In a world overflowing with headlines, health trends, and social media advice, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by scientific claims, especially those related to autism. You might see a flashy news story touting a “breakthrough” therapy, or come across a study on Facebook that sounds too good—or too alarming—to be true.
Category Archives: Research
Autism & Vaccines: Separating Fact from Fiction
Vaccination remains one of the most effective public health interventions in modern medicine, yet persistent misinformation continues to link vaccines with autism spectrum disorder. As a multidisciplinary autism and neurodevelopmental center dedicated to evidence-based care and research, we believe it is crucial to address these misconceptions and reaffirm the overwhelming scientific consensus: vaccines do not cause autism.
2024 Year In Review
Take a look back on all of the amazing things our team has accomplished and celebrated together this year!
Driving Innovation Through Multisite Studies
Let’s take a closer look at some of the impactful multisite studies happening at the Thompson Center.
Researcher Spotlight: Dr. Kerri Nowell
Kerri Nowell, Ph.D., joined the Thompson Center health psychology team as a postdoctoral fellow in 2016. Dr. Nowell stayed on as a faculty member after the completion of her training and became the Director of Health Professions at the Thompson Center in May. She is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Health Psychology in the University of Missouri College of Health Sciences. Dr. Nowell is the principal investigator on the EarliTec and SPARK studies at the Thompson Center.
New Insights from Infant Cry Study
The Early Years Study is a project that analyzes audio recordings of infant cries to discover new ways to identify early signs of autism and developmental disabilities. The Thompson Center joined this study in late 2022 and so far has collected over 1,200 unique infant cry recordings.
Trainee Spotlight: Braden Hayse
Braden Hayse joined the Thompson Center in 2018 as a psychometrist and a graduate research assistant and practicum student in 2020. Braden’s research area of interest is primarily surrounding sleep in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders or rare diseases. He is particularly interested in mechanisms of common sleep difficulties, the impact of sleep problems on factors related to quality of life, and usefulness of sleep treatments in different populations.
Show Me Research Week 2024
Several researchers and trainees from the Thompson Center presented posters at Mizzou’s Show Me Research Week last week. Topics included neuroscience, speech-language pathology, and more!
Postdoctoral Fellow Awarded National Institute of Mental Health F32 Grant
Erin Andres, Ph.D. has been awarded an individual postdoctoral fellowship (F32) by the National Institute of Mental Health to support training and a specific research project. The F32 fellowship grants are part of a prestigious program of the National Institutes of Health to invest in and promote talented early-stage researchers.
Thompson Center Psychometry Team Assists with EarliTec Study
An example of an interdepartmental collaboration at the Thompson Center is between the psychometry team and the Research Core. Psychometrists provide cognitive or developmental assessment support for the Research Core’s EarliTec Study. The psychometrists administer the assessments, score them, and compile the data for the researchers.