Christina Layton

Graduate Student
Entry Year: 2022-2023
Faculty Mentor(s): Loisa Bennetto

457 Meliora Hall
Fax: (585) 273-1100
clayton@ur.rochester.edu

Research Overview

My research interests focus on investigating the brain-behavior relationships and phenotypic subtypes of sensory processing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to inform sensory-based supports and improve quality of life for individuals with ASD. I am passionate about the inclusion of individuals of all levels of functioning in research and adapting research and intervention frameworks to better serve non-speaking and minimally speaking autistic people.

Selected Publications

• Kolevzon, A., Levy, T., Barkley, S., Bedrosian-Sermone, S., Davis, M., Foss-Feig, J., Halpern, D., Keller, K., Kostic, A., Layton, C., Lee, R., Lerman, B., Might, M., Sandin, S., Siper, P.M., Sloofman, L.G., Walker, H., Zweifach, J., Buxbaum, J.D. (2022). An OPen-Label Study Evaluating the Safety, Behavioral, and Electrophysiological Outcomes of Low-Dose Ketamine in Children with ADNP Syndrome. Human genetics and genomics advances.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xhgg.2022.100138
• Tavassoli, T., Layton, C., Levy, T., Rowe, M., George-Jones, J., Zweifach, J., Lurie, S., Buxbaum, J. D., Kolevzon, A., & Siper, P. M. (2021). Sensory Reactivity Phenotype in Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Is Distinct from Idiopathic ASD. Genes, 12(7), 977. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12070977
• Siper, P. M., Layton, C., Levy, T., Lurie, S., Benrey, N., Zweifach, J., Rowe, M., Tang, L., Guillory, S., Halpern, D., Giserman-Kiss, I., Del Pilar Trelles, M., Foss-Feig, J. H., De Rubeis, S., Tavassoli, T., Buxbaum, J. D., & Kolevzon, A. (2021). Sensory Reactivity Symptoms Are a Core Feature of ADNPSyndrome Irrespective of Autism Diagnosis. Genes, 12(3), 351. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12030351
• Fastman, J., Foss-Feig, J.H., Frank, Y., Halpern, D., Harony-Nicholas, H., Layton, C., Sandin, S., Siper, P.M., Tang, L., Trelles, P., Zweifach, J., Buxbaum, J.D., Kolvezon, A. (2021). A Randomized Controlled Trial of Intranasal Oxytocin in Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. Molecular autism, 12(1), 62. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-021-00459-1
• Levy, T., Foss-Feig, J.H., Bentacur, C., Siper, P.M., Trelles, P., Halpern, D., Frank, Y., Lozano, R., Layton, C., Britvan, B., Bernstein, J.A., Buxbaum, J.D., Berry-Kravis, E., Powell, C.M., Sahin, M., Soorya, L., Thurm, A., Kolevzon, A., and the Developmental Synaptopathies Consortium (2021).
• Strong Evidence for Genotype-Phenotype Correlations in Phelan-McDermid Syndrome: Results from the Developmental Synaptopathies Consortium. Human molecular genetics, 31(4), 625–637. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddab280
• Tang, L., Levy, T., Guillory, S., Halpern, D., Zweifach, J., Giserman-Kiss, I., Foss-Feig, J. H., Frank, Y., Lozano, R., Belani, P., Layton, C., Lerman, B., Frowner, E., Breen, M. S., De Rubeis, S., Kostic, A., Kolevzon, A., Buxbaum, J. D., Siper, P. M., & Grice, D. E. (2021). Prospective and detailed behavioral phenotyping in DDX3X syndrome. Molecular autism, 12(1), 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-021-00431-z

Poster Presentation

• Layton, C., Siper, P.M (2022, May). The Development and Implementation of an Anonymous Survey to Measure Caregiver Satisfaction with Sensory Interventions for Children with Autism and Related Conditions. Poster presented at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting, Austin, TX.
• Siper, P.M., Layton, C., Levy, T., Zweifach, J., Sethraum, S., Foss-Feig, J., Buxbaum, J.D., Kolevzon, A. (2022, May). The Sensory Assessment for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (SAND) in Neurogenetic Syndromes: Natural History, Response to Treatment, and Relationships with Core Symptoms. Panel presentation at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting, Austin, TX
• Massa, A., Levy, T., Halpern, D., Walker, H., Friedman, K., Lerman, B., Barkley, S., Layton, C., Siper, P.M., Foss-Feig, J.H., Buxbaum, J.D., Kolevzon, A. (2022, May). The Effect of Low-Dose Ketamine on Aberrant Behaviors in Children with ADNP Syndrome. Poster presented at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting, Austin TX.
• Layton, C., Levy, T., Lurie, S.M, Benrey, N., Zweifach, J., Rowe, M., L. Tang., Guillory, S., Halpern, D., Giserman-Kiss, I., Trelles, P., Foss-Feig, J.H., Buxbaum, J.D., Kolevzon, A., Siper, P.M (2021, May). Objective Assessment of Sensory Reactivity in ADNP Syndrome. Poster presented virtually at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting
• Siper, P.M., Bragg, J., Layton, C., Rowe, M., Zweifach, J., Tavassoli, T. (2021, May). The Sensory Assessment for Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Infant and Toddler Version. Poster presented virtually at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting
• Barkley, S., Keller, K., Lerman, B., Walker, H., Tang, L., Grosman, H., Layton, C., Britvan, B., McLaughlin, C., Levy, T., Zweifach, J., Guillory, S., Buxbaum, J.D, Kolevzon, A., Siper, P.M., Foss-Feig, J.H. (2021, May). Sensory Correlates of Electrophysiological Responses to Repeated Auditory Stimuli in Activity-Dependent Neuroprotective Protein Syndrome. Poster presented virtually at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting
• Layton, C., Rowe, M., Walker, H., Britvan, B., George-Jones, J., Lurie, S., Siper, P.M. (2020, May). Short-duration transient visual evoked potentials in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Poster accepted at the International Society for Autism Research Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
• Layton, C., Isenstein, E.L., Guillory, S., McLaughlin, C., Migó M., Falade I., Yao, B., Grosman, H., Voulgarakis, H., Zweifach, J., Halpern, D., Siper, P.M., Kolevzon, A., Roach, B., Mathalon, D., Thakkar, K.N., Foss-Feig, J.H.  (2019, May). Associations between clinical features and neural markers of sensory processing in children with autism spectrum disorder. Poster presented at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada
• Yao, B., McLaughlin, C., Isenstein, E.L, Grosman, H., Guillory, S., Layton, C., Falade, I., Rolfs, M., Foss-Feig, J.H., K. N. Thakkar. (2019, May). Clinical Correlates of Corollary Discharge Signaling in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Poster presented at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada
• Migó, M., Guillory, S., McLaughlin, C., Isenstein, E.L., Grosman, H., Layton, C., Thakkar, K.N., Castellanos, F.X., Foss-Feig, J.H. (2019, January). Electrophysiological markers of motor preparation in ASD and their association with ADHD symptoms. Poster presented at the Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention, Washington, D.C.
• Isenstein, E.L., McCarthy, M., Belizaire, G., Zhang, Y., Layton, C., Servedio, N., Gorenstein, M., Foss-Feig, J.H. (2017, October). Electrophysiological evidence of corollary discharge deficits in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Poster presented at the 4th Annual Brain Imaging Center Symposium presented by the Friedman Brain Institute, New York, NY

Honors

• 2022: Outstanding Achievement on the Integrative Project, Columbia University (Title: Caregiver-Endorsed Intervention Strategies for Sensory Reactivity Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
• 2018: Autism Science Foundation Undergraduate Summer Research Grant Recipient (Proposal Title: Sensory Consequences of Action in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder)
• 2017-2019: Wolfstein Scholarship Recipient for Pre-Medical Studies, Northwestern University

Additional Information

2020-2022: Columbia University, Teachers College, M.A. in Psychology in Education (Concentration in Neuroscience)

2019-2022: Clinical Research Coordinator, Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (PIs: Drs. Paige Siper, Jennifer Foss-Feig, and Alexander Kolevzon)

2015-2019: Northwestern University, B.S. in communication

2015-2019: Research Assistant, Neurodevelopment Disabilities Lab, Northwestern University (PI: Dr. Molly Losh)