Children’s Hospital Los Angeles announced it has received a grant of up to $17.25 million through the Aligning Research to Impact Autism (ARIA) Innovative Medicine and Precision Approaches to Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Network. The funding will support CHLA’s role in an international clinical trial network focused on accelerating new therapies for children with autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions.
Jonathan Santoro, MD, will serve as principal investigator for the combined CHLA/UCLA site. Santoro is Chief of Neurology and Co-Director of the Neurological Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and will oversee the collaboration’s research efforts across both institutions. He will work closely with UCLA Co-Principal Investigators Rujuta B. Wilson, MD, MS, and Rajsekar Rajaraman, MD, MS.
The grant formalizes CHLA and UCLA as a single site within the integrated ARIA IMPACT Network, expanding the network’s reach on the West Coast and strengthening research infrastructure across Southern California. The initiative comes as diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and related neurodevelopmental conditions continue to increase in Los Angeles, Southern California, and across the U.S.
The ARIA IMPACT Network will follow children over time to better understand how autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions develop and change. By using common evaluations across sites, researchers aim to collect more consistent data and build a stronger foundation for future clinical trials. This coordinated approach is designed to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into new therapeutic opportunities for children.
KEY QUOTES:
“CHLA is known for excellence in autism and neurodevelopmental care, and this award will help bring research opportunities, cutting-edge therapies, and new interventions to the children and families we serve. It also strengthens our ability to build trial-ready cohorts and generate the data needed to advance future therapies.”
Jonathan Santoro, MD, Chief of Neurology and Co-Director of the Neurological Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
“This award recognizes CHLA’s leadership in autism and neurodevelopmental disorders and increases our collaboration with UCLA to enhance coordinated research for children and families.”
Alan S. Wayne, MD, Pediatrician-in-Chief and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
“The ARIA IMPACT Network was built on the premise that no single institution can generate the scale and quality of evidence this field needs on its own. The united team at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and UCLA brings the expertise and dedication that make this kind of coordinated science possible, and we are glad to have them as partners in advancing therapeutic opportunities for autistic people.”
Ekemini Riley, PhD, Managing Director of ARIA
