Duke Autism Center: digital tools for early detection and monitoring of autism
Official title: Duke Autism Center of Excellence: A translational digital health and computational approach to early identification, outcome monitoring, and biomarker discovery in autism
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11178364 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses digital tools and brain-based measures to help find autism earlier and track progress in young autistic children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | September 7, 2017 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $2,407,127 |
| NIH project number | 5P50HD093074-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178364 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are young children who have autism or who are showing early signs of autism, along with their families who can participate in digital tasks and clinic visits.
✕Less likely to help
Adults with autism or people without concerns about autism are unlikely to get direct benefit from the child-focused measures and trials in this program.
What this research studies
From a parent's point of view, the Duke Autism Center develops and tests smartphone/tablet-based assessments, computational analyses, and brain-measure techniques to spot early signs of autism and measure change over time. The Dissemination and Outreach Core shares results with families, clinicians, educators, and policy makers and works directly with autistic self-advocates and caregivers. The team runs studies that combine digital behavior measures with objective brain markers so future clinical trials can use clearer outcome measures. They also partner with community organizations to make sure tools are practical and accessible for families.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to earlier, more accurate autism detection and better ways to track whether treatments are helping young children.
How similar studies have gone: Some prior pilot studies of digital screening and brain-based biomarkers have shown promise, but combining these approaches into reliable clinical tools for young children is still an emerging area.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dawson, Geraldine — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Dawson, Geraldine
Related research
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Duke Autism Center of Excellence: digital health and biomarkers for early autism screening and tracking
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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.