Principal Investigators
Sandra Vanegas is a Research Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. She is also the Clinical Training Director for the Autism Consortium of Texas LEND program and Director of Research for Texas Center for Disability Studies. She received a Master of Science degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders in 2008 and her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Loyola University Chicago in 2013.
Megan Flores is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Baylor University in Waco, TX. Dr. Flores received her Master of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 2004, and her PhD in Physical Therapy from Texas Woman’s University in 2019.
Current Research Team
Research Assistants
Arushi Arora is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin studying Psychology. Her first and foremost passion has always been working with kids, from Reading Aces at UT Austin to volunteering as a Child Life Intern at CHRISTUS Hospital. She hopes to understand how to better care for children with Down Syndrome through MILES.
Maddie Schneider is a third-year neuroscience major aiming for graduate school. She knew she wanted to be a part of MILES through Lifelong Learning with Friends and taking a disabilities class. She looks forward to getting to know and help families learn more about their children.
Rajika Singh Parihar is a junior in the accelerated Human Development and Family Sciences honors program at the University of Texas at Austin, with a minor in Critical Disability Studies. She has spent the past six summers working at Camp CAMP, serves as a caregiver to friends with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and volunteers with the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas, Austin Unite, and Lifelong Learning with Friends. Rajika hopes to deepen her understanding of how to best support the development of infants with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Avelyn Garlish is a third-year undergraduate student double majoring in Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology. She currently serves on the officer board for Longhorn Best Buddies, is an instructor for Lifelong Learning with Friends, and works at the Capitol School of Austin. Through the MILES Study, she hopes to contribute to research surrounding Down syndrome and deepen her knowledge of infant development.
Julieta Garcia is a third-year undergraduate student at The University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Neuroscience on a pre-medical track. She has been working with individuals with developmental disorders since her freshman year of high school and currently works as a behavioral technician. She hopes to attend medical school and become a pediatric neurologist or psychiatrist, with a particular passion for supporting underprivileged families of children with developmental disorders and improving access to healthcare.