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Current Members
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Jessica Bradshaw, Ph.D.,
University of South Carolina
Webpage
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Somer Bishop, Ph.D.,
University of California, San Francisco Weill Institute for Neurosciences
Webpage
My research is focused on improving tools that we use for autism screening and diagnosis, as well as developing better ways of measuring changes in social communication abilities.
Jessica Brian, Ph.D.,
Holland Bloorview/university of toronto
Holland Bloorview Hospital, Toronto, Canada
Webpage
Development and evaluation of early caregiver-mediated intervention for infants and toddlers. Early signs of emerging autism (behavioural, imaging). Community capacity-building.
Sarabeth Broder-Fingert, MD
UMASS Medical School
Department of Pediatrics
Webpage
@sbroderfingert (X and threds)
Our team is looking at innovations in early diagnosis and services for autism. We are testing new interventions that start as early as possible to support autistic children, as well as their families.
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Catherine Burrows, Ph.D.,
University of Minnesota Medical School
Department of Pediatrics
Webpage
Dr. Casey Burrows is an assistant professor of Pediatrics at UMN and psychologist in the autism clinic at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain. Her research aims to improve our understanding of autism and ability to identify concerns early in females and underserved populations.
Leslie Carver, Ph.D.,
University of California, San Diego
Webpage
I am currently studying how children learn by making predictions and anticipating outcomes. I examine brain networks that may be involved in this process, and my work tries to lay a foundation for understanding why social intuitions are difficult for children with autism.
Tony Charman, Ph.D.,
King's College London, United Kingdom
representative for British Autism Study of Infant Siblings (BASIS)
Webpage
We have been conducting systematic follow-ups to midchildhood (age 6 to 12 years) and looking at autism recurrence and emerging mental health conditions in the infant sibs as they develop.
Katarzyna Chawarska, Ph.D.,
Yale University
Webpage
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Sarah Dufek, Ph.D.,
MIND Institute, university of California, Davis
Webpage
In our lab, the Collaborative START laboratory, we have been focusing on projects designed to see how products developed in a research settings (for example, developmental screening tests, early intervention strategies) work in the real world.
Mirella Dapretto, Ph.D.,
University of California, Los Angeles
Webpage
I'd like to highlight two new papers resulting from our prior ACE project in infants at increased likelihood for developing autism. Specifically, we found that, in infants as young as 6 weeks of age, atypicalities in the Salience Network -- an early-emerging brain network involved in orienting attention to the most salient aspects of one's internal and external environment -- may predict the development of ASD symptomatology such as reduced social attention and atypical sensory processing. The observed direct tradeoff between attention to basic sensory versus socially-relevant information provides a plausible mechanistic account for the unfolding of atypical developmental trajectories associated with ASD. In another study we investigated how 9-month-old infants' brain responded to their native language versus a novel unfamiliar language. Here we found that infants at increased likelihood for developing autism showed attenuated responses to speech in general, particularly in left temporal language areas, as well as a lack of neural discrimination between the native and novel languages as compared to their counterparts at typical likelihood for autism. This fMRI study identifies autism-associated atypicalities in native language uptake during infancy well before language delays are typically noted.
Jed Elison, Ph.D.,
University of Minnesota
Webpage
Annette Estes, Ph.D.,
University of Washington
Webpage
@uwautismcenter(facebook and X)
My lab is investigating the developmental timing of sleep problems and how they change over time in autistic children. We are also evaluating the impact of sleep problems on daytime behavior and learning and how to help support children and families to sleep better.
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Jessica Girault, Ph.D.,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Webpage
Differences in the brain's visual processing networks are present in the first years of life in autism, and seem to persist into school-age. These differences can be traced to heritable factors in families. Together findings suggest that understanding more about the development of the visual system may hold important clues as to how autism unfolds across the first years of life.
Shula Green, Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles
Webpage
Dr. Green's research is focused on sensory processing differences in children with autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Recently, she has taken a developmental approach, showing that children with autism may have a delayed maturation of sensory regulation - meaning their brains take longer to develop the ability to cope with multiple or aversive sensory sensations. Her group also found that heart rate responses may be a good measure of sensory over-responsivity that can identify aversive sensory experiences even for children who may inhibit and mask their behavioral responses.
Heather Cody hazlett, Ph.D.,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Webpage
The IBIS network continues to follow our original cohort of infants and toddlers who are now teenagers. We are learning a lot about their development and outcomes.
Caitlin M. Hudac, Ph.D.
University of South Carolina
Webpage
In 2024, we continued working with children with rare genetic events linked to autism -- including a new grant to understand the links between the brain and attention, language and learning related to one gene called SETBP1. As part of the HEALthy Brain and Cognitive Development Study, we published an overview of the brain information we will be collecting using electroencephalography (EEG). By 2026, data will be available from ~2,000 babies across the country!
