Heather Yarger received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology/Clinical Science from the University of Delaware in 2018.  She completed her APA-accredited pre-doctoral clinical internship within the Child and Family Therapy and Behavioral Management Clinics at Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  She is currently a research assistant professor in the Department of Psychology investigating the psychophysiological bases of anxiety symptoms in autistic youth.  Dr. Yarger received a NIH/NIMH K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award which will fund her research and training 4/2024 thorough 3/2028.  She also leads the Psychophysiology, Autism, Anxiety, and NeuroDevelopmental Adaptation Lab (PAANDA Lab).  More information about her currently funded and actively recruited grant can be found here.

Check out these recent news articles about her grant:

Maryland Today: https://today.umd.edu/can-heart-rhythms-signal-anxiety-in-autistic-youths

Longer story with photos: https://bsos.umd.edu/featured-content/identifying-anxiety-autistic-adolescents

Representative Publications:

1. Yarger, H.A., Sarkar, M., Harrington, E., & Redcay, E. (2024). Autonomic activity in individuals with autism and anxiety symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-024-00449-y

2. Yarger, H.A., Shariq, D., Hickey, A., Giacobbe, E., Dziura, S., & Redcay, E. (2023). Examining adolescents’ mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10720734/

3. Yarger, H. A. (2022). Anxiety–Amygdala Associations: Novel Insights from the First Longitudinal Study of Autistic Youth with Distinct Anxiety. Biological Psychiatry, 91(11), e41-e43. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.03.016

4. Yarger, H.A., Nordahl, C.W., & Redcay, E. (2022).  Associations between amygdala volumes and anxiety symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.10.010

5. Yarger, H.A. & Redcay, E. (2020). A conceptual model of risk and protective factors associated with internalizing symptoms in autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review, synthesis, and call for more research. Development and Psychopathology, 32(4) 1254-1272. doi:10.1017/S095457942000084

6. Close, H.A.*, Lee, L.-C., Kaufmann, C. N., & Zimmerman, A. W. (2012). Co-occurring conditions and change in diagnosis in autism spectrum disorders. Pediatrics, 129(2), e305-e316.doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-1717

*Note: Name change occurred in June 2013 from Heather A. Close to Heather A. Yarger.

Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Heather_Yarger

Prospective Students: I am not in a position at UMD that allows for or supports my mentoring PhD students, so I am not accepting PhD students.