About Us

Rocco Catrone, PhD, BCBA-D, IBA, CPACC

Lab Head and Founder

Rocco Catrone (he/him) is a researcher and clinician with experience across hospitals, schools, job coaching, academia, in-home supports, clinics, and private practice. His work centers on inclusive, individual-led approaches to disability supports, informed by his own lived experience with multiple disabilities. Rocco collaborates to build environments of success grounded in respect, empowerment, and equity.

Dr. Elizabeth Cambray-Engstrom

Clinical Research Lead

Elizabeth Cambray-Engstrom, PhD, is a special education scholar whose work focuses on early childhood special education, family–school partnerships, community and peer support, and responsive practices. Her research and professional work emphasize strengths-based, equity-oriented approaches that elevate teacher and family expertise and inform inclusive systems.

Basic Research Lead

Arvind Ramakrishnan is a Licensed, Board-Certified Behavior Analyst specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis, with a focus on crisis management and supporting underserved communities. He has held clinical leadership roles applying evidence-based behavioral interventions and supervision across diverse settings. Currently, he provides clinical support to underserved populations and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois, integrating behavior analytic principles into ABA instructional design.

Dr. Arvind Ramakrishnan, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA

Betania Locatti Macareno

Doctoral Student Researcher

Betania Locatti Mascareño is pursuing a Ph.D. in Special Education at the University of Illinois Chicago. She previously taught English as a Foreign Language to middle and high school students in Paraguay. Her research interests include international special education, inclusion, teacher training, literacy, and bilingual education for youth with autism. She earned her bachelor’s degree from INAES and completed a Master’s in Special Education at UIC in 2023 as a Fulbright Scholar.

Noa Minter

Doctoral Student Researcher

Noa Minter, a UIC doctoral student and U.S. Army veteran, draws on lived experience as a 2e AuDHD researcher to address neurodevelopmental disabilities . By synthesizing neuroscience and ABA, Noa targets the cognitive-adaptive gap in twice-exceptional populations. The work operationalizes executive function and analyzes "spiky profiles" to develop precise supports . Noa translates mechanistic drivers into systemic policy to improve adult outcomes .

Taylor Guy

Post-baccalaureate Researcher

Taylor Guy has experience across public and private learning settings in the U.S. and internationally, including elementary schools, early childhood programs, and English language classrooms. This work strengthened my understanding of how socioeconomic status, cultural factors, and community intersect with development and behavior. I am committed to applying this knowledge to create inclusive, safe environments that support child success.