SPARK

SPARK is a free online study with a simple mission: to speed up research and advance the understanding of autism. By building a community of tens of thousands of individuals with autism and their biological family members who provide behavioral and genetic data, SPARK will be the largest autism research study to date.

Participation in SPARK can be done entirely at home — register online here.

• Register online in 20–30 minutes
• Complete a few questionnaires
• Provide a saliva DNA sample using collection kits sent directly to your home
• Receive a gift card up to $50 for the individual with autism upon completion of registration process

Find out more about what’s involved on our SPARK page.

Questions? Contact Samantha Hunter at 573-882-6479 or huntersg@health.missouri.edu.

AutismEYES

The purpose of this study is to validate the ability of a remote eye gaze tracker to differentiate children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to those with developmental delays. We will also be looking at how well eye gaze correlates with autism symptom severity and language ability.

• Eligibility: Age 2-17 years presenting for an evaluation of ASD.
• Time required: 1-3 visits over the course of 4 months
• Location: Thompson Center
• Compensation: Yes
• Contact: Julie Muckerman, 573-882-1481, muckermanju@health.missouri.edu
• Research study director: Kerri Nowell, PhD

REACH App Study

The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of an iPhone-based screening tool for identifying children with autism.

• Eligibility requirements: Age 12-36 months; diagnosis of ASD is not required
• Time required: 45 minutes
• Location: Thompson Center
• Monetary compensation: The study will pay $25 for participation.
• Contact: Julie Muckerman, 573-882-1481, muckermanju@health.missouri.edu
• Research study director: Kerri Nowell, PhD

Brain Imaging Study

The purpose of the study is to develop a multimodal brain imaging platform to target precision medicine in autism and to further understand the role of neurotransmitters (GABA, dopamine, and glutamate) in brain function.  

• Eligibility: Age 18+ with diagnosis of ASD
• Time required: 4-6 hours over the course of 2 visits
• Location: Thompson Center, Cognitive Neuroscience Core, University Hospital
• Compensation: $50 for visit 1, $100 for visit 2
• Contact: Amanda Moffitt Gunn, 573-884-4456, moffittaj@health.missouri.edu
• Research study director: David Beversdorf, MD

Effect of transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation on anxiety

The purpose of this study is to learn how anxiety in individuals with autism is affected by use of a device that stimulates the vagal nerve through a technique called transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS).

• Eligibility: Age 7-17 with a diagnosis of ASD
• Time required: 2 visits over the course of 2 weeks
• Location: Thompson Center
• Monetary Compensation: $25 for each of the 2 study visits
• Contact: Hannah Cottrell, 573-884-5175, cottrellh@health.missouri.edu
• Research study directors: Benjamin Black, MD, David Beversdorf, MD

DS-DETERMINED Study

The purpose of this study is to develop better services for people with Down syndrome (DS) to manage their health.

• Eligibility: Age 13+ with a diagnosis of Down Syndrome
• Time required: 1 hour
• Location: Online surveys
• Monetary Compensation: $40
• Contact: Hannah Cottrell, 573-884-5175, cottrellh@health.missouri.edu
• Research study directors: Benjamin Black, MD and Tracy Stroud, DO

Clinical Trial for Social Communication

The purpose of this clinical trial is to explore the effects on social communication in adolescents and young adults 12-21 years old with autism spectrum disorder.

• Eligibility: Age 12-21
• Time required: Up to 34 weeks
• Location: Thompson Center
• Monetary compensation: $75 for each of 10 study visits
• Contact: Kathy Hirst, hirstka@health.missouri.edu, 573-882-5643
• Research study directors: David Beversdorf, MD, Benjamin Black, MD