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Frontier Science Hubs

The Frontier Science Hubs support bold, cross-disciplinary science focused on transforming our understanding of autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions. Promising discoveries will integrate into the IMPACT Network for testing and scaling.

Our Focus Areas

We are funding teams in five research areas with the greatest potential for creating therapeutic opportunities for autistic people and people with related neurodevelopmental conditions.

Genetic Medicines

  • Streamline gene-specific learnings across more than 200 genes linked to autism, and advance these learnings into actionable medicine. 
  • Develop key partnerships with monogenic disorder foundations focused on autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions. 
  • Establish a gene-specific research and development ecosystem for clinical trials.

Protein-Protein Interactions

  • Uncover and target protein interactions associated with genes implicated in autism, and identify possibilities for new therapies.
  • Share key biosamples across other Frontier Hubs to build datasets and align efforts to translate discoveries into therapies.

Neurosensing & Neuromodulation

  • Develop therapeutic strategies for targeting the circuits that control behavior and communication to address core autism symptoms, using data from patients requiring neurosurgery. 
  • Create computer models to understand how brain activity supports communication and behavior, using open datasets to improve accuracy and uncover new insights.

Functional Communication

  • Design a cutting-edge research and incubator program that advances our understanding of functional language and communication processes in autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions. 
  • Identify key research goals to improve quantitative human phenotyping and develop better biomarkers for health and behavior.

Human Developmental Neuroscience

  • Explore how brain development from before birth through adolescence affects the onset and symptoms of autism, and how individuals respond to treatment. 
  • Guide the development of new therapies that target key stages of brain growth and change.