Postdoctoral and Doctoral Trainees
Laura Friedman
Ph.D. CCC-SLP
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Laura Friedman is a postdoctoral fellow in the SC Family Experiences Lab. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she worked with adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and fragile X syndrome. During her doctoral studies, Dr. Friedman worked with families of children with autism spectrum disorder as a certified speech-language pathologist in a pediatric private practice. Dr. Friedman’s research interests include characterizing the language skills of adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as examining the broader impact of language on later adulthood outcomes, including friendship development, employment, and self-advocacy skills.
Thomas Christensen
M.S. CCC-SLP
Ph.D. Student
Thomas is a doctoral student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders department at the University of South Carolina. He received his B.A. in Communication Disorders from Utah State University and his M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before returning for his doctorate, Thomas practiced as a speech-language pathologist in a retirement community as well as in an outpatient pediatric clinic. His research interests include understanding aging in those with neurodevelopmental disorders and how best to support them and their caregivers.
Lauren Jenner
BSc (Hons), MSc, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Lauren completed her Ph.D. at the University of Surrey, UK (as part of the Cerebra Network), under the supervision of Dr. Joanna Moss and Prof. Emily Farran. Her research focused on social cognition and autism in genetic syndromes, particularly among children and adolescents with Down syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome. After her Ph.D., Lauren continued her work with Dr. Moss as a research associate, where she contributed to a project studying the social-emotional well-being of women with the fragile X premutation. She also worked on an impact project that provides education practitioners with online training to support the distinct needs of children with genetic syndromes at school. Lauren’s research interests are currently centered on raising awareness and understanding of autism and related conditions in populations with intellectual disabilities and/or genetic conditions. She advocates for the inclusion of these often marginalised and overlooked groups in research, promoting the use of more accessible and sensitive methods (e.g., eye-tracking technology). Her overarching goal is to contribute to a broader understanding of neurodivergence that embraces and supports all people.