Associate Director | Administration for Community Living (2016-present) | Current grant: $2.9M (2022-2027)

As Associate Director of the UCCEDD, I provide strategic leadership for one of only 67 federally-funded University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) nationwide. UCEDDs are competitively funded through the Administration for Community Living to fulfill obligations of the Developmental Disabilities Act, serving as bridges between the academic community, service systems, policymakers, and people with disabilities and their families.

Leadership Responsibilities:

In my role as Associate Director, I lead the Center's disability policy efforts at both state and federal levels, assist in supervising programmatic initiatives across all four UCEDD core functions, and ensure strategic alignment with national disability priorities.

Four Core Functions:

1. Policy and Research - I lead policy research and translation efforts that inform legislation and systems change. Recent policy achievements include expert testimony on disability rights legislation (organ transplant discrimination, parental rights for blind parents, accessible transportation) and service on state-level advisory committees including the Ohio Health Policy Institute and Ohio Olmstead Coalition. Research findings from our work are translated into policy briefs, legislative testimony, and technical assistance materials distributed through UCCEDD networks.
2. Community Service and Training - The UCCEDD provides training and technical assistance to individuals with developmental disabilities, families, service providers, and community organizations. I oversee development and delivery of anti-ableism training curricula for healthcare systems, disability awareness programs for employers, and family support resources. Projects like the Disabled Parenting Project receive operational and dissemination support through UCCEDD infrastructure, allowing research findings to reach broader audiences through accessible formats (webinars, fact sheets, social media, podcasts).
3. Interdisciplinary Training - I serve as Core Faculty for the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program housed within UCCEDD, training the next generation of interdisciplinary professionals in disability-competent, family-centered care. I developed innovative LEND curriculum integrating disability justice, anti-ableism frameworks, and advocacy skills. I also mentor LEND trainees from multiple disciplines (medicine, psychology, social work, genetic counseling, advocacy) in disability research methods and community-engaged scholarship.
4. Information Dissemination - The UCCEDD amplifies research findings and best practices to diverse stakeholders. I lead dissemination efforts that translate complex research into accessible formats for multiple audiences: policy briefs for legislators, training modules for healthcare providers, resource guides for families, and scholarly publications. My national presentations, grand rounds, and webinars (reaching thousands annually) are often coordinated through UCCEDD partnerships with medical centers, universities, and disability organizations nationwide.

UCCEDD as Research Translation Infrastructure:

The UCCEDD functions as the primary mechanism for translating my federally funded research into practice and policy impact. Findings from grants on ableism in healthcare, disability and pregnancy, and parents with disabilities are systematically disseminated through:

• Policy briefs distributed to state and federal legislators
• Training curricula implemented in healthcare and educational settings
• Community education programs reaching families and self-advocates
• Technical assistance to service systems and organizations
• Partnership with Ohio's 88 county boards of developmental disabilities

This integrated approach ensures research discoveries rapidly translate into improved systems, policies, and practices that benefit people with disabilities across Ohio and beyond.

Key UCCEDD Partnerships:

• Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities
• Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council
• 88 Ohio County Boards of Developmental Disabilities
• Centers for Independent Living across Ohio
• National UCEDD network (Association of University Centers on Disability)

Through the UCCEDD, my work reaches tens of thousands of individuals annually—from families receiving evidence-based resources to policymakers shaping disability legislation to healthcare systems implementing anti-ableist practices.

The University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCCEDD)

Founder & Director | Health Excellence Award, Cincinnati Children's (2025)

An international community of practice of disabled researchers working to transform the research landscape. Founded in 2020, the Lab addresses the underrepresentation of disabled researchers in academic medicine and health sciences by:

• Building Research Capacity: Providing mentorship, methodological support, and collaborative opportunities for disabled researchers at all career stages
• Centering Lived Expertise: Advancing the paradigm that disability lived experience is a form of expertise that strengthens research quality and relevance
• Knowledge Dissemination: Amplifying disability research through coordinated publication strategies, conference presentations, and public scholarship
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Connecting researchers across institutions and disciplines to tackle complex questions requiring diverse perspectives
• Advocacy for Inclusive Research Practices: Promoting accessible research environments and equitable evaluation criteria that recognize diverse scholarly contributions

The Lab hosts regular virtual meetings, coordinates collaborative research projects, and provides consultation on disability-inclusive research design. Members span six continents and include researchers in psychology, public health, bioethics, rehabilitation sciences, genetics, and policy. The 2025 Health Excellence Award supports expanded programming including a visiting scholars series, research development workshops, and seed funding for pilot studies led by disabled researchers.

Current Lab Initiatives:

• Measuring ableism in healthcare settings
• Developing disability-inclusive research ethics guidelines
• Training researchers on accessible data collection methods
• Creating resources for disabled academics navigating career advancement

Principal Investigator | Administration for Community Living (2022-2027) | $2.5M

Addressing intersectional discrimination in healthcare through a multi-site national collaborative. The Center provides technical assistance and knowledge translation about the intersections of ableism, racism, and other forms of oppression affecting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in healthcare, community living, and justice settings.

National Center for Dignity in Healthcare and Community Living for People with Disabilities

Co-Founder & Co-Director (2015-present)

An online information clearinghouse leveraging the power of connecting parents with disabilities to each other. The project informs social policy through scholarly research, fact sheets, and training resources. Reaching an average of 6,600 individuals monthly (79,875 reached last year).

Disabled Parenting Project

Principal Investigator | NIDILRR Field-Initiated Project (2022-2025) | $600K

Examining internalized, interpersonal, and systemic ableism in healthcare to identify intervention points for reducing discrimination and improving health outcomes for people with disabilities.

Co-Investigator | NIDILRR (2021-2026) | $2.5M

Conducting research and providing training and technical assistance to improve the lives of parents with disabilities and their families.

National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities

Co-Investigator | NIDILRR (2021-2026) | $1.5M

A cross-disability initiative examining disparities in perinatal care, developing preconception education curricula, adapting pregnancy action plans, and testing disability accommodations in electronic health records.

National Center for Disability and Pregnancy Research