Funding boost for autism research
The Simons Foundation has pledged £20 million for pioneering studies into the biological mechanisms that underpin changes in brain development associated with autism.
The new Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain will be based at the University of Edinburgh’s Patrick Wild Centre for Research into Autism, Fragile X Syndrome and Intellectual Disabilities.
This is an amazing opportunity to bring together a range of scientific and clinical expertise at the University with the aim of understanding how the brain develops on multiple levels, including molecular biology, neural circuitry, genetics, behaviour and cognition. By combining these approaches, we will learn how a healthy brain matures and gain valuable insights into the developmental origins of autism.
Brain development
Experts will use advanced techniques to probe brain development in the presence of DNA changes that are known to cause autism.
They will investigate how variations in the wiring of the brain can impact on way the brain processes information, which ultimately underlies our intellectual and social abilities.
Clinical teams
The initiative will enable brain scientists to work more closely with clinical teams that care for children and their families and will facilitate the development and testing of new therapies.
Autism disorders
Autism spectrum disorders affect approximately 75 million people worldwide. Key symptoms include altered social interaction, communication and restricted and repetitive behaviour. The disorders are often associated with intellectual disability or impaired motor control.
We are tremendously grateful to the Simons Foundation for their generosity and vision. Their investment is a landmark commitment amidst an on-going effort from donors at all levels to deepen our research programmes and accelerate progress in medical science.
Simons Foundation
The Simons Foundation was founded by Jim and Marilyn Simons to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences.
Professor Kind and his colleagues have been doing outstanding, innovative work, both in the lab and in their clinical studies. We are proud to support this further exploration into the biology of the developing brain
We are confident that the great scientists already in place, coupled with the comprehensive facility being developed, will accelerate understanding of autism and hasten the development of meaningful treatments.
Press release in the media
BBC Radio 4 Today Programme (at 2hr 39 min)
Related links
Patrick Wild Centre for Research into Autism, Fragile X Syndrome and Intellectual Disabilities
Prof Peter Kinds staff profile