Jason Downer, Ph.D. is a senior research scientist at the University of Virginia, the assistant director of training at the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, clinical assistant professor in the Curry School of Education's Clinical and School Psychology program, and a licensed clinical psychologist in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Jason received his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, followed by a doctorate in clinical-community psychology from the University of South Carolina. He completed his clinical psychology internship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and postdoctoral work with Dr. Robert Pianta at the University of Virginia. Jason's primary research interests lie in identification and understanding of relevant contextual and relational contributors to young children's early achievement and social competence. In particular, his work focuses on the development of observational methods to capture valid, reliable estimates of teacher-child interactions and children's adjustment in preschool and elementary school classrooms, as well as the role of fathers in young children's early learning. Given his clinical training, Jason also has a keen interest in translating research-to-practice through school-based, classroom-focused interventions. Specifically, he is involved in several research efforts to examine an observation-based consultation approach to in-service professional development for teachers.