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 birth during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not prenatal exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, was associated with infant neurodevelopment.
Emerging Research on Autism Rates and Covid
About the speaker:
Dr. Morgan Firestein is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Child Health Institute of NJ, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She obtained her B.A. in psychology from Columbia University in 2013. She received her Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University in 2019 in the lab of Dr. Frances Champagne, where she examined the role of the placenta in regulating fetal exposure to maternal sex steroid hormones and neurodevelopmental consequences of fetal exposure to aberrant levels of maternal hormones. Dr. Firestein completed her postdoctoral training in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, during which time she investigated the relationship between extracellular vesicles of maternal, fetal, and placental origin and child neurobehavioral outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Firestein was also a key contributor to the Columbia University COVID-19 Mother Baby Outcomes Initiative (COMBO), which resulted in the first report demonstrating that birth during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not prenatal exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, was associated with infant neurodevelopment. Dr. Firestein previously served as the Founding Director of the Columbia University Medical Center PeriNatal BioBank (PNBB). Dr. Firestein joined the faculty of the Child Health Institute of NJ in September 2025..
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: