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William McIlvane PhD

TitleProfessor Emeritus
InstitutionUMass Chan Medical School
DepartmentPsychiatry
AddressUMass Chan Medical School
55 Lake Avenue North
Worcester MA 01655
Phone774-455-4023
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    Other Positions
    InstitutionT.H. Chan School of Medicine
    DepartmentPediatrics

    InstitutionT.H. Chan School of Medicine
    DepartmentPsychiatry
    DivisionPsychiatry Research


    Collapse Biography 
    Collapse education and training
    New York University, New York, NY, United StatesBAPsychology
    Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United StatesMAExperimental Psychology
    Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United StatesPHDExperimental Psychology

    Collapse Overview 
    Collapse overview

    Academic Background

    B.A., New York University, 1974
    M.A., Northeastern University, 1978
    Ph.D., Northeastern University, 1986

    Current Appointments:

    2006-   NICHD DSR Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Center SEP

    2006-   Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA

    2003-2013  Director, E. K. Shriver Center (EKS), University of Massachusetts Medical School, Waltham, MA

    2000-  Professor (tenured), Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA

    1994-  Director, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA


    Professional Service:

    2001-2005 Program Director, Gatlinburg Conference for Research on MR/DD
    2000- President, Division 25, American Psychological Association
    1999  Board Coordinator for Research and Science Policy, Association for Behavior Analysis
    1997-2004 Massachusetts Governor's Commission on Mental Retardation
    1995- Board of Editors, Mental Retardation Developmental Disabilities Research Review
    1992- Associate Editor, International Review of Research in Mental Retardation

    Research and Professional Interests

    William McIlvane, Ph.D.

    Dr. Mcllvane directs a broad research program that addresses a variety of scientific problems relevant to understanding and perhaps correcting behavior deficits of persons with neurodevelopmental disabilities. One area of deficit, for example, is in symbolic behaviors involved in communication (speaking, listening, reading, writing, etc.). One focus of his program is development of methods to encourage progressively more rapid learning of symbolic behaviors. Another is to adapt behavioral neuroscience methods - including animal modeling - to further understanding of brain processes involved in symbolic behavior. A second focus of Dr. Mcllvane's program is to develop valid nonverbal neuropsychological testing methods for use with individuals and populations that do not understand verbal instructions. Methods developed in this aspect of his research have been adapted to further understanding of the behavioral profiles associated with disorders such as autism, depression, and neurotoxicant exposure. In addition, Dr. Mcllvane's program has a strong research-to-practice emphasis. For example, methods emerging from laboratory research are being used to teach practical skills in regular and special education classrooms in both the United States and in Brasil.

    Regarding mentoring, Dr. McIlvane has long been involved in programs offering pre- and post-doctoral training within his areas of interest. He is also a mentor to junior faculty in developing productive, competitive programs of research in the neurodevelopmental disabilities. 

    Ongoing Projects

    Optimizing Initial Communication for Children with Autsim
    Instsructional Technology: A Picture-Aided Communication Systems Manager
    Atypical Effects of Reinforcement Procedures in Autism


    Collapse Rotation Projects

    Additional information about lab rotations within the CPHR program can be found athttp://www.umassmed.edu/cphr/program/rotations.aspx



