Marissa Schulke, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Marissa is a social and behavioral health researcher with an emphasis on physical activity promotion in school and community spaces. Her research centers youth voice by actively engaging children and adolescents to create changes in policies and practices that directly impact their health and wellbeing. She is passionate about physical activity experiences being accessible and inclusive for all and actively engages in policy advocacy to ensure all youth have the opportunity to play. As a champion for play and physical activity, Marissa aims to live this in her own life. When not at SARRC, she enjoys trail running and mountain biking along with any opportunity to play sports with friends and family.
Riley Stark
Research Coordinator
As a clinical trial coordinator at SARRC, Riley has various roles that include conducting trial visits, data entry, and administration of assessments. Riley oversees a clinical trial that is focused on irritability associated with ASD as well as a clinical trial focused on Major Depressive Disorder in adolescents. Riley graduated from Northern Arizona University and has a background in Research that allows her to contribute to her role here at SARRC. She has a passion for developmental biology and working with SARRC has allowed her to further her knowledge of ASD. On a day off you can find Riley in the gym or cooking her favorite meals.
Liam Stewart
Medical Technician
As the Medical Technician, Liam performs various roles and has a wide range of responsibilities ranging from taking ECG’s, vital recording, blood draws, specimen collections, processing and shipping samples, and laboratory prep. Liam also helps to support the SPARK Study by collecting and handling the shipment of samples for genetic sequencing. Liam graduated from ASU with a bachelor’s in Clinical Exercise Science. When out of the lab, they can be found out in the wild hunting for gemstones to add to their ever-expanding collection or hosting board game events with their friends.
Richard B. Tayrien, DO, FACOI, FAMIA
Study Physician
Dr. Tayrien is board certified in internal medicine, practicing acute and critical care medicine at Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. Developing midcareer interests and training in medical informatics Dr. Tayrien served as Chief Health Information Officer for Dignity Healthcare and HCA Healthcare where he led the digital transformation of over 170 US hospitals. Dr. Tayrien’s experience in applied information theory, terminology management and systems specification for heath information informs and supports related interests in bioinformatics and neuroscience. He joins the SARRC research team enthused to contribute to the understanding of mechanisms and potential solutions for ASD patients and supporting community. Dr. Tayrien and wife, Cecilia, live in the greater Phoenix area where they raised their four children. They enjoy many outdoor activities, water sports, travel and photography. Cecilia, a former elementary teacher, has invested much of the past 3 years better understanding ASD, nutritional interventions and available resources. They are both active members of the SARRC grandparents’ group.
Andrew Wachtel
Research Coordinator I
Andrew is a Research Coordinator I at SARRC. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Biology from Belmont University, where he gained experience in behavioral and social psychology research. At SARRC, Andrew coordinates the development of a novel Social Determinants of Health scale for clients, administers assessments including the ADOS-2 and other cognitive tools and co-leads a teen mindfulness-based intervention group. He also speaks with families about study participation, helps train Research Associates and supports manuscript development. An Arizona native, Andrew enjoys camping trips, making breakfast tacos (he has extensive experience) and playing the guitar.
Diagnostic Services Staff
Nancy Muhlenkamp
Diagnostic Program Assistant
Nancy assists with program enrollment screening as well as coordination of services for SARRC’s amazing team of Licensed Clinical Psychologists. Nancy loves working at SARRC because she’s able to support SARRC’s clients and families through the process of obtaining their formal diagnosis – the ticket to life-altering services. When out of the office you can find Nancy quilting, reading, and hiding from the sun while cooking with her five children.
Research Interns and Volunteers
Preesha Kumar
Research Intern
Preesha Kumar is a former ADAPT intern and a current research intern at SARRC. She is currently a Senior at Arizona State University, studying psychology with a minor in counselling and applied psychological sciences. At SARRC, they assist with study recruitment, IQ testing, transcript editing, and notetaking and fidelity monitoring for the MINDful Time study. She is very passionate about advocacy in the neurodivergent community and hopes to eventually pursue a PhD or Psy.D in clinical/counselling psychology to study ADHD/ASD diagnostic barriers, non-pharmacological interventions, and South Asian mental health. Outside of SARRC, Preesha is a journalist for ASU Research and works as a psychology research assistant. In her free time, she enjoys singing, watching YouTube documentaries, spending time with family and friends, and caring for her betta fish.