Duke Awarded $12M Research Grant to Use Artificial Intelligence to Detect Autism

The grant, from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, extends the Duke Autism Center of Excellence research program for an additional 5 years. Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, will lead a team of researchers that includes Duke faculty from psychiatry, pediatrics, biostatistics and bioinformatics, computer and electrical engineering, and civil and environmental engineering. "We are thrilled to receive this award, which allows Duke to remain at the forefront of autism research," Dawson said. "Our goal is to use advanced computational techniques to develop better methods for autism screening that will reduce known disparities in access to early diagnosis and intervention." In a project led by Dawson and Guillermo Sapiro, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering, researchers will test a digital app, used by parents at home on a smart phone, to videotape young children's behavior and interactions with their caregivers.