Yale School of Medicine has received a $27.7 million grant to develop a research project that combines advanced brain science and technology with practical communication strategies to find new, non-invasive ways to help people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) communicate more effectively.
The funding is from ARIA, or Aligning Research to Impact Autism, an initiative supported by the Sergey Brin Family Foundation, which also supports research on Parkinson’s disease and bipolar disorder.
Sergey Brin, a computer scientist and entrepreneur, co-founded Google and Alphabet Inc.
Through the project, Yale will seek to identify the brain circuits responsible for key ASD-related co-features and to modify those circuits non-invasively, in real-time, to benefit people with autism.
The research will initially focus on identifying novel approaches to establish or improve verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as co-occurring conditions such as sleep disturbances and anxiety.
“We are grateful to the ARIA initiative for its vision and generous support of this transformative work,” said Dr. Nancy J. Brown, a dean at the Yale School of Medicine. “It has the potential to change fundamentally how we treat children with severe neurodevelopmental disorders.”
The interdisciplinary research project will be led by Dr. Murat Günel, chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Yale, and a professor of neurosurgery, genetics and neuroscience.
ASD affects one in 36 children in the United States and one in 100 children worldwide. It can cause language and social communication difficulties, repetitive behaviors and sensory-processing issues.
While current treatments focus on managing symptoms through behavioral therapy, medication and educational support, Yale says there is an unmet need for more effective and personalized interventions.
“Our vision is to translate our understanding of brain circuitry into practical treatments that restore neurological function,” Günel said. “This integrated approach will not only improve outcomes for individuals with autism but also pave the way for addressing other neurodevelopmental disorders.”
