News

2nd year grad student, Mags McAllister, led a recent publication using the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) characterizing echolalia and related behaviors in autism. Published in Autism Research, the study found echolalia serves as both functional communication and a repetitive behavior, with differential associations with age and verbal ability.

2nd year grad student, Sonny Russell, and postdoc, Dr. Tyler McFayden, led the recent systematic review, Who, when, where, and why: A systematic review of “late diagnosis” in autism, published in Autism Research. In this review, we sought to understand how late diagnosis is operationalized in autism and how this...

5th year grad student, Orla Putnam, led a recent study using Simon Simplex Collection (SSC) data examining differences between caregiver and teacher report. The study, published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, found that teachers reported fewer autism characteristics in females compared to parents, potentially indicative of autistic...

Dr. Harrop and Dr. Wallace (George Washington University) were awarded a two-year NIMH award to characterize eating behavior profiles across a large sample of autistic and non-autistic individuals aged 3 to 39 years. The study aims to understand how profiles of eating vary as a function of sex, age and...

Congratulations to the Harrop Lab’s post-doc, Dr. Tyler McFayden, for being honored by the Academy of Child and Adolescent Mental Health as one of this years top 5 post-doctoral fellows! We are proud to see your hard work and dedication to the field recognized. More information on this year’s ACAMH...

We are excited to have three new undergraduate research assistants joining our lab this fall! Welcome Abbigail Waycaster (senior), Cecilia Young Bright (sophomore), and Jackson Peden (senior). Their full biographies for our new URAs can be found on the People page of our lab website. Additionally, we are excited to...

This month we said fairwell to Amanda Neal. Thank you Amanda for all your hard work as a research assistant for the Harrop Lab for the past two and a half years! Amanda Neal is now working towards her PhD in Clinical-Community Psychology at the University of South Alabama. She...

Harrop lab members Dr. Tyler McFayden, Sonny Russell, Maia Karpinsky, and Kimberly Liles presented posters at the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology 2024 Future Directions Forum in Columbus, Ohio. Sonny was selected as a fellow for the Future Directions forum and Tyler was recognized as a past awardee...

Congratulations Dr. Clare Harrop on receiving Tenure! We are so excited to see your hard work and dedication recognized. Our lab had a great time celebrating Dr. Harrop’s accomplishments at a Taylor Swift themed Tenure party.

Thank you seniors! Harrop Lab seniors, Inyene Udoh, Macey Johnson, Meredith Brady, Sarah Harris and Sienna Halterman graduate with the UNC-CH Class of 2024. Thank you seniors for all your hard work in our lab – We are excited to see what the future holds for you!