Lurie Center for Autism Clinical Research

The mission of the Lurie Center for Autism is to advance knowledge of the causes of and treatments for autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disorders and rapidly translate these discoveries into exceptional clinical care over a lifetime.

The Lurie Center for Autism is involved in collaborations with basic science researchers from around the globe to discover the fundamental causes of autism. At the Lurie Center, our Lexington based clinic that provides clinical care and clinical research, we offer children and adults with autism spectrum disorder an opportunity to participate in clinical research that provides unprecedented access to new and promising treatment options.

At the Lurie Center, we integrate research into our clinical practice. We partner with individuals and families to incorporate groundbreaking research into the heart of our clinical practice. With participation in research, our study volunteers join an important partnership with the research community and contribute to increasing knowledge of autism and related disorders.

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Current Studies

Current Lurie Center for Autism Studies for All Ages

• Autism Spectrum and Related Disorders Biobank  
• Effect of Childhood ADHD on Substance Use and Related Disorders in Adolescents and Adults with ASD – This study is ages 11 years and older

Current Lurie Center for Autism Studies for Children

• Genome Environment Microbiome and Metabolome in Autism (GEMMA)
  To learn more about the GEMMA study, follow this link.
• Bone oxytocin study (BOX) - Did you know children with autism are at risk for low bone density?
• Characterizing sleep physiology in ASD: a path from genes to treatment – recruiting volunteers with and without ASD for an at-home sleep research study 

Current Lurie Center for Autism Studies for Adults

• Investigation of Neuroinflammation in Autism Using MR-PET
  • Individuals with ASD
  • Neurotypical Adults 
• Epigenetics in autism: an in vivo PET imaging study
  • Individuals with ASD
  • Neurotypical Adults
• Uncovering Communication Potential in Minimally Verbal Autism Spectrum Disorder
• IRIS/Maplight – A randomized, double-blind, parallel group, placebo-controlled study to investigate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ML-004 in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). 
• Fluoxetine treatment of depression in adults with Down Syndrome

Clinical Research Participation

For more information about clinical research participation, visit the following links:

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