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.

Jenny Foster, MS, LBA, BCBA, is the Director of Adult Psychology at The Center for Discovery, a leading provider of healthcare and education services in New York state for more than 1,200 children and adults with complex conditions, medical frailties and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Jenny has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2015, and first began working with adults with autism and profound disabilities in 2001, after graduating from the University of Connecticut. Her work has focused on the functional assessment and treatment of challenging behavior in adults and children with disabilities, in multiple service environments including family homes, classroom and other educational settings, residential programs, and day habilitation settings. She has actively participated in Institutional Review Boards and Human Rights Committees, and is committed to advocating for the rights and quality of life for all persons with developmental disabilities. With a Master of Science in Neuroscience and Developmental Disabilities from the City University of New York/College of Staten Island, Jenny is a strong proponent of applied research for better understanding of the complexities of profoundly affected individuals and is strongly interested in finding better ways to provide care. Jenny's research interests span many areas, including: autonomic functioning and stress in autism, characterizing student complexity at the intersection of disability severity and environmental/educational supports, advocating to reduce healthcare inequities experienced by profoundly disabled people, leveraging technology for effective clinical interventions, and assessing quality of life. Her ongoing collaboration with various research partners at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Emory University, and Georgia Tech have resulted in several publications, utilizing artificial intelligence and big data analytics for high-risk behavior prediction with the goal of supportive prevention. She has presented at the National Autism Society conference, several New York Association for Applied Behavior Analysis annual conferences, the India Autism Conference, and at the Applied Behavior Analysis International conference. She remains a strong advocate for compassionate behavioral care and helping all people live their best lives.