Post-Katrina New Orleans inspired this UVA student’s mission

January 6, 2026
Jessica Smith sitting at a table with an assortment of toys, books, and games

Jessica Smith grew up in New Orleans following 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, an experience that fueled the UVA School of Education and Human Development doctoral student’s study of autism screenings and earlier diagnoses. (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)

University of Virginia student Jessica Smith grew up in New Orleans during the years following Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 storm that devastated the city and surrounding areas. 

One thing Smith remembers well is the difficulty that she and her relatives with developmental and complex medical conditions had in finding care.

“In post-Katrina New Orleans, it was hard for most people to get a doctor’s appointment,” Smith said. “You could see that access to care was really limited, especially for those with complex medical needs.

“Growing up, I wondered, ‘Why is it harder for them than it is for other people to get care?’ Why does it matter where you live, or how far you’re willing or able to drive to be able to get access to a specialist?’”

Smith smiling and leaning on a banister

Jessica Smith’s research is being boosted by a fellowship from the National Institutes of Health’s Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards. (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)

Her commitment to answering those questions has never wavered. As a high school senior, she and her classmates were tasked with writing a letter to their future selves for their five-year high school reunion. 

In her letter, she wrote, “I hope you are getting your Ph.D. in psychology.”

Smith’s 18-year-old self would be proud. She’s now a doctoral student in clinical and school psychology at the UVA School of Education and Human Development, conducting research at the school’s Supporting Transformative Autism Research, or STAR, initiative.

Smith’s research focuses on improving access to early autism diagnosis, reflecting her commitment to improving access to care in communities where specialized care is limited, so people – like members of her own family – don’t have to wait months or drive for hours to get the care they deserve.

“Right now, the average age of diagnosis is around 4 years old, despite us being able to reliably diagnose autism as early as 18 months,” Smith said. “My focus is on understanding what services promote earlier access to autism diagnosis.”

This year, Smith’s research got a boost with funding from the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship from the National Institutes of Health. 

“The fellowship award is one of the most competitive and prestigious predoctoral awards for health-related research in the country,” said Micah Mazurek, 鶹ƽ Novartis U.S. Foundation Professor of Education and the director of the STAR initiative. “These proposals undergo the same rigorous scientific review process as other major NIH research grants, and awards are made to a very select group of applicants.”

With the award, Smith will investigate whether autism screenings at regular pediatrician check-ups lead to earlier diagnosis. She said studies link earlier age at diagnosis to positive outcomes, making it important to understand factors that may contribute to an earlier diagnosis.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends routine autism screening at early well-child visits, though routine screening is not universally implemented.

“Screening can be the beginning of a journey to diagnosis,” Smith said. “When a pediatrician or primary care physician conducts an autism screening and recommends the child for further evaluation, the family is then referred for a full diagnostic evaluation.”

Using real-world data from more than 70 million Americans, Smith’s project will be the first large-scale study to test whether young children who are screened in primary care are diagnosed sooner than those who are not.

Smith will also map the pathway autistic children take through health services from birth through to their formal diagnosis. She hopes to identify the different routes children take and which are associated with earlier diagnostic timing.

Smith’s fellowship will extend her time at STAR and the School of Education by two years, which means more time with two of the nation’s leading autism scholars: Mazurek and Kevin Pelphrey, Harrison Wood Jefferson Scholars Foundation Professor of Neurology at 鶹ƽ School of Medicine.

“I feel very, very lucky to learn from such powerhouses in the field,” Smith said. “It is a surreal feeling. I’ve always looked up to them and their contributions to autism research.”

With the aim of having a career in academia and research, Smith said she is excited to gain more skills through the project. 

“I want to have strong skills in analyzing real-world, complex data because the numbers you read in papers represent real people and their lives,” she said.

Media Contacts

Audrey Breen

Senior Associate Director of Communications School of Education and Human Development

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