Virginia Sklar Muscatello
moattari
Lecturer
Ph.D.: University of California, Los Angeles
Primary Area: Interdisciplinary
Email: vsklar@ucla.edu
Biography:
Dr. Virginia “Ginny” Sklar Muscatello (she/her) is a developmental psychologist and educator whose work draws on her experience as both a special education teacher and researcher collaborating with autistic youth and mental health clinicians in community and school settings. Her teaching and research emphasize equity-minded, evidence-based practices in both the classroom and the broader field of research.
She earned her Ph.D. in Education, specializing in Human Development and Psychology, from UCLA in 2023. Since then, Dr. Sklar Muscatello has held dual Lecturer appointments in both the UCLA Life Sciences Core and the Department of Psychology. She teaches courses such as Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate Teaching, Psychological Statistics, and Undergraduate Research Methods, emphasizing active, learner-centered approaches to foster critical thinking and student empowerment.
Beyond her work at UCLA, Dr. Sklar Muscatello leads education and training initiatives for the research community at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). She develops, implements, and evaluates a comprehensive research education program designed to support clinical study teams, physician-researchers, and healthcare professionals in conducting high-quality, impactful research across various pediatric subspecialties.