Grace Mathai Kuravackel, PhD

Licensed Psychologist, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Louisville Autism Center

How long have you worked in Pediatrics?   15 years

What is your favorite thing about your job?  

Working with individuals who have many challenges and being a part of their success however small or great. Achieving this success comes with a price and requires much patience and perseverance. I am extremely fortunate to be part of a multidisciplinary team of experienced and dedicated experts working with the common goal of achieving the best outcome for those we serve. As a team we cheer and support each other. I cherish the opportunities we have for research collaborations, personal development and serving on various committees in the hope of advancing our services and our commitment to the larger community.

What is your hometown?
Bangalore City, India

What is your favorite movie?
Red Dog

Tell us about your family:
Married to the most self-less and caring individual for over 22 years and parents to the most beautiful, amazing, and thoroughly spoilt, rescued Samoyed of 6 years. Also aunt and grand aunt to several nieces and nephews all of whom are very special and play an important part in our lives

Do you have pets?
Pets have always been an integral part of our lives. Currently we have Bianca, a rescued Samoyed who loves to play and shower unconditional love on everyone she meets. She is unique in that she never barks or howls but artfully communicates through body language alone.

What are you doing, where are you going, for your next vacation?
Gardening, hiking and travelling are what I enjoy doing outside of work. We have become quite skillful with accumulating air miles that we use for all our international travel. Antarctica is definitely on the bucket list.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I loved to read and was curious about everything so I wanted to be a librarian so I could access all the information I wanted.

What is one of your proudest accomplishments?
More recently I had the opportunity to receive funding to collaborate with researchers from the University of Kentucky to develop a parent training program for families with children with autism. Using telehealth we were able to provide this service to rural, underserved communities in Kentucky. Our research findings on this project showed decreased parent stress, decrease in child problem behavior and improvements in parent efficacy. This collaborative and successful effort that included so many community partners through the state of Kentucky was a truly gratifying experience that I have cherished.

What is your favorite quote?
“In His will is our peace” from Dante’s Divine Comedy.

What was your first job?
I was a student doing research at the National Institute of Mental Health & Neuroscience, Bangalore, India when I immigrated to Toronto, Canada in 1995. My first job during the day was as part time research assistant at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry and to supplement my income I worked night shifts as customer service representative for Sprint Canada. The night job taught me all I needed to know about conflict resolution, negotiation and keeping the customer happy, skills that have favored me in my career as a psychologist.

What is your favorite ice cream?
Butter Pecan