Johanna Lantz, Ph.D., BCBA

With more than 25 years of experience, Johanna Lantz, Ph.D., BCBA, has devoted her career to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities through innovative clinical care and research. She began by supporting skill development in young autistic learners using applied behavior analysis and went on to specialize in treating high-risk behaviors during her internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She further advanced this work as a clinical faculty member at Columbia University Medical Center’s Developmental Neuropsychiatry Program. Dr. Lantz currently holds the position of Chief of Psychology and Research at the Center for Discovery. In this role, she leads a department of over 40 psychology staff who provide assessment and treatment for high-risk behaviors. Her clinical reach has extended beyond the Center for Discovery. Dr. Lantz served as a lead member of the New York State Center of Excellence tasked with developing common best practices in assessment, intervention, training, and data collection implemented by all New York State Children’s Residential Projects and developed resources to help medical providers manage high-risk behaviors as a member of the Healthcare Association of New York State’s complex case discharge delay committee. To advance care for individuals with complex disabilities, Dr. Lantz integrates her clinical expertise with targeted research initiatives. She directs the Discovery Lab School program, which explores the use of innovative wearable and nearable technologies to better understand and predict high-risk behaviors in youth with profound autism. Her overarching goal is to translate research findings into practical strategies that meaningfully improve clinical care. Dr. Lantz has presented at several national conferences including the Profound Autism Alliance Summit, Autism Society of America, Association for Behavior Analysis International, Association for Positive Behavior Support, New York State Association for Behavior Analysis and National Association of School Psychologists. She is an author on several published articles with additional studies that are currently under review.