Benjamin L Handen, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Psychology, and Teaching, Learning and Leading
Contact Details
3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
PA
15213
Email handenbl@upmc.edu
Assistant
Sara McAuliffe-Bellin
Education & Training
PhD
Clinical Psychology, University of Massachusetts
MEd
Special Education, Boston College, School of Education
Clinical Psychology, Brown University
Psychology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Current Appointments
Director of Research, Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders
Research Interests
Down syndrome and dementia; ADHD in autism spectrum disorder; Parent training in autism spectrum disorder
Selected Research Publications & Products- Handen BL, Mapstone M, Hartley S, Andrews H, Christian B, Lee JH, Tudorascu D, Hom C, Ances BM, Zaman S, Krinsky-McHale S, Brickman AM, Rosas HD, Cohen A, Petersen M, OBryant S, Harp JP, Schmitt F, Ptomey L, Burns J, Lott IT, Lai F, Silverman W, Laymon C, Head E, the Alzheimers Biomarker Consortium Down Syndrome (ABC-DS). The Alzheimers Biomarker Consortium-Down Syndrome (ABC-DS): 10-Year Report. Alzheimers Dement. In Press
- Schworer EK, Handen BL, Krinsky-McHale S, Hom CL, Clare ICH, Harp JP, Pulsifer MB, Mapstone M, Head E, Christian BT, Hartley SL; Alzheimer Biomarker Consortium-Down Syndrome. Modified Cued Recall Test: Longitudinal Analysis of Test Versions and Item Recall in Adults With Down Syndrome. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2025 Apr 20. doi: 10.1111/jir.13237. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40254895.
- Janelidze S, Collij LE, Mattsson-Carlgren N, Antill A, Laymon C, Lott I, Rosas HD, Minhas DS, Luo W, Zaman S, the Alzheimers Biomarkers ConsortiumDown Syndrome study, Mapstone M, Head E, Lai F, Hartley SL, Ances BM, Krinsky-McHale SJ, Lee JH, Ossenkoppele R, Christian BT, Handen BL, Hansson O. Prediction of future amyloid and tau accumulation and cognitive decline in Down Syndrome using plasma biomarkers: a longitudinal cohort study. Lancet Neurol, 2025 July; 24.
- Schworer EK, Zammit MD, Wang J, Handen BL, Betthauser T, Laymon CM, Tudorascu DL, Cohen AD, Zaman SH, Ances BM, Mapstone M, Head E, Christian BT, Hartley SL; Alzheimer's Biomarker ConsortiumDown Syndrome (ABCDS). Timeline to symptomatic Alzheimer's disease in people with Down syndrome as assessed by amyloid-PET and tau-PET: a longitudinal cohort study. Lancet Neurol. 2024 Dec;23(12):1214-1224. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(24)00426-5. PMID: 39577922.
- Mazefsky, C., Conner, C., Siegle, G J., Scott, L, Bylsma, L, Beck, K, Antezana, L, Hu, X, Cohen, A, Borue, X, Handen, B. Advancing research on suicide and mental health in autistic adults through a Research Domain Criteria (RDoC)-inspired framework. Autism Adulthood. In press.
Clinical Interests
ADHD; Autism; Parent training
Selected Clinical Publications & Products- Bearss K, Johnson CR, Handen BL, Butter E, Lecavalier L, SmithT, Scahill L Parent Training for Disruptive Behavior: The RUBI Autism Network. London: Oxford University Press Inc; 2018.
- Lubetsky MJ, Handen BL, McGonigle JJ, editors. Autism spectrum disorder (Pittsburgh Pocket Psychiatry Series). London: Oxford University Press, Inc; 2011.
Education Interests
Research mentorship; Clinical supervision
