As a member of the First Place Global Colonel Harland Sanders Center for Applied Research, Abby advances research and practices that improve healthcare access, housing and community inclusion for individuals with autism and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). She also contributes to an ARPA-funded stipend program expanding access to supportive housing and enabling data-driven insights into quality-of-life outcomes; collaborates with Arizona State University on program evaluation; and works to build and support the First Place National Translational Research Collective—a network of researchers, caregivers, supportive residential communities and technology partners.
Abby’s personal history with sensory processing challenges and her family’s connection to the autism and I/DD community drive her belief that research can amplify voices, dismantle barriers and drive person-centered solutions across healthcare and community systems. She earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Albany Medical College in New York.