    Collapse Bibliographic 
    Collapse selected publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.
    Newest   |   Oldest   |   Most Cited   |   Most Discussed   |   Timeline   |   Field Summary   |   Plain Text
    PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.
    1. McIlvane WJ, Iversen IH, Lattal KA, Lionello-DeNolf KM, Petursdottir AI. An appreciation of Murray Sidman's science and his impact. J Exp Anal Behav. 2021 01; 115(1):4-12. PMID: 33369746.
      Citations:    Fields:    
    2. McIlvane WJ. Appreciation of Joe Spradlin. J Appl Behav Anal. 2020 09; 53(4):1957. PMID: 32909262.
      Citations:    Fields:    Translation:Humans
    3. McIlvane WJ, Kledaras JB, Gerard CJ, Wilde L, Smelson D. Algorithmic analysis of relational learning processes in instructional technology: Some implications for basic, translational, and applied research. Behav Processes. 2018 Jul; 152:18-25. PMID: 29544867.
      Citations:    Fields:    Translation:Humans
    4. de Faria Brino AL, da Silva Campos R, de Faria Galv?o O, McIlvane WJ. Blank-comparison matching-to-sample reveals a false positive symmetry test in a capuchin monkey. Psychol Neurosci. 2014 Jun 01; 7(2):193-198. PMID: 25383161.
      Citations:    
    5. Gerard CJ, Mackay HA, Thompson B, McIlvane WJ. Rapid generation of balanced trial distributions for discrimination learning procedures: a technical note. J Exp Anal Behav. 2014 Jan; 101(1):171-8. PMID: 24249664.
      Citations: 2     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    6. McIlvane WJ. "Associative concept learning in animals" by Zentall, Wasserman, and Urcuioli: a commentary. J Exp Anal Behav. 2014 01; 101(1):161-4. PMID: 24249692.
      Citations: 3     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimals
    7. Deutsch CK, McIlvane WJ. Non-Mendelian etiologic factors in neuropsychiatric illness: pleiotropy, epigenetics, and convergence. Behav Brain Sci. 2012 Oct; 35(5):363-4. PMID: 23095384.
      Citations: 4     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    8. McIlvane WJ, Kledaras JB. Some Things We Learned from Sidman and Some We Did Not (We Think). Eur J Behav Anal. 2012; 13(1):97-109. PMID: 23255872.
      Citations:    
    9. Gil, M. S., Oliveira, T. P., & McIlvane, W. J. Conditional discriminations by preverbal children in an identity matching-to-sample task. The Psychological Record. 2011; 61(3):327-340.
    10. McIlvane, W. J., Dube, W. V., Lionello-DeNolf, K. M., Serna, R. W., Barros, R. S., & Galvão, O. F. . Some current dimensions of translational behavior analysis: From laboratory research to intervention for persons with autism spectrum disorders. In J. A. Mulick, & E. A. Mayville (Eds.), Behavioral foundations of effective autism treatment. 2011; 155-181.
    11. Dube WV, Dickson CA, Balsamo LM, O'Donnell KL, Tomanari GY, Farren KM, Wheeler EE, McIlvane WJ. Observing behavior and atypically restricted stimulus control. J Exp Anal Behav. 2010 Nov; 94(3):297-313. PMID: 21541173.
      Citations: 7     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    12. Lionello-DeNolf KM, Dube WV, McIlvane WJ. Evaluation of resistance to change under different disrupter conditions in children with autism and severe intellectual disability. J Exp Anal Behav. 2010 May; 93(3):369-83. PMID: 21119851.
      Citations: 7     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    13. Brino, A. L. F., Assumpção, A. P. B., Campos, R. S., Galvão, O. F., & McIlvane, W. J. Cebus cf. apella exhibits rapid acquisition of complex stimulus relations and emergent performance by exclusion. Psychology and Neuroscience. 2010; 3(2):209 - 215.
    14. McIlvane, W.J. Comments on Sidman's remarks. European Journal of Behavior Analysis. 2010; 12:339-341.
    15. Dube WV, Ahearn WH, Lionello-Denolf K, McIlvane WJ. Behavioral Momentum: Translational Research in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Behav Anal Today. 2009 Sep 09; 10(2):238-253. PMID: 20936093.
      Citations:    
    16. Wilkinson KM, Rosenquist C, McIlvane WJ. EXCLUSION LEARNING AND EMERGENT SYMBOLIC CATEGORY FORMATION IN INDIVIDUALS WITH SEVERE LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES. Psychol Rec. 2009 Apr 01; 59(2):187. PMID: 20148195.
      Citations:    
    17. de Souza DG, de Rose JC, Faleiros TC, Bortoloti R, Hanna ES, McIlvane WJ. Teaching Generative Reading Via Recombination of Minimal Textual Units: A Legacy of Verbal Behavior to Children in Brazil. Rev Int Psicol Ter Psicol. 2009 Mar 01; 9(1):19-44. PMID: 19960112.
      Citations:    
    18. Hübner, M. M., Gomes, R. C., & McIlvane, W. J. Recombinative generalization in minimal verbal unit-based reading instruction for pre-reading children. Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior Bulletin. 2009; 27:11-17.
    19. McIlvane WJ. Translational behavior analysis: from laboratory science in stimulus control to intervention with persons with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Behav Anal. 2009; 32(2):273-80. PMID: 22478526.
      Citations:    
    20. Deutsch CK, Ludwig WW, McIlvane WJ. Heterogeneity and hypothesis testing in neuropsychiatric illness. Behav Brain Sci. 2008 Jun; 31(3):266-267. PMID: 24013907.
      Citations: 2     Fields:    
    21. Lionello-Denolf KM, Barros RD, McIlvane WJ. A NOVEL METHOD FOR TEACHING THE FIRST INSTANCES OF SIMPLE DISCRIMINATION TO NONVERBAL CHILDREN WITH AUTISM IN A LABORATORY ENVIRONMENT. Psychol Rec. 2008; 58(2):229-244. PMID: 19606260.
      Citations:    
    22. Deutsch CK, Dube WV, McIlvane WJ. Attention deficits, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and intellectual disabilities. Dev Disabil Res Rev. 2008; 14(4):285-92. PMID: 19072752.
      Citations: 11     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    23. Charlot L, Deutsch CK, Albert A, Hunt A, Connor DF, McIlvane WJ. Mood and Anxiety Symptoms in Psychiatric Inpatients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Depression. J Ment Health Res Intellect Disabil. 2008; 1(4):238-253. PMID: 24009649.
      Citations:    
    24. Lionello-Denolf KM, McIlvane WJ, Canovas DS, de Souza DG, Barros RS. REVERSAL LEARNING SET AND FUNCTIONAL EQUIVALENCE IN CHILDREN WITH AND WITHOUT AUTISM. Psychol Rec. 2008 Jan 01; 58(1):15-36. PMID: 20186287.
      Citations:    
    25. Ferrari C, de Rose JC, McIlvane WJ. A COMPARISON OF EXCLUSION AND TRIAL-AND-ERROR PROCEDURES: PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EFFECTS. Exp Anal Hum Behav Bull. 2008; 29:9-16. PMID: 20390055.
      Citations:    
    26. Dube WV, McIlvane WJ, Mazzitelli K, McNamara B. Reinforcer rate effects and behavioral momentum in individuals with developmental disabilities. Am J Ment Retard. 2003 Mar; 108(2):134-43. PMID: 12564945.
      Citations: 11     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    27. McIlvane WJ, Kledaras JB, Callahan TC, Dube WV. High-probability stimulus control topographies with delayed S+ onset in a simultaneous discrimination procedure. J Exp Anal Behav. 2002 Mar; 77(2):189-98. PMID: 11936251.
      Citations: 10     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    28. Dube WV, McIlvane WJ. Quantitative assessments of sensitivity to reinforcement contingencies in mental retardation. Am J Ment Retard. 2002 Mar; 107(2):136-45. PMID: 11853531.
      Citations: 5     Fields:    Translation:Humans
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