Overview
Funding autism research is at the core of our mission.
We prioritize funding clever early-career investigators with cutting-edge ideas who need seed money to get their research off the ground. ASF pairs these researchers with established scientists who provide mentorship and training. The government and other funders have decreased funding for training grants, but we are committed to helping early-career scientists gather the initial data they need to attract major funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), all while encouraging the best and brightest researchers to dedicate their careers to autism.
Current Grantees
Save Our Scientists (SOS) Postdoctoral Grants
Indra Bishnoi, Ph.D. | Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School
Mentor: Evan Bordt, Ph.D.
Replacing a CHD8 Mouse Model System Lost to Federal Funding Cuts
Mutation of the CHD8 gene is strongly linked to autism and results in an enlarged brain and intellectual disability, along with ASD. Creating model systems of this gene variation are essential to better targeting therapeutics and understanding particular brain cells or systems that are crucial for the autism phenotype. Federal funding cuts resulted in the loss of several cell lines. In this project, funds will be restored to re-create the lost model system. Researchers will then use MRI to look at brain volume and count cells in different brain regions to correlate it to behavioral changes. This project will help researchers understand the impact of this gene variant, identify targets for interventions and build a system that can be used to develop new therapies for both CHD8-related autism and other forms as well.
Alexis Brewe, Ph.D. | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Mentor: Laura Klinger, Ph.D.
Adapting Mental Health Treatments for Autistic People
Autistic people often experience debilitating co-occurring mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, but are treated using methods that were not developed for those with autism. Often clinicians who adapt mental health therapies for people with autism do so in the absence of any actual experience with autistic people. This project will collect input and data from autistic people and clinicians with the goal of developing a practical guide for appropriate adaptations of mental health interventions.
Leticia Perez Sisquez, Ph.D. | King’s College London
Mentor: Laura C Andreae, Ph.D.
Manipulating Gene Expression to Restore Behavioral Function in Autism
Many genes have been linked to autism, but it remains unclear how those different genes lead to similar alterations in social interaction, communication, and behavior. One theory suggests that autism may involve an imbalance in brain activity, with too much or too little activation altering the expression of different autism related behaviors. This project is focused on CHARGE syndrome, a genetic condition associated with autism. Using a mouse model, researchers will examine different cell types and genes that regulate autism-related behaviors and will use gene therapies to restore function of the gene that is disrupted in CHARGE syndrome. This will help support the identification of new therapeutics to restore genetic expression and reverse behavioral deficits. This project was originally funded by NIH through a subaward, but funds were lost when support to all foreign institutions was cancelled.
Theo Vanneau, Ph.D. | Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Mentor: Sophie Molholm, Ph.D.
Tracking Brain Response to Speech in Profound Autism
Approximately 26% of individuals with autism are considered profound, which means they have intellectual disability (IQ<50) and are either nonverbal or minimally verbal. Little is known about how the brain works in this group of people, especially how those who are minimally verbal respond to sounds. This project will use EEG (a non-invasive way to record brain activity) speech and other sensory inputs to look at brain response to sound in different autism subgroups of those with profound autism. The results can help guide interventions and supports that are appropriate to each person’s needs.
Jo Ann Yon Hernandez, Ph.D. | University of California, Davis
Mentor: Marjorie Solomon, Ph.D.
Improving the Employment Experience of People with Autism
Many autistic adults want to work but have trouble finding and keeping jobs. Many struggle to navigate everyday social situations in the workplace, such as asking for help, receiving feedback, or resolving misunderstandings. This project adapts an existing program called Thinking Skills for Work (TSW) to the specific needs and challenges of autistic adults in supported employment. In collaboration with autistic adults, family members, job coaches, and employers, researchers will identify the most challenging problems and determine which supports are most helpful. Researchers will then develop a set of easy-to-use tools including clear, step-by-step problem-solving guides and an interactive chatbot that lets people practice common workplace scenarios and get quick feedback. This project will help develop practical, accessible resources for autistic adults to help them better handle social situations, maintain employment, and increase confidence in the workplace.
Undergraduate Summer Research Grants
Ines Choi | Yale University
Mentor: Flora Vaccarino, M.D.
Determining the cellular mechanisms of macrocephaly in ASD
Some individuals with autism show an early and immense enlargement of the brain, called “macrocephaly.” This is a cause of seizures and developmental delays, but the mechanism of how this happens is not fully understood. This study will analyze organoids generated from skin cells of individuals with macrocephaly to study genes expressed in cells called “radial glia,” which control the balance of new neurons in the brain. The findings will help neuroscientists understand the regulation of cell creation and proliferation, which ultimately will help understand why macrocephaly is seen in autism and how it can be remedied.
Aidan Gor | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Mentor: Xuyu Qian, Ph.D.
Mapping cortical disorganization in the autism brain
A prevailing theory of autism is that brain cells in a part of the brain called the cortex are disorganized, and cells are connected to one another abnormally. To examine the core mechanism behind this process, this project will examine how individual cells become misplaced, examining many different genes at once within those cells. This will be done in different areas of a layer of the brain called the cortex, in areas that are involved in autism features. This research will provide a better understanding of why brain cells are not properly connected, which is important for developing therapeutics.
Beatrice Hetke | The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
Mentor: Steve Scherer, Ph.D.
Investigating the role of PTCHD1-AS in autism using a gene editing approach
Typically, genetic researchers have focused on genetic material that codes for proteins, but recently, more interest has developed around “noncoding” genetic material. This project will use gene editing techniques to examine how a non-coding gene called PTCHD1-AS influences the expression of the autism risk gene DDX53, which has been recently linked to autism. This gene is located on the X chromosome and may help explain the gender bias in diagnosis. If successful, this will lead to novel therapeutic options that will be beneficial for those with autism.
Sol Park | University of Maryland
Mentor: Veronica Kang, Ph.D.
Creating a culturally sensitive autism tool to help Korean-American parents find resources
Many evidence-based autism interventions were developed in Western contexts and may not fully address the linguistic and cultural needs of underserved immigrant families. This project will examine whether embedding artificial intelligence technology into the Korean Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules program (K-AFIRM) helps families to better access services. Developing more culturally appropriate supports for families will expand access to care for a more diverse community.
Sonia Tran | University of California, Los Angeles
Mentor: Rujuta Wilson, M.D.
Expanding the use of early motor markers in the diagnosis of ASD
Before features of autism emerge in a toddler, motor delays may be seen, suggesting that they may be predictors of later outcomes. This study will use analysis of home videos to identify subtle changes in postures, leg movements, and movement patterns in infant siblings who have a high probability of an autism diagnosis. This method can offer a more inclusive pathway to earlier autism detection that could help narrow the diagnosis and the services gap in underserved communities.