Research Team

Lab Director

Noah Sasson

Dr. Sasson is the Director of the Social Cognition and Interaction in Autism Lab at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). Dr. Sasson joined UT Dallas in 2009 as an assistant professor in psychological sciences. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Franklin & Marshall College and a PhD in developmental psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). Prior to joining the UT Dallas faculty, he held post-doctoral research fellowships at the Neurodevelopmental Disorders Research Center at UNC, the Brain Behavior Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Center for Autism Research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Dr. Sasson’s research investigates the cognitive and social mechanisms that contribute to social disability in autism.

Phone: 972-883-2541
Email: nsasson@utdallas.edu

See Noah Sasson’s Publications

Doctoral Students

Danny Dunn

Danny Dunn is a first year psychology PhD student at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). They also received their bachelor’s degree in psychology from UTD, and received a master’s in psychological sciences from Texas Woman’s University. They also worked at Fort Behavioral’s Camp Worth unit, a residential facility for adolescents on the autism spectrum with co-occurring psychiatric complications. Their research interests focus on interventions to improve interaction quality between autistic and non-autistic individuals, with a focus on improving interactions in healthcare, education, and other institutional settings. They are an autistic student and have been a member of the For Autistic Empowerment student organization since 2017, serving in a leadership role while enrolled at UTD.

Sarah Foster

Sarah is a secondyear psychology PhD student at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). Sarah’s research focuses on perceptions of autism formed by social partners. She is interested in how perceptions and context impact interactions. She is the lead research assistant at UTD for the Diversity in Social Intelligence study, a multisite replication study exploring how autistic and non-autistic adults learn from one another. Sarah graduated from Salem State University in 2018 with a BS in psychology, and in 2022, she graduated from Tufts University with an MA in human development and child studies. Prior to joining the lab, Sarah researched racial disparities in healthcare environments. She also worked as a research assistant in Boston Medical Center’s Autism Program where she examined the healthcare and social experiences of autistic adolescents and young adults in the Greater Boston area.
Email: sarah.foster@utdallas.edu

Graduate Students

Rachel Calderon

Rachel is a second-year master’s student in the psychological sciences program at UT Dallas. She started in Dr. Sasson’s lab last year, working on the replication of the University of Edinburgh’s Diversity in Social Intelligence study. She graduated from UT Dallas in 2020, where she studied psychology. She currently works in providing therapy for autistic adults. Rachel plans to get a PhD in social psychology and to continue working with autistic adults, as well as continue to research social cognition in autism.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Rakshak Ravinchandran

Rakshak Ravichandran is currently a junior majoring in neuroscience. Rakshak learned about Dr. Sasson’s research while taking his Introduction to Psychology class, and became fascinated with the concept of Double Empathy. He is excited to learn more about interactions involving autistic people to better understand how to create a more accepting environment for autistic individuals.

Manuel Jagan

Manuel Jagan is a senior neuroscience major planning on obtaining an MD afterward and working as a Psychiatrist or Neurologist doing research that serves the community. During his time at the Social Cognition and Interaction in Autism Lab, he hopes to learn how to best address social issues faced by autistic individuals and how to improve outcomes for children and adolescents with ASD most effectively. He also is excited to learn more about the interactions between autism and other factors, such as race or gender, on social perception, and how to serve members of those respective communities best.

Emily Stern

Emily Stern is currently in her senior year, majoring in psychology. Following graduation, she plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology. As a child of an autistic parent, she observed some of the personal and professional social barriers that can exist for those with ASD. During her time in the lab, she would like to gain a greater understanding of the factors impacting the quality of social experiences for autistic individuals. Through this knowledge it is her hope to advocate for increased access and awareness in clinical settings.

Marley Richter

Marley Richter recently graduated from UTD with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and child learning and development. She is passionate about creating equitable and affirming spaces for autistic people through a social model of disability. During her gap year, she would like to continue to work with autistic teens and adults as well as develop skills in a research setting. She plans to pursue a career in school psychology with a focus in neurodivergent advocacy.

Lab Alumni

Desiree R. Jones

Desiree Jones graduated from UTD’s psychological sciences PhD program in summer of 2023. After completing her dissertation on the intersectional experiences of stigma and their relation to mental health outcomes among black and white autistic adults, she moved to Maryland to continue her research work as a post-doc at the University of Maryland.

Kilee DeBrabander

Kilee DeBrabander graduated from UTD’s cognition and neuroscience PhD program in spring of 2022. After completing her dissertation on perceptions, meta-perceptions, and cognitive estimations of autistic adults across personal and professional contexts, Kilee began working as a clinical trial manager researching medical therapeutics.

Kerrianne Morrison

Kerrianne Morrison graduated from UTD’s psychological sciences PhD program in spring of 2019. After completing her dissertation examining how autistic adults participate in and experience social interaction, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she does health and military communications research.

Daniel Faso

Daniel Faso completed his doctorate in psychological sciences at UTD in 2016. His research program focused on perceptions of autistic adults formed by social partners and the potential impacts such perceptions can have on relational interactions. Daniel’s primary interest is bringing research practices into applied community settings to improve and expand the ability to serve the needs experienced by adults with disabilities. He recently started a new position as the Strategic Research and Insights Manager within My Possibilities, a nonprofit organization providing education and vocational training for adults with disabilities.

Masters Program Alumni

Lauren Krisa
Hsin-Fen Yang
Claire Noonan
Zoheb Allam
Lacey Chambers
David Rachman
Alejandra Castillo
Jessie De La Garza
Kathryn King

Undergraduate Alumni

Danny Dunn
Isabel Magaña
Hulon Sherard
Priya Vanparia
Nick Via
Mattie Watts
Malina Maharana
Kyle Barton
Lauren Weittenhiller
Janvi Patel
Gareth Shannon
Aakash Paidsetty

If you are interested in joining the research team of the Social Cognition and Interaction in Autism Lab, please complete this form and return it to Dr. Noah Sasson’s office at GR 4.813.

DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION FORM