Duke Autism Center of Excellence: digital health and biomarkers for early autism screening and tracking
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-11419214 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Duke program is building digital tools to screen for autism early, track outcomes, and discover biomarkers to guide clinical trials for young 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 | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,407,109 |
| NIH project number | 5P50HD093074-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11419214 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Younger autistic children and their families who would benefit from earlier identification and more precise monitoring of outcomes.
✕Less likely to help
The project may be less directly beneficial to adults with autism or individuals without access to participating clinics.
What this research studies
This program aims to use digital health and computational methods to create better, earlier autism screening and more objective outcome measures. It also focuses on identifying brain-based biomarkers that could help in clinical trials for young autistic children. The Dissemination and Outreach Core will share findings with scientists, clinicians, educators, policymakers, autistic people, and families, and will foster two-way communication with the autism community. The project emphasizes broad engagement through partnerships with community groups and government and nonprofit organizations. The center seeks to translate research into practical tools that can be used in real-world care and research settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, families could have access to earlier and more accurate screening and clearer measures of progress in interventions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in digital health and biomarker discovery for autism has shown promise, but this approach remains at the translational stage and ongoing validation is needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dawson, Geraldine — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Dawson, Geraldine
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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.