Lecture Series

The Tarjan Center Lecture Series is for everyone, including UCLA faculty, trainees, students, and community members. The lectures cover many different topics related to developmental disabilities and are presented by Tarjan Center faculty, UCLA faculty, and invited guest speakers. The purpose of the Lecture Series is to help people learn more and share important updates in research, practice, and public policy for people with developmental disabilities.

Additional details:

Upcoming Presentation

Past Presentations

March 9, 2026

Dr. Andrew Russell Memorial Lecture: Anxiety and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Presented by:

Dr. Patricia Renno, Ph.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor, University of California, Los Angeles

February 23, 2026

Centering Voices, Strengths, and Healing: A Social-Emotional and Equity-Focused Approach to Supporting Children with Disabilities and Their Families

Presented by:

Dr. Claudia Dunn
Visiting Professor and Lecturer, San Diego State University

January 12, 2026

Sex and Gender-Based Disparities in the Autism Diagnostic System

Presented by:

Dr. Ingrid Tien, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health

November 10, 2025

Early Intervention: Progress, Gaps, and What’s Next

Presented by:

Connie Kasari, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor, University of California, Los Angeles

September 29, 2025

Navigating the Transition to Adulthood: Perspectives of Autistic Individuals

Presented by:

Samara Wolpe, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow, UCLA PEERS Clinic

June 9, 2025

ECHO Autism Hawaiʻi: A Pilot Program for Supporting Autism Providers in Family-Centered Care

Presented by:

Kelsey Oliver, PhD.
BCBA, Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa