Public release date: 21-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jane E. Rubinstein jrubinstein@rubenstein.com 212-843-8287 Autism Speaks

New York, N.Y. (June 21, 2012) Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, today announced the award of new research grants totaling nearly $2.9 million in funding to support autism research. "Suzanne and I are extraordinarily proud of Autism Speaks, not only for funding research projects which have tremendous potential to open new avenues to understanding autism," said Autism Speaks Co-founder Bob Wright, "but in supporting predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows who are the next generation of leaders in autism research."

The projects approved include a Suzanne and Bob Wright Trailblazer Award, ten Weatherstone Predoctoral Fellowships and nine Postdoctoral Fellowships in Translational Research. In addition, five targeted research studies which support research across a range of high-priority areas were funded. These include environmental risk factors, understanding the impact of DSM-5 on autism diagnosis, the development of medicines, new behavioral treatments across the lifespan, improved access to early intervention in minority communities and a deeper understanding of autism biology.

"We are extremely gratified by the high quality of these research projects. These projects focus on issues that directly affect the lives of individuals with autism, such as the development of new treatments, the impact of the new diagnostic criteria for autism, and understanding the causes of autism," says Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Geri Dawson, Ph.D. "and the fellowships are so important for bringing new talent into the field."

The new Trailblazer project was awarded to Raymond Palmer, Ph.D., an expert in preventive medicine and epidemiology at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center to investigate the use of baby teeth to track exposure to chemicals during the prenatal and postnatal period that may affect autism risk. "The lack of methods to determine environmental exposures during critical periods of early development has long challenged research into environmental risk factors for autism," Dr. Dawson says of the study's importance. Dr. Palmer pioneered the use of lost baby teeth to detect prenatal and early childhood exposure pesticides, drugs and other environmental chemicals in typically developing children. After further validating the method, the goal will be to compare baby teeth from children with autism to those from a control group unaffected by the disorder.

Targeted research projects, reviewed by outside experts and the Autism Speaks Scientific Review Panel address timely autism research studies.

David Mandell, Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania, will develop and evaluate the effects of a population-based program to improve early diagnosis and referral for autism services in an underserved minority community.

Two projects will use animal models that promise to advance the development of autism medicines. Joseph Buxbaum, Ph.D., of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, will use rat models to identify brain pathways common to several forms of autism. Richard Paylor, Ph.D., of Baylor College of Medicine, will complete his classification of autism-like behaviors in genetically engineered rat models of autism.

At the University of South Carolina, Laura Carpenter, Ph.D. will conduct a study that promises to provide clearer information on the effect of proposed changes to the definition of ASD in the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5). She will also assess how these changes will affect the estimated prevalence of autism using two different population-screening methods.

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Autism Speaks awards nearly $2.9 million to fund autism research