Emily Hotez

Dr. Emily Hotez, Ph.D., is an assistant professor and developmental psychology researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles' Fielding School of Public Health and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is the Principal Investigator (PI) of a portfolio of studies focused on promoting the health and well-being of autistic individuals across the life course.

Currently, Dr. Hotez is the PI of the Stress, Health, and Autism Research (SHARE) Study—a study focused on the intersections of autism, chronic stress, and obesity in autistic adolescents and young adults—funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). She also leads several initiatives funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), including the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P), as well as two studies focused on autistic youth through the Autism Transitions Research Project (ATRP) and the Autism Secondary Data Analysis Research (SDAR) Award.

In addition to her national research projects, Dr. Hotez directs several international projects focused on enhancing the field of life course science. She is currently a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Life Course Intervention Working Group, where she leads a review of life course interventions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She is also working with the Ministry of Health in Santiago, Chile, to collaborate on the development and implementation of life course-oriented initiatives.

Across all of Dr. Hotez’s research, she relies on methodologies that are driven by the individuals, communities, and populations that the research seeks to serve. As the sister of an autistic adult, she is both professionally and personally committed to the success of this effort. Dr. Hotez received her B.A. in psychology from George Washington University and her Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Areas of Interest

• intersections of autism, chronic stress, and obesity in autistic adolescents and young adults
• interventions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities