The ASSERT: All StakeholderS Engaged in Research Together project seeks to engage people on the autism spectrum, with Down syndrome, or with other intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) along with caregivers, clinicians, and researchers. Our goal is to build an online learning community where these stakeholders learn about research together in a way that is collaborative and multidirectional (all learners gain knowledge from each other). Through this project, stakeholders will “assert” themselves and make their voices heard as they work together as partners in research to improve health outcomes.
About the speakers:

Dr. Beth Malow is Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Prior to joining the faculty at Vanderbilt, Malow was a tenured associate professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan and director of the Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program and the General Clinical Research Center Sleep Program. She received her B.S. degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL in 1984 and her M.D. from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. She then did her internship in Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY from 1987-88. Her residency in the Harvard-Longwood Neurological Training Program in Boston, MA from 1988-91 was followed by a fellowship in epilepsy, EEG, and sleep at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD from 1991-94. Learn more about Dr. Malow.

Susan Brasher, PhD, RN, CPNP, FAAN, is an Assistant Professor, tenure track, and has an extensive pediatric background in both the inpatient setting as a Registered Nurse in a pediatric dedicated hospital and in the outpatient setting as a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP). She has several years of experience teaching Pediatric Nursing to both undergraduate and graduate nursing students. She received her PhD in Nursing from the University of Florida with an emphasis on pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders, specifically autism spectrum disorder. She has served as a Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Investigator (Co-I) of numerous funded grants focusing on Autism Spectrum Disorder. She has several years of experience as PI, Co-I, and project coordinator of multiple funded patient-centered outcomes research institute (PCORI) awards working with community members and research teams to address health disparities of children and young adults on the autism spectrum. She has served as a PCORI ambassador since 2018 to expand knowledge and participation in patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) across the country. Learn more about Dr. Brasher.
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Emerging Research on Autism Rates and Covid
Free webinar at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time (US), April 22, 2026 Tune in to hear about the Columbia University COVID-19 Mother Baby Outcomes Initiative (COMBO), which resulted in the first report demonstrating that
Understanding Autism through the Lens of Sensorimotor Features and Early-Developing Brain Regions
Sensorimotor differences are commonly reported in autistic individuals. However, the daily-life impact and neurobiological basis of motor differences are not clear. This talk will discuss sensorimotor differences commonly reported in
Towards the Development of a Diagnostic Test for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Data Science Meets Metabolomics
Hear Juergen Hahn, Ph.D., ARI Scientific Advisory Board member, discuss how using machine learning can lead to biomarker discoveries in autism research. Handouts are online HERE
How Genetics is Shaping the Field of Autism Research
Learn about how research on genetic influences is shaping our understanding of autism. About the speaker: M. Pilar Trelles, MD, is a licensed and
Disparities in Autism Ascertainment in Black Children
Handouts are available HERE You can access the ongoing study Dr. Dickerson discusses during the Q&A HERE Learn about disparities in autism ascertainment in Black children and accessible treatment models
Nutrition Research Updates: Five Underappreciated Nutrients that Neurodivergent Kids May Be Missing
Vicki Kobliner, MS, RDN, reviews current nutrition research and shares practical strategies to support the health of neurodivergent children.Handouts are online HERE About the speaker:





