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Principal Investigator: Catherine Ann Burrows
Organization: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $126,724
Funding agency: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Screening tools for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show poor predictive performance in practice, particularly
for females, which may arise due to sex-related measurement bias of screening questionnaires, and lack of
precision in capturing the variability in early symptom profiles of ASD. Computational approaches to
characterize heterogeneity and assess and account for sex-related measurement bias in early ASD symptoms
may identify ASD risk profiles that can be clinically actionable in practice. The candidate's long-term goals are
to enhance goals quality of life for children with ASD and their families by lowering the age of diagnosis,
especially in females missed by traditional screening methods. The research and training described in this K23
application will build on the candidate's existing expertise, adding conceptual and methodological skills needed
to develop and implement a novel screening approach that will more precisely identify ASD risk in a
community-based sample. Aim 1 evaluates the extent of sex-based measurement bias in measures shown to
capture clinically-relevant variability in early ASD traits in a sample of 3,000 children between 17-25 months
recruited from a community research registry. Aim 2 applies computational approaches to model dimensional
variability in early ASD symptoms and identify subgroups of risk in the same sample that are hypothesized to
vary on clinical outcomes at 36 months. Aim 3 takes a dissemination and implementation (D&I) science lens to
assess parent and provider views on screening practices to identify facilitators and barriers to change via
qualitative interviews (Pediatrician N=20; Parent N=40). This project is in line with NIMH Strategic Plan Goal 2
to “examining mental illness trajectories across the lifespan.” The candidate is a clinical psychologist and
Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota, with expertise in characterizing sex differences in early
ASD trajectories. The proposed K23 application will provide the candidate with the training needed to develop
new knowledge and skills in conducting community-based screening for ASD, computational modeling of
heterogeneity, and dissemination and implementation science. Mentors Dr. Damien Fair, Jed Elison, and
Timothy Beebe possess the expertise and mentoring skills to support these training and scientific aims. This
will position the candidate to build an independent clinical-translational research program focused on improving
the precision of early screening for ASD to enable precision medicine for early ASD concerns that are
equitable by sex. Training will occur in an exceptional scientific environment in the Department of Pediatrics at
the University of Minnesota and the newly established Masonic Institute of the Developing Brain.
Terms: <0-11 years old><ASD><Age><Algorithms><Assessment instrument><Assessment tool><Autism><Autistic Disorder><Brain><Brain Nervous System><Child><Child Youth><Children (0-21)><Clinical><Cohort Studies><Communities><Computer Models><Computerized Models><Concurrent Studies><Data><Data Collection><Decision Trees><Detection><Development><Diagnosis><Diagnostic><Diagnostic Findings><Differences between sexes><Differs between sexes><Dimensions><Early Infantile Autism><Early Intervention><Early identification><Encephalon><Environment><Equity><Evaluation><Factor Analyses><Factor Analysis><Family><Female><Funding><Future><General Population><General Public><Goals><Heterogeneity><Infantile Autism><Infrastructure><Intervention><Intervention Strategies><Interview><K12><K12 Award><K12 Mechanism><K12 Program><Kanner's Syndrome><Knowledge><Life><M-CHAT><Machine Learning><Measurement><Measures><Medical><Mental disorders><Mental health disorders><Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Program><Mentors><Mentorship><Methodology><Methods><Minnesota><Modeling><Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers><NIMH><National Institute of Mental Health><Outcome><Parents><Perception><Performance><Phase><Position><Positioning Attribute><Primary Care><Provider><Psychiatric Disease><Psychiatric Disorder><Psychologist><QOL><Quality of life><Questionnaires><Registries><Reporting><Research><Risk><Sampling><Screening procedure><Sex Differences><Sexual differences><Signs and Symptoms><Site><Strategic Planning><Subgroup><Symptoms><Testing><Toddler><Training><Training Support><Translational Research Enterprise><Universities><Visit><Waiting Lists><Work><ages><autism attributes><autism indicator><autism spectral disorder><autism spectrum disorder><autism spectrum disorder features><autism spectrum disorder indicator><autism spectrum disorder symptoms><autism symptomology><autism symptoms><autism-like symptoms><autism-related attributes><autistic children><autistic features><autistic spectrum disorder><autistic symptoms><autistic traits><autistic-like symptoms><career development><child health care provider><child healthcare provider><children on the autism spectrum><children with ASD><children with autism><children with autism spectrum disorder><clinical relevance><clinical translation><clinically actionable><clinically relevant><clinically translatable><cohort><community research><computational modeling><computational models><computer based models><computerized modeling><developmental><disease risk><disorder risk><dissemination science><early childhood><early screening><gender equity><gradient boosting><implementation science><improved><information gathering><interventional strategy><kids><lens><lenses><life span><lifespan><machine based learning><male><mental illness><novel><parent><pediatric care provider><pediatric department><pediatric health care provider><pediatric healthcare provider><pediatric provider><pediatrician><precision medicine><precision-based medicine><professor><psychiatric illness><psychological disorder><random forest><recruit><repetitive behavior><screening><screening tools><screenings><service intervention><sex><sex based differences><sex-dependent differences><sex-related differences><sex-specific differences><skills><social communication><training opportunity><trait><translation research enterprise><translational research program><waitlist><youngster>