Jana Iverson, Ph.D.,
University of Pittsburgh
Webpage
@infantcommunicationlab(instagram)
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Shafali Spurling Jeste, M.D.,
Childrens hospital of Los Angeles
Webpage
@shafalijeste and @kinndlab (instagram)
@shafalijeste (linkedin)
My lab studies biomarkers of brain development in infants considered at higher risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, including baby siblings and also infants with genetic syndromes. We have also tested the effects of early intervention in infants with genetic syndromes such as Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. This work falls under a larger umbrella of "clinical trial readiness" in neurodevelopmental disorders.
Emily Jones, Ph.D.,
birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom
Webpage
@emilydevneuro(X)
We have been studying early differences in brain development in infants with a family history of autism and ADHD; we find differences as early as 5 months in infants with a later diagnosis.
Cheryl Klaiman, Ph.D.,
Emory University
Webpage
I study novel technologies that can be used to help us evaluate symptoms of autism. I am also looking at autism symptomatology in babies born prematurely as well as using markers such as EEG to help us understand neurobiological underpinnings especially when a clinician and technology are not in agreement diagnostically.
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Connie Kasari, Ph.D.,
University of California, Los Angles
Webpage
Currently we are studying optimal timing of early intervention for baby siblings from 9 to 15 months, but do not expect to have answers for 3-4 more years. In other work we are interested in infants showing different patterns of receptive and expressive language skills and how these characteristics affect response to early interventions and in how parents who have an older sibling with autism may interact with their second infant similar or different from parents with a first born child showing signs of autism.
Rebecca Landa, Ph.D.,
Kennedy Krieger Institute
Kennedy Krieger Webpage
Achievements Webpage
Early Signs Webpage
In 2024, my research primarily focused on innovative methods to detect autism and social communication delays early. I also focused on studying how best to empower parents to support their newly diagnosed toddler's development. In addition, my research focused on the effect of community teachers' use of evidence-based strategies on young children's emergent literacy learning.
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April levin, M.D.,
Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard University
Webpage
Kristen Lyall, Sc.D.,
drexel university
Webpage
My work has focused on the role of prenatal dietary factors, and the overlap of diet and endocrine disrupting chemicals with dietary sources, in relationship to autism. Within these studies, I have also sought to include comparisons that might tell us more about the development of autism and related outcomes- including, how does risk or observed associations with environmental exposures differ in studies of younger siblings of children with autism vs in children with autism drawn from general population studies, and how do associations compare when we use quantitative trait measures vs clinical diagnosis?
Suzanne Macari, Ph.D.,
Yale University
Webpage
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NATASHA MARRUS, M.D., Ph.D.,
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, ST. LOUIS
Webpage
Our lab studies early brain and behavioral markers of autism and their relationship to recurrence of ASD in families. We have found that early differences several behaviors important to child development are associated with likelihood of autism, including language and social motivation, and have also shown relationships between these behaviors and brain systems with evidence for contributing to autism. We also study signs of autism in children with Down syndrome, a group which has higher rates of autism than the general population.
Daniel Messinger, Ph.D.,
University of miami
Webpage
Meghan Miller, Ph.D.,
MIND Institute, University of California, Davis
Webpage
Charles Nelson, Ph.D.,
Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard University
Webpage
major focus now is on identifying autism in the first year of life, using EEG, in a primary care clinic that serves low income/high adversity families
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Sally Ozonoff, Ph.D.,
MIND Institute, University of California, Davis
Webpage
My lab studies methods for earlier identification of autism. In 2024, our research focused on development of more sensitive screening instruments and machine learning approaches to reduce errors in early autism screening.
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Joseph Piven, Ph.D.,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS) Network
Webpage
I study the causes and brain-behavior mechanisms underlying autism. My current focus in on early brain development, prior to the onset of the defining features of autism, in early infancy.
John Pruett, M.D, Ph.D.,
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Webpage
Our study, "MRI Based Presymptomatic Prediction of ASD," is closing out year 5, and was recently awarded an NIH COVID Recovery Supplement and a second no-cost extension to complete data collection and conduct analyses that will replicate and extend the IBIS Network's prior findings that MRI during the presymptomatic period in the first year of life accurately predicts autism at age 2.
Jane Roberts, Ph.D.,
University of South Carolina
Webpage
Our program of research focuses on early identification of autism, intellectual impairment, anxiety and ADHD in infants and young children at elevated genetic risk. We have discovered that early signs of these conditions are present in at least a subgroup of infants including both behavioral (e.g., social avoidance and inhibition) and biological (e.g., RSA) markers detected.
