Amy Nicole Kincaid Thomas
Amy’s research examines obesity health disparities for African American adolescent girls. It investigates the relationship between obesity health disparities and the variables of race, socioeconomic status, inconsistent family influence, unstable environments, and the lack of physical activity.
Taylor Simpson
Taylor’s research studies the great need for mental health care in the foster care system. It reports that children and teens in the foster care system have disproportionately high rates of psychiatric disability, but often the foster parents are unaware that the child they take in may have a mental illness, which results in the problem going unaddressed.
Courtney Fletcher:
![Courtney Fletcher.](/cas/news/images/images/courtney_fletcher.jpg)
Courtney’s research examines Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), a group of developmental disabilities that cause social impairment, communication difficulties, and behavioral challenges. Her research finds that ASDs occur across all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic classes, but that African American children are more likely to get misdiagnosed or be diagnosed later than other races or ethnicities.