Early development in infants with genetic risk for autism
Project 3: Developmental trajectories in infants at genetic risk for autism
Following infants who have genetic markers linked to autism every few months to track early brain, sensory, motor, and social development to spot early differences.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176990 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your infant is found to have a genetic variant linked to autism, this project follows them and a matched group of infants without such variants from 3 to 15 months of age. Babies are seen every three months for measures of heart and nervous system activity, brain responses, vision, hearing, movement, and early social and language behaviors. Researchers combine these developmental measures with genetic information and parent-reported experience to map how development unfolds. The aim is to identify when and how infants with genetic risk begin to diverge so supports could be offered earlier.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are infants aged about 3 to 15 months who have been identified through genetic screening as having variants linked to autism, plus matched control infants without identified genetic risk.
Not a fit: Infants without identified genetic risk, older children, or adults would not be eligible and are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable earlier identification of infants at risk for autism and open the door to earlier, more targeted supports and interventions.
How similar studies have performed: This approach is novel—while earlier-detection research exists, no large study has combined genetic screening with frequent, multi-level developmental tracking in infants previously.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Amso, Dima — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Amso, Dima
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.