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Rachel Reetzke, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Kennedy Krieger Institute
Webpage
Leveraging behavioral, electrophysiological, and novel machine learning approaches, Dr. Reetzke’s research focuses on (a) characterizing early behavioral phenotypes and (b) identifying early neural correlates and predictors of different language trajectories and outcomes in infants at elevated likelihood for and toddlers with autism. The long-term goal of this work is to inform the development of cost-effective, scalable, objective outcome measures and to elucidate optimal mechanistic targets and timing for early intervention.
Diana Robins, Ph.D.,
AJ Drexel Autism Institute
Webpage
@AJdrexelautisminstitute (facebook)
@Dianalrobins (facebook)
Our toddler screening work showed that routine screening for children born preterm shows good sensitivity and specificity, and we do not recommend delaying screening for children born preterm. In another study, we demonstrated that pediatric practices randomized to high quality, routine screening identified more toddlers with high likelihood of autism, and at younger ages, compared to practices whose usual care did not include standardized screening for all toddlers. See https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1064967 for more detail.
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Lizzie Shephard, Ph.D.,
University of São Paulo, Brasil
Webpage
@ip.usp (instagram)
In my lab in Brazil we completed recruitment of babies with family history of autism and ADHD for our longitudinal study and clinical trial. We closed recruitment with 264 families! We also completed our clinical trial that is assessing whether the preemptive therapy iBASIS is helpful in supporting the development of infants with family history of autism and ADHD in Brazil. We are organising the data and preparing to analyse them to see what we find.
Sarah Shultz, Ph.D.,
Emory University
Webpage
Our research showed that autism can impact how infants and caregivers interact with each other during infants’ first 6 months. These findings suggest that early social differences in infants later diagnosed with autism can influence how caregivers engage and interact with their babies, shaping early learning opportunities.
Frederick Shic, Ph.D.,
University of Washington and Seattle Children's Research Institute
Webpage
@frederickshic (linkedin)
@fshic (X)
Our work in the Seattle Children's Innovative Technologies Lab focuses on early attentional, behavioral, and brain-based markers of autism as well as the use of technological innovations to support families with ASD. Together with Dr. Sara Jane Webb of the PBSLab, we are in the final stages of a longitudinal study, WONDER, which looks at how genetic and perinatal events shape the multi-dimensional developmental routes to autism and non-neurotypical outcomes. Our work suggests that attentional signatures both at neural and oculomotor levels are linked to language and other developmental outcomes.
Beth A. Smith, PT, DPT, Ph.D.,
The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
Webpage
Meghan Swanson, Ph.D.,
university of Minnesota
Webpage
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Meagan Talbott, Ph.D.,
UC Davis MIND Institute
Webpage
@meaganrtalbott (X)
We interviewed parents of toddlers who had participated in our study evaluating telehealth assessments for babies with early developmental concerns. We asked families to share their perspectives on their experiences with the study and navigating early concerns more generally. Families shared that assessments helped fill a gap in information and services during those early years, and recommended adding parent coaching supports. Another project looked at whether combining behavioral assessment measures could help identify infant siblings most likely to have developmental concerns in toddlerhood, including autism and other delays. We found that overall, very few infants showed clear differences on two or more measures in infancy. However, by 12 months, 19 of 20 infants who showed differences on two measures had developmental concerns in toddlerhood. This suggests infants with clear behavioral differences in the first year of life should be referred for evaluation and services to support their development.
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Sara Jane Webb, Ph.D.,
University of Washington and Seattle Children's Research Institute
Webpage
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Carol Wilkinson, M.D., PH.D
Boston Children's Hospital
harvard university
Webpage
Combining longitudinal EEG data across two infant sibling studies, we observe differences in brain activity at 3 months of age when comparing those with and without siblings with autism diagnoses. In addition, we observe that infants with later diagnosis of autism also exhibited greater changes in brain activity from 3 and 12 months of age. Amongst infant siblings, greater changes from 3-12 months were also associated with worse language development measured at 18 months. These early measures could help identify infant siblings with greater need of intervention.
Rujuta Wilson, M.D.,
University of california, los angeles
Webpage
Tiffany Woynaroski, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Frist center for Autism and Innovation
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center
Vanderbilt Brain Institute
Webpage
Dr. Woynaroski's laboratory is working to identify predictors of language outcomes and to develop treatments that may support language development in baby siblings of autistic children, who are at high likelihood not only for autism but also for language disorder. Her team recently found that we can predict the future language of baby sibs by looking at how they are communicating before they start to talk. Their pending study will evaluate whether teaching parents to use strategies that support communication development improves language acquisition in baby sibs across the country.
Shuting Zheng, Ph.D., BCBA
University of Texas at Austin
Webpage
@Shutingzhengphd (X)
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Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, Ph.D.,
University of Alberta, Canada
Webpage
early features vary by age of diagnosis (manuscript in preparation) - autistic toddlers show improvements in communication (joint attention skills) following participation a computerized intervention aimed at improving their visual attention skills
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