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Science in Your Area

Autism Speaks Funded Science in Maryland

Since 1997, Autism Speaks has funded over $4,127,866 in research grants in the state of Maryland. Funded studies include work done at:

Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine
Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Autism & Developmental Disabilites Epidemiology
Kennedy Krieger Institute
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, School of Medicine
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Morgan State University
Anthro Tonix, Inc.
Neurodevelopmental Diagnostic Center for Young Children, Inc.

National Science Initiatives

Autism Treatment Network
- Kennedy Krieger Institute (Baltimore, MD)
Clinical Trials Network

Participate in Research

Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE)- for two or more family members affected by autism
Family Participation in Research - connecting families with researchers recruiting participants
Interactive Autism Network (IAN) - an online project allowing parents to report information about their child's diagnosis, behavior, environment, services received, as well as progress over time.
Autism Tissue Program (ATP) - a parent-led post-mortem brain tissue donation program

Spotlight on Pilot Awards:

Walter Kaufmann, M.D.
Kennedy Krieger Institute
$120,000 for 2 years

Autism spectrum disorder in Down syndrome: a model of repetitive and stereotypic behavior for idiopathic ASD

The present study will test and further confirm the hypothesis that the diagnosis of Down syndrome plus ASD is associated with both a unique behavioral profile and distinctive genetic characteristics. 70 boys with Down syndrome, with and without ASD, will be recruited for this study. Subjects will be evaluated for behavioral problems, including stereotypies and developmental regression, using methods of analysis which have not yet been applied to studying behavior in Down syndrome.

This research may lead to improved diagnoses and treatment of Down syndrome plus ASD, and provide insight into various behavioral aspects of ASDs.

Click here for a full listing of Pilot Awards

Spotlight on Basic and Clinical Awards:

Stewart Mostofsky, M.D.
Kennedy Krieger Institute
$450,000 for 3 years

Novel approaches for investigating the neurology of autism: detailed morphometric analysis and correlation with motor impairment

To examine the brain structure of autistic children, these researchers will use a computational technique known as large deformation diffeomorphic metric mapping, or LDDMM, to measure not just the size but the shape of particular brain regions. They will also use diffusion tensor imaging to examine the structure of white matter tracts, which carry neural information between brain regions. These structural analyses will provide much more detail than simple measurements of the area or volume brain regions. Next, they will collect behavioral data on motor coordination from their subjects, and determine whether changes in the shape, size, or white matter tracts of any particular brain regions are associated with particular motor difficulties.

More accurate identification of changes to brain anatomy in autism may provide new and powerful tools for the early diagnosis and evaluation of autism.

Click here to for a full listing of Basic and Clinical Awards.

To read the more information on either of these studies and for a full list of the Autism Speaks funded treatment grants, please visit the Autism Speaks Latest Research page.