Autism Speaks Funded Science in Illinois

Autism Speaks has funded over $1,442,950 in research grants in the state of Illinois. Funded studies include work done at:

• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 
• University of Illinois
• University of Illinois at Chicago 
• University of Illinois at Chicago, Institute for Juvenile Research 
• University of Chicago
• Northwestern University 

Spotlight on Basic and Clinical Awards:

Christopher Monk, Ph.D.
University of Michigan
$450,000 for 3 years

Neural correlates of serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and social impairment in ASD

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a method of visualizing neural activity in specific brain regions, they will examine the amygdala and pVFC in subjects while they perform a social task, such as recognizing emotions in facial expressions. The subjects will be chosen from four groups: autistics with two copies of the S allele or no copies of the S allele, and typical, non-autistic individuals with two copies of the S allele or no copies of the S allele. This experiment will allow the researchers to determine whether this genetic variant is associated with overactivity in the amygdala and pVFC, and how this relates to the severity of social impairment in both autistics and non-autistics.

Linking genotype to the abnormal activity of neural pathways responsible for social impairments will be important in understanding the causes of this debilitating symptom of autism.

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

Clinical Trials Network:  University of Illinois, Chicago (Chicago, IL) - Participating site.

To learn more about the network or ongoing trials:  www.autismspeaks.org/ctn and www.clinicaltrials.gov

Did you Know....Autism Speaks sponsored the first of its kind Immunology Workshop which evaluated the current of knowledge about the potential role of immunological factors in the pathogenesis of autism, and to outlined critical areas of future research to clarify the relationship of such factors to autism and investigate their potential relevance for therapeutic interventions.

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