Robert Hendren, DO
Robert L. Hendren, DO, is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science in the UCSF Department of Psychiatry, Director of the UCSF Autism and Neurodevelopment Program, and Co-Director of the UCSF Dyslexia Center and Vice Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. From 2001-2009, he was Professor of Psychiatry and Executive Director and Tsakopoulos-Vismara Chair at the UC Davis MIND Institute (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders), and from 2009-2015, he served as Vice Chair and Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the UCSF Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Hendren is Past President of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (2007-2009). He has published over 100 scientific papers and four books and has been listed in “The Best Doctors in America” each year since it was first published in 1996.
Dr. Hendren took his residency in general psychiatry at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, and his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center. He is board certified in General as well as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
His current areas of research and publication interests are translational clinical pharmacology and nutritional trials using biomarkers (MRI, measures of inflammation, oxidative stress, immune function and pharmacogenomics) in neurodevelopmental disorders.
Stephen Bent, MD
Stephen Bent, MD, is a Professor of Medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine. His main research interest is the evaluation of the safety and efficacy of herbal remedies and dietary supplements. He served as the project director for one of the first large randomized controlled trials of saw palmetto for enlarged prostate, which gained international recognition for demonstrating that this commonly used herb was no more effective than placebo. Dr. Bent has also served as the principal investigator or co-investigator of several other large randomized controlled trials, including a study of a Chinese herbal remedy used to treat fatigue in the elderly and an internet-based study examining the efficacy of the herbs valerian (for sleep) and kava (for anxiety).
Recently, Dr. Bent has stated to conduct randomized controlled trials of complementary and alternative therapies in children with autism, including studies of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. Dr. Bent is also the Principal Investigator of the first-ever fully internet-based randomized controlled trial of a pharmaceutical drug, and he hopes to develop the internet-based technology to speed the testing of promising new therapies. Dr. Bent is an expert in evidence-based medicine and ambulatory care, and has coauthored textbooks in both areas.
Felicia Widjaja, MPH
Felicia Widjaja, M.P.H, C.C.R.P., is a senior clinical researcher working at the Program for Research on Neurodevelopmental and Translational Outcomes (PRONTO) at the University of California, San Francisco. Ms. Widjaja is a Certified Clinical Research Professional running and managing pediatric and adult autism clinical trials operations and outcome studies. Her current areas of research and publication interests are translational research, public health and autism. She was selected as one of Donald J Cohen fellows in 2012 for the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions.
China Parenteau, BA
China Parenteau is a clinical research coordinator at the University of California, San Francisco, in the Program for Research on Neurodevelopmental and Translational Outcomes (PRONTO). Her interest in working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) began during her studies at Pitzer College where she helped lead a social skills group at the Claremont Autism Center. After graduating with a degree in Psychology and Economics, she moved back to the Bay Area to work at the UC Davis MIND Institute assisting with studies that examined language development in children with ASD, Fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome. Currently, China conducts clinical trials for individuals with ASD as well as outcomes research in schools for children with ASD and dyslexia.
Bushra Hossain, MAS
Bushra Hossain is a clinical research coordinator in the Program for Research on Neurodevelopmental and Translational Outcomes (PRONTO) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). With a background in neuroscience in her undergraduate studies, Bushra began pursuing a career in the field of clinical research by first completing a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research from McGill University and then a Masters degree in Clinical Research from UCSF. During her graduate training at UCSF, she worked with the PRONTO team in their outcomes studies investigating various psychosocial outcomes in children with dyslexia. Her research interests include learning disorders, autism, mental health and epidemiology. Currently, Bushra conducts outcomes studies for children with dyslexia and ASD, and coordinates clinical trials.
Jody Williams, M.A.
Faculty and Program Assistant