Anila Maria D’Mello is an assistant professor and Jon Heighten Scholar in Autism Research within the Department of Psychiatry and Peter O’Donnell, Jr. Brain Institute at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She also holds an appointment in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Dallas. D’Mello received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Georgetown University, and her doctorate in behavior, cognition and neuroscience from American University. She completed postdoctoral training at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. D’Mello’s lab combines neuroimaging, neuropsychological assessment and behavioral experimentation to elucidate the brain circuits and mechanisms that support language and cognition in children and adults, and to understand how these circuits differ in neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism. The D’Mello Lab is particularly interested in the role of cerebro-cerebellar circuits in language and cognition across human development and disorders. D’Mello is currently a SFARI Bridge to Independence Fellow.