UCLA, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles receive up to $17.25 mil grant to participate in autism clinical trials network

UCLA and Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) have received up to a $17.25 million grant from Aligning Research to Impact Autism (ARIA) to serve as a combined research site in the Innovative Medicine and Precision Approaches to Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Network. Together, UCLA and CHLA form the IMPACT-LA site, one of 12 initial sites worldwide chosen to accelerate clinical trial readiness and implementation for autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions through coordinated, large-scale research.

UCLA has long been a leader in autism research for decades; the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment is recognized for its groundbreaking studies. Joining the ARIA IMPACT Network will involve recruiting and following participants from 0-18 years of age over multiple years; collecting standardized clinical, behavioral, biomarker and genetic data; and contributing biospecimens and high-quality datasets to a centralized research platform. By combining highly detailed clinical and biological assessments with open data sharing across sites, the study aims to build a lasting scientific resource that strengthens clinical trial readiness and supports the development of more precise and effective interventions.

UCLA's co-principal investigators are Dr. Rajsekar Rajaraman, associate professor in pediatric neurology and psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Dr. Rujuta B. Wilson, assistant professor in pediatrics and psychiatry at the medical school. They will work closely with Dr. Jonathan Santoro, chief of the division of neurology and co-director of the neurological institute at CHLA. The IMPACT-LA site brings together the expertise of both institutions and will help strengthen the framework for autism research throughout the region.

Read more at the UCLA Health website.