Research Team
Lisa Croen, PhD,joined the Division of Research as a perinatal epidemiologist in 2000. She is a senior research scientist and director of the Kaiser Permanente Autism Research Program. Her research interests include the epidemiology of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, environmental exposures and gene/environment interaction, and adverse perinatal outcomes. Currently, Dr. Croen is the site principal investigator on two large federally funded autism studies: The Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) and the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation Study (EARLI). She is also co-investigator on the California Autism Twins Study (CATS) and, in collaboration with clinical colleagues, directs the Kaiser Permanente site of the Autism Treatment Network and Autism Intervention Research Program. Dr. Croen received her master's degree in public health and her doctorate in epidemiology, both from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to coming to the Division of Research, she was an epidemiologist at the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program at the California Department of Health Services.
Biosketch
Publications
Maria Massolo, PhD, is a practice specialist for the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research. She is responsible for the management of the Autism Research Program which she joined in 2008, and oversees its active research portfolio. She conducts qualitative research for mixed-methods studies, and is particularly interested in the experiences of Latino parents of children with ASD. She received her master's degree in folklore and a doctorate in anthropology, both from the University of California, Berkeley. She completed her undergraduate studies in Spanish and has a Certificate as Spanish/English Interpreter from California State University East Bay. Prior to working with the Autism Research Program, Dr. Massolo worked with the Division of Research Perinatal Research Unit on studies of prematurity, vaccination, and neonatal infection.
Jack Collins, MBA,is a project manager at Kaiser Permanente Division of Research. He currently oversees the budget of the Autism Research Program. He received his master's degree in business administration, and his bachelor's degree, with honors, in theater management from the University of San Francisco. He began working on autism research in 2001 and has been coordinating public health research projects since 1998.
Yinge Qian, PhD, is a data consultant at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research.
Cathleen Yoshida, MS, is a data consultant at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research.
Jennifer Ames, PhD, is a research postdoctoral fellow with the Kaiser Permanente Autism Research Program. Her research interests include the transition from pediatric to adult health care for youth with autism and environmental risk factors for autism, particularly endocrine-disrupting compounds. Her background is in environmental epidemiology with a focus on children’s environmental health. She received a PhD in epidemiology from the University of California Berkeley where she studied neurodevelopmental outcomes and gene-environment interactions related to dioxin exposure. She also holds a masters of science in environmental health from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree in the history of science from Harvard University.
Hilda Cerros, MPH, is a project coordinator for the Kaiser Permanente Autism Research Program. She joined our team as a research assistant for the EARLI study (Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation) and is currently the project coordinator for IMPaCT, and the ECHO ASD-ER study (ECHO Autism Spectrum Disorders- Enriched Risk) among other studies. She earned her Master of Public Health from the University of San Francisco and a BS in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior from the University of California, Davis. Prior to working with the Autism Research Program, Ms. Cerros was a community health worker for the Sentinel Network Project, which aimed at detecting community health issues in underrepresented populations in the Sacramento area.
Mariafernanda Manriquez, BA is a senior research assistant for Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research. She graduated from University of California Santa Cruz with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She started working on the AASPIRE project and is now currently participating in ECHO ASD-ER, Latino Barriers, and R-Kids. Ms. Manriquez it passionate about helping diverse populations especially Latinos while exploring mental health in underserved communities.
