The UCLA Center of Excellence in Maternal & Child Health is pleased to host its fourth annual symposium in collaboration with the University of California Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. The event will feature plenary speaker Dr. Jessica Rast who will present on pregnancy and obstetric care in people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Jessica Rast is a research scientist at the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute of Drexel University. She works in the policy and analytics center examining questions about the lives, experiences, and services of autistic people. In her role, she catalogues and analyzes existing national data sources to present a national picture of experiences across life domains and the life span. Rooted in a life course approach to study, much of her work focuses on transition periods. She is particularly interested in health, health care, and models of health service provision, including examining ways primary care can facilitate mental health care in autistic children and adults.