UF Health CAN
Steering Committee
UF CAN Interim Director
Carol Mathews, MD
Dr. Mathews is the interim director of UF CAN. She is also the director of the UF Center for OCD, Anxiety, and Related Disorders (UF COARD).
Parent of Child with Autism
Jeremy S. Melker, MD
Dr. Melker is volunteer at the UF Health Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment.
Autism Advocate
Leslie Okun, RN-BSN, BA
Leslie is a volunteer at the UF Health Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment.
UF CARD Director
Ann-Marie Orlando, PhD., CCC-SLP
Dr. Orlando is the director of the UF Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UF CARD). She is also a research assistant professor at the UF College of Medicine.
Behavior Analyst
Kerri Peters, PhD., BCBA-D
Dr. Peters is the clinical director of the Florida Autism Center Specialty Clinics. She is a Behavior Analyst at UF Health and conducts clinical research in applied behavior analysis with emphases in autism and intellectual disabilities.
Santa Fe College Representative
Dan Rodkin, Ed.D.
Dr. Rodkin is the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at Santa Fe College.
Occupational Therapy
Heather Simpson, OTD, OTR/L
Dr. Simpson is a board-certified occupational therapist at UF Health. She specializes in movement- and anxiety-related disorders. Dr. Simpson is also the clinic coordinator of the Tourette Association of America Center of Excellence and the Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence.
Psychiatry
Takahiro Soda, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Soda is the medical director of UF CAN. He is board certified in general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. He conducts clinical research in autism and neurodevelopmental disorders in adults, adolescents, and children.
Pediatric Neurology
Brandon Zielinski, MD, PhD
Dr. Zielinski is the scientific director of UF CAN and the chief of pediatric neurology at the UF College of Medicine. He is board certified in neurology and psychiatry with a special qualification in pediatric neurology. At UF Health, he cares for pediatric patients with seizure, stroke, and traumatic brain injury among other neurological conditions.
Director, Center on Children and Families
Stacey Steinberg
Stacey is the supervising attorney for the Gator TeamChild Juvenile Law Clinic. She also serves as director for the Center on Children and Families.
