David Randal Hessl

David Randal Hessl is a Professor in the Division of Clinical Psychiatry at the UC Davis Health MIND Institute, University of California, Davis. He holds affiliations with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Center for Neuroscience. His clinical expertise focuses on neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, and intellectual disability. He directs the Translational Psychophysiology and Assessment Laboratory (T-PAL), investigating emotional psychophysiology in children with neurodevelopmental disorders and developing novel clinical trial outcome measures. His research integrates brain imaging, molecular genetics, and neuropsychology to study fragile X-associated disorders, such as fragile X syndrome and FXTAS.

Dr. Hessl's education includes a B.A. from UCLA (1989), an M.S. and Ph.D. in Child Clinical and Developmental Psychology from the University of Washington (1995–1997), followed by internship at Stanford University and a postdoctoral fellowship at UC Berkeley. He has received multiple awards, including the Jarrett Cole Clinical Award (2012) and the John Merck Foundation Scholarship (2012). His work emphasizes translating scientific insights into clinical care, prioritizing patient-centered approaches and humor in connecting with patients.

His research spans biomarker development, cognitive assessments for disabilities, and understanding genetic-brain-behavior links in neurodevelopmental disorders. Collaborative studies include investigations into metabolic profiles in FXTAS and soy formula impacts on fragile X comorbidities. He contributes to clinical trials and assessment tools for conditions like autism and intellectual disabilities.

• Awards:
  • John Merck Foundation Scholar (2012)
  • Jarrett Cole Clinical Award (2012)
  • Dean’s Team Award (2009)
• Labs/Teams: Translational Psychophysiology and Assessment Laboratory (T-PAL), MIND Institute interdisciplinary team
• Grants/Funding: Not explicitly stated in text, but implied through award affiliations