Public Health and Autism Science advancing Effectual Strategies across the life course (PHASES)
What is the Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) program?
The ACE program supports large-scale studies to better understand diagnosis, causes of, and interventions for autism. The National Institutes of Health first awarded ACE grants in 2007, and holds a new competition every five years.
Who are the recipients?
In 2022, The National Institutes of Health awarded a total of $100 million over five years to support ten Autism Centers of Excellence (ACEs), including Drexel University's A. J. Drexel Autism Institute. The PHASES study, funded by this program, is led by Diana Robins, PhD, professor and director of the Autism Institute, and Diana Schendel, PhD, professor and leader of the Modifiable Factors in Autism Epidemiology research program in the Autism Institute.
Learn more about the researchers.
Diana Robins, PhD
Diana Schendel, PhD
What is the main focus of the research?
PHASES uses a public health research framework to examine health determinants, health services delivery, variability in health outcomes, and factors that affect the health of autistic individuals. The project focuses on three key stages of the life course: early detection and diagnosis in toddlers, led by Robins; patterns of co-occurring health conditions and health services use in adolescence and young adulthood, led by Schendel; and mental and physical health in older adulthood, led by Lindsay Shea, DrPH, who directs the Policy, Analytics, and Community research program at the Autism Institute.
"This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of A.J. Drexel Autism Institute as the nation's first autism spectrum disorder research center to apply a public health lens toward understanding the causes of autism and its associated challenges, and then developing more effective treatments, resources, and strategies for welcoming autistic people into society and ensuring that they have the resources and supports to live their lives with dignity and purpose. I can think of no greater validation or accelerant of the Autism lnstitute's pioneering research than to receive this major award from the National Institutes of Health."
Drexel University President John Fry
Autism & Adulthood Seminar Series
The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, in collaboration with Bancroft, launched the Autism & Adulthood Seminar Series with the following session, now available for viewing here “Dementia in Autism: Research Updates and Clinical Implications.”
Associate Professor Giacomo Vivanti, internationally recognized autism researcher and leader of the Early Diagnosis and Intervention Research Program at the Institute highlighted findings of earlier onset and higher prevalence of dementia in autistic adults, outlined risk factors, and addressed the diagnostic challenges of applying standard tools in this population. He also emphasized the need for tailored assessments, dementia-informed services, and inclusive approaches, while pointing to future innovations in tools and interventions. The seminar concluded with a thoughtful discussion that raised new questions and directions for research.
Data Core Seminar Series
Upcoming Event
Save the date for the next Data Core Seminar, October 21, 2025 at 1:00pm. Check back for more details.
Past Event
Autism Public Health Lecture 2024
PHASES Trainees
Autumn Austin, 2022-present, PhD Student, Discipline: Clinical Psychology
Kylie McLean, 2023-present, Postdoctoral Fellow, Discipline: Social Work
Hannah Register, 2024-present, PhD Student, Discipline: Clinical Psychology
Justin Yu, 2024-present, Postdoctoral Fellow, Discipline: Epidemiology
Megan Bragg, 2022-2024, Postdoctoral Fellow, Discipline: Epidemiology
Marissa Patti, 2022-2024, Postdoctoral Fellow, Discipline: Epidemiology
Philip Smith, 2022-2024, Postdoctoral Fellow, Discipline: Epidemiology
Tamara Garfield, 2022-2023, PhD Student, Discipline: Public Health
Meghan Carey, 2022-2024, PhD Student, Discipline: Epidemiology
Summer Scholars
Melek Ercan is a student at Community College of Philadelphia studying Biology. She is currently working under the mentorship of Andrea Wieckowski in EDI and Allison Nahmias in Life Course Outcomes.Jenna Ahmed is a recent graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Biology. She is currently working under the mentorship of Diana Schendel in Modifiable Factors in Autism Epidemiology and Wei Song in the Policy & Analytics Center.
Jenna Ahmed is a recent graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Biology. She is currently working under the mentorship of Diana Schendel in Modifiable Factors in Autism Epidemiology and Wei Song in the Policy & Analytics Center.
Alejandro Amador Deulofeu is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Medical Anthropology and Global Health major on the pre-med track with minors in bioethics and chemistry. Mentors: Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick, PhD and Olivia McMullin.
Sydney (Syd) Defreitas is a senior Psychology Major and African American Studies Minor at The College of New Jersey. Mentor: Wei Song, PhD.
Maya Gerlach is a senior at Howard University and is a Psychology major with a minor in Sports Administration. Mentor: Maci Brown, MA, BCBA.
Madeline (Maddie) Ryan is a senior at Penn State University majoring in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology while minoring in Psychology. Mentor: Diana Schendel, PhD.
Highlights from 2024 Summer Scholars.
Drexel College of Medicine Students
- Tyler Beccari (2022-present)
- Alex Roth (2022-present)
- Christopher Morici (2022-present)
- Chaeyeon Kim (2022-2023)
- Jason Kim (2023-present)
- June Hoang (2023-2024)
- Jaclyn Lo (2023-2024)
- Samuel Kou (2023-2024)
PHASES Community Advisory Board Members
Andrea Wieckowski, Ashley Miller, Aubyn Stahmer, Autumn Austin, Chele Abraham-Montgomery, Dan Vader, Diana Robins, Diana Schendel, Elisabeth Sheridan, Elizabeth McGhee-Hassrick, Giacomo Vivanti, Jennifer Plumb, Karen Lindgren, Kimberly (Kim) Young, Lenora Osborne, Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, Olivia McMullen, Phil Smith, Pricila Mullachery, Rachel Vecchione, Sarah Dufek, Zach Inkele, Just Yu, Linda Chester, Katie Bouvier-Weinberg.
Want to learn more?
Read the Press Release
NIH'S ACE Program