The University of Missouri-Columbia campus (MU) hosts several active autism research programs spread among the Colleges of Medicine, Arts and Sciences, and Education. These research programs range from basic science to clinical investigations. We plan to combine these research efforts and identify our primary areas of emphasis as we develop a design for a Missouri Center of Excellence for autism research. This initiative is established in response to the NIH RFA: MH-02-001 and to the April 2001 Missouri State Senate Resolution #616. An organizational core, consisting of seven core investigators, has been assembled with expertise in the areas of Medical Genetics, Clinical Neurophysiology, Neuropharmacology, Molecular Neurogenetics, Developmental Psychology, and Educational Psychology. The active involvement of public health specialists from the Missouri Departments of Mental Health, Health, Education, and Social Services will provide valuable resources to insure the success of this initiative. The goals for the developmental year will be to: (1) Develop an overall plan to establish the Missouri Center of Excellence for Autism Research. The scientific direction of the project will be fully developed through the intensive work of the core investigators meeting weekly, gathering an autism research Advisory Committee, and preparing the NIH Autism Research Centers of Excellence submission. (2) Educate the Missouri research community about autism and the research opportunities. This will be achieved through a biweekly journal club, an autism visiting professor series, and continued support for the current autism educational program. (3) Encourage and facilitate autism research at MU and throughout the state. This will be achieved by expanding the research expertise within each core area, strengthening off-campus collaborations, and fostering active mentorship for young investigators. We also listed tentative 5-year research goals for each of the six Research Center Areas that represent existing strengths on the MU campus. The intensive interactions among these Center Areas during the developmental process will modify and enrich these goals as the center investigators participate in an intensive one year planning process leading to a cohesive, scientifically meritorious research application for the NIH Autism Center.
