Boston, MA - Boston Children's Hospital has been awarded up to $17.25 million to serve as a participating site within the Innovative Medicine and Precision Approaches to Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Network , an international effort funded through Aligning Research to Impact Autism (ARIA) . This investment is part of a major, short-term natural history and clinical endpoint study aimed at speeding up the development of urgently needed treatments for children with profound autism and related neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs), with or without genetic causes.
The study will be led by three principal investigators at Boston Children's:
The IMPACT Network initially brings together 12 clinical sites across the US, the UK, and Canada, collaborating in a unified, coordinated way to describe development on 6 different genetic conditions associated with autism and related NDDs, and children with profound autism without an identified genetic cause. The 6 genetic conditions are: ARID1B, CHD2, GRIN2B, RNU4-2, SCN2A, and SLC6A1 related disorders. By collecting information consistently at every site, the IMPACT Network aims to break through long-standing barriers that have slowed progress in autism research. This shared approach is designed to improve the field's ability to rapidly launch effective clinical trials and deliver new therapies to children who need them.
A core goal of the initiative is to create a lasting, high-quality data resource that will be shared broadly with researchers. This level of coordination and transparency is essential to accelerating progress and ensuring the greatest possible impact for children and families.
"The ARIA IMPACT Network represents a pivotal moment for autism and neurodevelopmental research," said Dr. Srivastava , a pediatric neurologist and neurodevelopmental disability specialist at Boston Children’s. "By building a coordinated, short-term study of this scale, we can accelerate clinical trial readiness for genetic neurodevelopmental conditions and children with profound autism, who are underserved. Boston Children's Hospital is honored to help lead this work."
Dr. Siegel noted, “This will be the largest study of Profound Autism ever performed and is a historic step in bringing equitable opportunities to our children and families with some of the greatest need.” Dr. Faja added, “The commitment to linking objective biological measures with behavior will potentially change the way we understand individual differences and provide clinical care for children with neurodevelopmental conditions.”
This award builds on ARIA's previous support for Boston Children's, including a grant to Dr. Mustafa Sahin to co-lead the Clinical Coordinating Center, which serves as the nucleus of the IMPACT Network, providing both clinical research operations and administrative leadership and oversight.
“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 Boston Children’s brings to this network," said Ekemini Riley, PhD, Managing Director of ARIA. "We are proud to expand our partnership and have Boston Children’s join this inaugural wave of the ARIA IMPACT Network as we work to translate scientific discovery into real therapeutic progress.”