Autism

Two Vanderbilt researchers are part of a team that earned a $1 million grant to develop AI-based training that will help neurodiverse people learn to drive—addressing a huge obstacle for that population. Nilanjan Sarkar “The ability to drive will open up new opportunities for employment and a life of independence… Read More

While studying prefrontal cortex development in adolescents, neuroscientist Maizie Zhou came to a realization that would dramatically alter her career path. Seeing how widespread autism was, but how few answers the scientific community had for those affected by it, she decided a different approach—one that is more data-driven and computational—was… Read More

NSF grant aligns with school’s Inclusion Engineering focus The National Science Foundation has awarded a highly competitive $5 million grant to Vanderbilt University that greatly expands a School of Engineering-led project for creating novel AI technology and tools and platforms that train and support individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder in… Read More

  Elementary school teachers seemed particularly excited about Film Detective, a game to help adolescents on the autism spectrum learn to decode social scenarios, at the 7th annual ED Games Expo Jan. 9 in Washington, D.C. “They liked how engaging the game is, using television and movie clips as… Read More

A $10 million gift from alumna Jennifer R. Frist, BS’93, and husband William R. “Billy” Frist will endow a new center focused on supporting and developing the neurodiverse talents of individuals with autism at Vanderbilt University’s School of Engineering. The contribution continues the work of a Trans-Institutional Programs (TIPs)… Read More

A new Vanderbilt center that includes the dean of the School of Engineering aims to create a model pipeline to assist adults on the autism spectrum find meaningful and gainful employment while enhancing local business innovation. The Center for Autism & Innovation (VCAI) brings together academic researchers,… Read More

Ayanna Howard is an internationally known roboticist, holds an endowed chair at Georgia Institute of Technology, and spent 12 years as a senior researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. An innovator with a proven track record, Howard nonetheless knew she had much to learn in making the leap to entrepreneur. Read More

For her work in the software field, Vanderbilt University computer science professor Maithilee Kunda has been recognized as a visionary on the MIT Technology Review annual list of Innovators Under 35 released today. The global media company recognizes… Read More

Nilanjan Sarkar Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering is featured in an article “Us. And them. Robots are being created that can think, act, and relate to humans. Are we ready?” that appeared in the August 2011 issue of National Geographic. [Other robots are making tentative forays into the treacherous terrain… Read More

The day that robot playmates help children with autism learn the social skills they naturally lack has come a step closer with the development of a system by Professor Nilanjan Sarkar that allows a robot to monitor a child’s emotional state. “There is a lot of research going on… Read More