Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Maria Gabriela Valdovinos, PhD, is Ellis and Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa. She received her doctorate in Developmental and Child Psychology from the University of Kansas and completed post-doctoral work at Vanderbilt University's Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. Prior to beginning her studies in Kansas, Dr. Valdovinos worked in residential and day treatment settings with adults diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her experiences in these settings lead to her research interest in evaluating the pharmacological treatment of challenging behavior and the intersection between biological and behavioral events. Dr. Valdovinos is a Fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and of the American Psychological Association, Division 33, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities/Autism Spectrum Disorder.