Accelerating Autism Therapies: Inside CHLA’s $17.25M Research Grant
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Funding supports CHLA’s role in an international clinical trial network designed to accelerate new therapies for children with autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) has received a grant of up to $17.25 million through the Aligning Research to Impact Autism (ARIA) Innovative Medicine and Precision Approaches to Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Network, supporting the hospital’s role in an international network focused on autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions in children.
Jonathan Santoro, MD, will serve as principal investigator for the combined CHLA/UCLA site. As chief of neurology and co-director of the Neurological Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Dr. Santoro will oversee the collaboration’s research efforts across both institutions. He will work closely with UCLA co–principal investigators Rujuta B. Wilson, MD, MS, and Rajsekar Rajaraman, MD, MS. Together, this formalizes a single site within the integrated network, expanding the ARIA IMPACT Network’s reach on the West Coast and strengthening research infrastructure across Southern California.
“CHLA is known for excellence in autism and neurodevelopmental care, and this award will help bring research opportunities, cutting-edge therapies and new interventions to the children and families we serve,” Dr. Santoro said. “It also strengthens our ability to build trial-ready cohorts and generate the data needed to advance future therapies.”
Diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and related neurodevelopmental conditions are increasing in Los Angeles and across Southern California, reflecting national trends. The need for earlier identification, deeper understanding and broader access to research continues to grow.
The ARIA IMPACT Network will follow children over time to better understand how autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions develop and change. By using common evaluations across sites, researchers can collect more consistent data and build a stronger foundation for future clinical trials. This coordinated approach is designed to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into new therapeutic opportunities for children.
“This award recognizes CHLA’s leadership in autism and neurodevelopmental disorders and increases our collaboration with UCLA to enhance coordinated research for children and families,” said Alan S. Wayne, MD, pediatrician-in-chief and senior vice president of academic affairs at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Wayne also serves as chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Keck School of Medicine at USC.
“The ARIA IMPACT Network was built on the premise that no single institution can generate the scale and quality of evidence this field needs on its own,” said Ekemini Riley, PhD, managing director of ARIA. “The united team at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and UCLA brings the expertise and dedication that make this kind of coordinated science possible, and we are glad to have them as partners in advancing therapeutic opportunities for autistic people.”
Information for this article was sourced from CHLA.
