Meet Our Team

Dr. Allison Jobin

Lab Director and Principal Investigator

Allison Jobin, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at California State University San Marcos and an investigator at the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center. She joined CSUSM after many years in clinical and research roles at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego and the UCSD Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Jobin is a licensed psychologist and board certified behavior analyst with research and clinical expertise in the treatment and evaluation of ASD and related childhood disorders, parent-mediated treatment, and naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions. Her areas of interest are in the examination of methods to promote the delivery of high-quality interventions in community-based settings and adaptations to improve fit within varied child and family contexts.

Veenavi Fernando, B.S.

Graduate Student

Veena is a second-year graduate student in the CSUSM MA Program in Psychological Sciences. She completed her undergraduate studies at UCSD, where she earned B.S. degrees in Physiology and Neuroscience, and Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience. Her current research interest is in understanding caregiver engagement in ABA-based services for autistic children and exploring how culturally related factors are associated with caregiver engagement. In her free time, she also enjoys hiking and painting!

Fun fact

• Veena did Kandyan dancing (a type of Sri Lankan dancing) for 10 years!

Kris Nelson, B.A.

Graduate Student

Kris is a second-year graduate student in the CSUSM MA Program in Psychological Sciences. He has a B.A. in Psychology from CSUSM, and is also a research assistant at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego. Kris is interested in assessing community based practices and interventions to improve care for the ASD population, along with research on the intersectionality of autism, gender, and sexuality related to mental health and relationships. In addition to research, he also loves to travel, hike, and participate in sports.

Fun fact

• Kris has been to 19 states and 13 countries!

Elizabeth Keck

Graduate Student

Elizabeth is first-year graduate student in the CSUSM MA Program in Psychological Sciences. She completed her undergraduate studies at CSUSM, where she earned B.A. degree in Psychological Sciences, and is also a research admin support for Rady Children's Hospital San Diego. She is interested in mental health interventions for children with ASD, as well as the intersectionality of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBI) in early childhood education classrooms for children with and without ASD. Elizabeth loves to go on hikes and read in her free time! 

Fun fact

• Elizabeth bowled semi-professionally for 11 years!