Autism signs and early brain and behavior markers in children born to mothers with HIV in Kenya
The Alama Project: Autism outcomes and neurobehavioral markers in young children born to mothers with HIV in Kenya
This work will look for early signs of autism and brain-related behavior patterns in young Kenyan children born to mothers with HIV to help find and support them sooner.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Indiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11379039 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, the team will look at how being exposed to HIV before birth may relate to autism and other developmental differences in young children in Kenya. They will combine caregiver reports, standard developmental tests, and low-cost eye-tracking that records where a child looks to find brain-behavior signs linked to autism. Local health workers will be trained to use these scalable tools while the team collects data from HIV-exposed but uninfected children and comparison groups. The goal is to find practical signs that can be used in low-resource clinics to screen children earlier and guide support.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children born to mothers with HIV in Kenya, especially HIV-exposed but uninfected infants and young children (roughly early childhood up to about 11 years), are the intended participants.
Not a fit: Children who are HIV-infected, who live outside the Kenyan study areas, or who are older than the enrolled age range are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help detect autism earlier in HIV-exposed children in Kenya and point to simple, locally usable supports to improve development.
How similar studies have performed: Small studies in high-income countries have suggested higher autism rates in HIV-exposed uninfected children and eye-tracking has shown promise, but this approach is largely untested in Africa.
Where this research is happening
Indianapolis, United States
- Indiana University Indianapolis — Indianapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcnally Keehn, Rebecca — Indiana University Indianapolis
- Study coordinator: Mcnally Keehn, Rebecca
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.