Thao Tran

Thao Tran, DNP, RN-BC, APRN, FNP-BC, PHN, is a second-year graduate student enrolled in the PhD program at Georgia State University, in Atlanta, GA. She is simultaneously enrolled in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program at the University of Michigan. Her primary interests are in improving health outcomes for those diagnosed with a developmental disability and families who care for children and adults with a severe developmental disability.

While Ms. Tran is interested in intellectual and developmental disability, in general, she is currently focusing on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). According to the World Health Organization, people with ASD are much more vulnerable in terms of receiving help during a pandemic, humanitarian emergencies, or obtaining appropriate medical and mental health care. Despite the need for psychosocial interventions, not all families and their adult or child with a severe developmental disability can easily access and receive services to improve mental health outcomes.

With a history of working with the nation’s most difficult populations (i.e., Veterans, individuals with developmental disabilities, prisoners), Ms. Tran has continuously demonstrated her commitment to empower vulnerable populations who cannot easily communicate or access appropriate supports and evidence-based resources. She was selected as a regional advisory committee board member of Central Valley, California while engaged on the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. She also volunteers on the San Joaquin Valley Neurodevelopmental Collaborative and as a special education advocate with the California Department of General Services, Office of Administrative Hearings.

Ms. Tran is an active member of the American Nurses Association (ANA), Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society in Nursing, California chapter of the American Nurses Association, and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).