Meet the Graduate Team

JACKIE RYAN (she/her)

Jackie is an Autistic autism researcher with a PhD in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Alberta. She holds a master’s degree in Leadership from Royal Roads University where her research on leadership to promote the self-determination of Autistic individuals won the University Founders’ Award. Her doctoral research was on understanding self-determination and autonomy from the perspective of Autistic adults with intellectual disabilities using a community based participatory research approach. Included in her research was the preparation of Research 101 open-access training to build the capacity for Autistic people to collaborate in research. Jackie is continuing her self-determination participatory research by co-designing and evaluating a ‘toolkit’ of recommended practices based on the data from her doctoral research. Jackie is part of the Neurodiversity Movement and seeks to empower Autistic people to thrive.

RAEANN DEL COLLE (she/her)

Raeann is about to begin her second year as a Master's student in the School & Clinical Child Psychology program at the University of Alberta. She also completed her Psychology (BA) honours thesis in the Dept of Psychology with us as well. She was one of the team leads for our JUMPMath research project.


Raeann (left) with Elizabeth Gaudet (right)

LéONIE HOVELING (she/her)

Léonie completed her master’s degree in School and Clinical Child Psychology (SCCP) at the University of Alberta. During this time, she explored the mathematical abilities of autistic youth under the supervision of Dr. Heather Brown. Currently, Léonie is a doctoral student in SCCP. Under the continued mentorship of Dr. Brown, Léonie aims to explore autistic adolescents’ narrative writing skills. Léonie aspires to work as a psychologist providing a combination of assessments and interventions to children and adolescents. In her free time, she enjoys travelling, hiking, and spending time with family and friends. 

Hannah Santilli (she/her)

My name is Hannah Santilli and I will be beginning my first year as a masters student in the School and Clinical Child Psychology program this fall. My passion for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) research was initiated 17 years ago when I was introduced to a classmate with ASD. As our friendship developed, I began to recognize the stigmas of ASD and was determined to eliminate them. This friendship thus inspired my desire to advocate for neurodivergent populations and innovate barrier free designs through the provision of disability research and clinical application. I hope to one day support families and children with ASD by facilitating assessments, and providing resources and support for academic achievement. If I am not studying, you can find me petting every dog on the street, drinking coffee at the local cafe, or on a walk with friends. 

Emily Coombs (she/her)

Emily is an autistic PhD student in Educational Psychology at the University of Alberta. Her doctoral research is on understanding gender and sexuality from the perspective of autistic individuals using a community-based participatory research approach. Emily has worked alongside Dr. Heather Brown on her research interests in support of autistic university students. Together, they have established an Autistic Community Partner Collective for the Campus Belonging Study. Emily is also affiliated with the University of Calgary and the University of Victoria and aims to bridge these three institutions whenever similar research is being conducted.

Lincoln tate ripley (he/him)


Lincoln Tate Ripley (he/him) is currently a master's student (M.Ed.) studying psychological studies in education. He is a queer, AuDHD autism researcher who involves himself in a variety of topics, such as autism diagnosis, educational assessment and measurement, intersectionality of transgender and autistic experience, queer theory, critical disability, and Neurodiversity in post-secondary education. He is an active member of the AIDAN Lab, the Campus Belonging Project, and the Autistic Reading and Writing Network. Beyond his studies, Lincoln is a self-advocate and member of the Neurodiversity Speakers Bureau through Centre for Autism Services Alberta. In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing, cooking, a good cup of coffee, and taking long hikes. His master's thesis focuses on Autistic students' barriers and facilitators to belonging at their post-secondary institutions. 

anyu wang (he/him)

My name is Anyu and I am a first year master's student in the School and Clinical Child Psychology program at the UofA. Prior to this program, I graduated from the National University of Singapore in 2020 and my previous research in Singapore focused on the engagement of elementary students in special education. Working in the AIDAN Lab and learning about the social model of disability has broadened my perspective on what it means to be inclusive. In my current research, I study the autism-friendliness of spaces on the university campus, which could hopefully contribute to the building designs in the future. I hope to work as a psychologist supporting children with their learning needs in the future. 


mica pabia (she/her)

Mica is an Autistic, BIPOC and queer PhD student in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Science at the University of Alberta under Dr. Sandy Thompson-Hodgetts and Dr. Heather Brown. She is also a Registered Social Worker, and received her Master of Social Work from the University of Waterloo. Her PhD research focuses on the intersections of ableism and racism that Autistic youth and young adults face, and she uses a critical disability, critical race, and anti-oppressive lens for her work. Mica's past social work experience has been in pediatric crisis mental health, policy work and EDI consulting, while her past research initiatives have been centered in disability justice and intersectionality. 

Our Neurodivergent Team Members

Jackie Ryan

Emily Coombs

Lincoln Tate Ripley

Mica Pabia

Share by: