Aaron Kaat

Aaron Kaat is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. His research focuses on neurodevelopmental disorders, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), cognitive assessment tools, and psychometrics. He is affiliated with institutions such as the Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, the Center for Patient-Centered Outcomes, and the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS).

Kaat's work involves developing and validating standardized tools like the NIH Baby Toolbox® and Mobile Toolbox for assessing neurodevelopmental domains including executive function, memory, language, motor skills, and social-emotional functioning. His recent publications examine pandemic impacts on early intervention systems, cross-cultural psychometric validation, and clinical trial readiness for rare disorders like SCN2A-related syndromes and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

He employs mixed-methods approaches, simulation studies, and novel psychometric methodologies such as bookmarking and measurement invariance analysis. Research also includes technology-based assessments (iPad, smartphone platforms), caregiver-mediated interventions, and addressing biases in developmental measurements across diverse populations.