Marian E. Williams

Marian E. Williams is a Clinical Professor at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, currently serving as Director of the Stein Tikun Olam Infant-Family Mental Health Initiative and Program Area Lead for Early Childhood Mental Health Programs at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. She specializes in infant-family mental health, developmental disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders, with expertise in trauma-informed, relationship-based interventions for families from prenatal care through outpatient services.

• Director, Stein Tikun Olam Infant-Family Mental Health Initiative
• Program Area Lead, Early Childhood Mental Health Programs
• Director of Interdisciplinary Training, USC UCEDD

Her research focuses on autism spectrum disorders, diagnostic assessment, sensory processing, and improving access to care for underresourced populations. Current projects include bilingual child development studies and implementation of evidence-based mental health interventions. She co-developed specialized training programs for psychology interns and postdoctoral fellows.

Scientific publications (2014-2024) demonstrate consistent contributions to infant mental health, autism research, and developmental disability studies, with particular emphasis on:

• Autism screening in tuberous sclerosis complex
• Sensory adaptations for dental care in autism
• Integration of RDoC framework with mental health
• Developmental screening limitations
• Early intervention system barriers
• Neurodevelopmental outcomes in high-risk infants

Dr. Williams has led multiple NIH-funded studies including the First Connections project supported by First Five LA, focusing on developmental screening and system linkage. Her work spans clinical intervention, policy analysis, and interdisciplinary training models for complex cases involving psychosocial, developmental, and medical challenges.