Lurie Center for Autism Research

At the Lurie Center for Autism, our research team is dedicated to answering questions that matter for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. Under the leadership of Dr. Jacob Hooker, our interdisciplinary research team of physicians and scientists collaborate with researchers at MassGeneral Brigham and around the world to uncover the root causes of ASD and related disorders and to discover the most effective interventions.

Jacob M. Hooker, PhD 

Professor, Radiology, Harvard Medical School
Scientific Director, Lurie Center for Autism, MGH
Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport MGH Research Scholar
Director, Radiochemistry, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MGH
Martinos Center Chemical Neuroscience Program
Athinoula A. Martinos Center

Kelly Dakin, PhD

Associate Scientific Director, Lurie Center for Autism at MGH

Clinical Research

At our Lexington-based clinic, individuals with autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions and their families actively engage in research studies, gaining access to promising new treatments and becoming vital partners in the discovery process. By participating in research, you drive discoveries and advance knowledge for everyone. Below you’ll see our active clinical studies. If you would like to be contacted about new research studies in the future, or express your interest in specific research topics, we invite you to join our research registry (see info below).

Current Lurie Center for Autism Studies for All Ages

Help us increase autistic representation in the MGB/Lurie Center Biobank

• Goal: The long-term goal of the MGB/Lurie Center Biobank is to learn how to better understand, diagnose and treat neurodevelopmental conditions such as ASD. Participation entails a blood draw and health questionnaires.
• Seeking volunteers: Everyone! Seeking participants both with and without autism.

Join our Research Registry to learn about future research opportunities and clinical trials

• Goal:  To create a registry of individuals interested in autism research in order to facilitate future communication about studies that may be of interest. We want to hear about the types of research that matter most to you!
• Seeking volunteers: Everyone! All are welcome to join!

Current Lurie Center for Autism Studies for Children

Could a wearable sleep headband help us understand Autism Spectrum Disorder?

• Goal: To understand sleep in ASD and the feasibility of using a wearable EEG headband to measure sleep in teens with ASD.
• Seeking volunteers:Participants 12-19 years old, with and without ASD, for an at-home sleep study. Studies available for individuals with non-profound ASD and profound ASD.

How does the body react to anxiety in youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder? 

• Goal: To evaluate emotional and physical symptoms of anxiety in youth with ASD. The study is aimed at improving how anxiety is assessed in youth with ASD, by measuring heart rate, heart rhythm, and skin sweat in the lab and at home.
• Seeking volunteers: Children 7-17 years old, diagnosed with ASD, both with and without anxiety.

Do you have a young autistic child? Do you also have an infant under 6 months of age or are you currently pregnant? Genome Environment Microbiome and Metabolome in Autism (GEMMA)

• Goal: This is an early diagnosis study of autism to understand how genes, the environment, gut bacteria, and the digestion of food may relate to the development of autism.
• Seeking volunteers: Participants 0-6 months old who have a sibling diagnosed with ASD.

Can a naturally occurring hormone support bone density, structure, and strength in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

• Goal: To determine if a naturally occurring hormone (oxytocin) can support bone health in children with ASD. Children with ASD have lower bone density which puts them at higher risk for bone fracture and long-term issues with bone health.
• Seeking volunteers:Participants 6-18 years old, with a diagnosis of ASD. Participants will be compensated up to $650 for their time and reimbursed for travel/parking.

Do you or a loved one have challenges with communication and social interaction? (Maplight/IRIS)

• Goal: The purpose of this clinical trial is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an investigational drug to support social interaction and communication in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder.
• Seeking volunteers: Participants 12-17 years old diagnosed with ASD. Participants will need a designated study partner who can also report on symptoms.

Can studying how autism symptoms change during fever deepen our understanding of autism and lead to new treatments?

• Goal: To advance our understanding of ASD by investigating the phenomenon of “fever responsiveness”, aiming to uncover underlying biological mechanisms and potential therapeutic implications.
• Seeking volunteers: 3-22 years old with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder

How effective are ADHD medications for children and adolescents with ADHD and co-occurring autism spectrum disorder? (AWARE)

• Goal: The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the efficacy of medications that are commonly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Seeking volunteers: Participants 4-17 years old with ADHD and ASD. Participants must be able and willing to start a medication to treat their ADHD. Participants will need a designated parent or guardian who can report on symptoms over the course of the study.

Current Lurie Center for Autism Studies for Adults

• Goal: To investigate autoimmune disorders and how they relate to autism spectrum disorder.
• Seeking Volunteers: Males, 18-50 years old, diagnosed with ASD, as well as their biological parents or siblings. Also seeking neurotypical participants, males 18-50 years old, with no autoimmune conditions.
• For More Info: Autistic volunteers click here. Neurotypical volunteers click here.

Help us create more personalized communication technology for minimally verbal adults (CPPG)

• Goal: There is a huge gap in the application of technologies in helping individuals with minimally verbal ASD learn to speak, discover their own voice, or communicate. The long-term goal of this research is to develop technologies to promote communication in individuals with minimally verbal ASD.
• Seeking volunteers: Participants 18-40 years old. 

Investigation of Neuroinflammation in Autism Using MR-PET

• Individuals with ASD
• Neurotypical Adults 

What can proteins in the brain tell us about Autism?

• Goal: By measuring levels of specific proteins using brain imaging, we aim to identify epigenetic processes that may be associated with ASD.
• Seeking volunteers: Participants with ASD 18 - 40 years old who have an IQ of 85 or higher and no history of epilepsy or seizures.
• Individuals with ASD
• Neurotypical Adults

Preclinical (Laboratory) Research

The Preclinical Research Team at the Lurie Center for Autism are at the forefront of investigating the complex biological processes underlying ASD. Our dedicated lab scientists use a variety of techniques to uncover the molecular, genetic, and cellular mechanisms that contribute to the development of ASD. Their work provides an essential pipeline of new therapeutic targets and approaches for intervention.

Meet our Preclinical Faculty Team

Evan Bordt, PhD 

Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Investigator, Lurie Center for Autism at MGH
Bordt Lab

Marcy Kingsbury, PhD

Assistant Professor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Investigator, Lurie Center for Autism at MGH
Principal Investigator at the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Department of Pediatrics at MGH

Sudhir Thakurela, PhD 

Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Director of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Lurie Center for Autism at MGH
Thakurela Lab

Angélica Torres-Berrío, PhD

Investigator, Lurie Center for Autism at MGH
Director of the Social and Cognitive Research Division, Lurie Center for Autism at MGH 

Nicole Zurcher Wimmer, PhD, MSc

Assistant Investigator, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Mass General Research Institute
Assistant Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School
Faculty Associate, Lurie Center for Autism, MGH
Director of Neuroimaging, Lurie Center for Autism, MGH
Athinoula A. Martinos Center

Meet our Lurie Center Faculty Associates

The Lurie Center is committed to a collaborative approach to research and aims to connect with other amazing scientists within the greater Boston area and beyond. Lurie Center Faculty Associates are active participants in the Lurie Center scientific community - attending scientific meetings, leading and collaborating on projects, and driving autism research toward clinical impact.

Why Participate in Research?

• Blum Center Resources
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Kids in Research
• NIH Clinical Research Trials Basics
• Autism Speaks® Participant's Guide to Autism Drug Research