Key takeaways
- UCLA/CHLA have been selected to partner as one of the first 12 international sites to participate in the ARIA IMPACT Network, a major effort to advance autism research.
- The funding supports a short-term natural history and clinical endpoint study of patients with autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions, combining clinical assessments, biological data and open data sharing.
- UCLA also serves as the Clinical Coordinating Center, providing oversight and infrastructure to the IMPACT sites.
UCLA and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) have received an up to $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.
“Building the infrastructure to accelerate therapies for autistic people — particularly those with profound autism — requires exactly the kind of scientific depth and clinical commitment that UCLA and CHLA bring to this network," said Ekemini Riley, PhD, managing director of ARIA. "We are proud to have them as part of this inaugural wave of the ARIA IMPACT Network as we work to translate scientific discovery into real therapeutic progress.”
UCLA has been a leader in autism research for decades, and the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment is internationally renowned for conducting pioneering investigations. Joining the ARIA IMPACT Network will be another significant research milestone and 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. Furthermore, feedback will be provided to families throughout their participation.
The UCLA co-Principal Investigators are Dr. Rajsekar Rajaraman, associate professor in pediatric neurology and psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine, and Dr. Rujuta B. Wilson, assistant professor in pediatrics and psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine. They will be working closely with PI 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.
“Through this important work, we will produce leading-edge research and accelerate understanding and treatment for patients with autism and related genetic conditions,” said Dr. Wilson. “It is an honor to collaborate with Dr. Santoro and our peers at CHLA, as well as the other IMPACT sites, to conduct this work at a level never done before.”
“Historically, many studies have focused on verbal, higher-functioning individuals, leaving other populations underrepresented,” said Dr. Rajaraman. “The IMPACT Network will provide the structure and datasets required for rigorous and inclusive clinical trials, addressing a long-standing need in autism research.”
In addition to acting as a research site, UCLA, in partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital, serves as the Clinical Coordinating Center (CCC) that oversees the IMPACT Network. In this role, UCLA will help oversee operations, provide administrative leadership and create an environment in which clinical research can be designed, conducted and disseminated effectively and efficiently.
Dr. Shafali Jeste, chair of the department of pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and executive director of the Children’s Discovery and Innovation Institute, co-leads the CCC. “I am thrilled that UCLA will not only provide the administrative backbone of this visionary project but also participate as one of the sites working in concert to ultimately deliver more effective therapies. Partnering with CHLA builds a bridge in autism research across Los Angeles, and together we will drive this important work forward with our peers worldwide.”
