Archive for year: 2026

Free webinar at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time (US), February 11, 2026

Tune in to hear Juergen Hahn, M.S., Ph.D., ARI Scientific Advisory Board member, discuss how using machine learning can lead to biomarker discoveries in autism research.

About the speaker:

Juergen Hahn, M.S., Ph.D. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Dr. Hahn’s research focuses on the development of new systems analysis techniques and their application in systems biology as well as for traditional chemical engineering processes. Special emphasis is placed on methods for nonlinear systems that can take into account significant levels of uncertainty in the model. Applications of these techniques include sensitivity analysis of signal transduction pathways, biomarker identification for autism spectrum disorder, model reduction for controller design, and experimental and sensor network design.

Free webinar at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time (US), February 4, 2026

The Collaborative Model for Promoting Competence and Success (COMPASS) is an evidence-based consultation framework designed to enhance outcomes for autistic children and youth by strengthening caregiver–teacher partnerships. Developed by Ruble and colleagues, COMPASS emphasizes individualized education planning, shared decision-making, and implementation support across home and school contexts. The model guides teams through structured goal setting, coaching, and progress monitoring aligned with the child’s strengths and needs and Individual Education Program. Empirical studies have shown that COMPASS improves intervention fidelity, child goal attainment, and collaborative engagement, making it a promising approach for bridging gaps between families and educators in autism support services.

About the speaker:

Dr. Lisa Ruble is the Earl F. Smith Distinguished Professor of Special Education and Autism at the Teachers College at Ball State University. Dr. Ruble teaches classes in autism and intervention. She is a past recipient of the New Investigator Award from NIMH. In 2002, Dr. Ruble established the STAR Program at the University of Louisville and, in 1998, helped establish TRIAD at Vanderbilt University. Her research program is based on these past experiences as a licensed psychologist, where she developed and provided social skills and behavioral interventions, school consultation and training, and parent training. These experiences influenced her interest in services research and the study of issues involved in the provision of evidence-based practices in community-based settings.

Free webinar at 1 p.m. Eastern time (US), Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Learn about disparities in autism ascertainment in Black children and accessible treatment models that can help reach underserved populations.

About the speaker:

Aisha S. Dickerson, PhD, MSPH, is an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is an environmental neuroepidemiologist with primary research interests in environmental risk factors for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Specifically, she studies combined environmental and occupational exposures across the life course and subsequent individual and transgenerational neurological outcomes, including autism spectrum disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and dementia. Between earning her BS and MSPH, Dr. Dickerson worked for the Jefferson County Department of Health where she served on emergency response teams after Hurricane Katrina and during the H1N1 (Swine Flu) pandemic. Prior to joining BSPH, she also completed postdoctoral training at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Currently, her research investigates joint environmental and psychosocial stressors in under resourced communities. She is the PI of an NIEHS-funded study of gene-environment interaction with parental occupation exposures and autism in offspring. She also has several ongoing studies of joint exposures utilizing data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and the Environmental influences of Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) project.