The nation’s largest autism research study

Published on May 23, 2016


Drs. Joseph Piven and Gabriel Dichter

“The initiative sets in motion an era of personalized medicine for every person with this condition.”

– Dr. Joseph Piven, director of the Carolina Institute of Developmental Disorders and the Thomas E. Castelloe Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology

Dr. Joseph Piven, his colleague Dr. Gabriel Dichter and their UNC team are the local leaders of SPARK, a nationwide initiative designed to become the largest genetic research study for autism ever undertaken in the United States.

The historic project will collect information and DNA from 50,000 individuals with autism—and their families—to better understand the causes of this condition and help usher in an era for personalized medicine and targeted treatment for people on the autism spectrum.

SPARK is funded by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative.

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