Public Health and Autism Science advancing Effectual Strategies across the life course (PHASES)
What is the Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) program?
The 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 91制片厂'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."
91制片厂 President John Fry
Autism & Adulthood Seminar Series
The Autism and Adulthood Seminar Series is an initiative that brings together researchers, clinicians, self-advocates, and community partners to examine key topics related to autistic adulthood and aging. The series focuses on translating current research into practice while incorporating lived experience, with discussions spanning areas such as work inclusion, health status, dementia, and profound autism, as well as broader themes of service access and quality of life. This initiative has brought together diverse perspectives and voices, fostering dialogue around both emerging evidence and real-world experiences. The series will pause for a summer hiatus as we prepare the next phase of programming, using this time to reflect and strengthen its impact. As we plan the next iteration, we are actively seeking input and suggestions to help shape future topics and ensure the series remains responsive to community priorities.
Data Core Seminar Series
Looking for new data sources?
Tuesday, June 16 2026| 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Designing and conducting studies using
electronic health records and Medicare/
Medicaid claims data
Tuesday, June 16 2026 | 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Using location information to
contextualize study data
Location: Virtual
Faculty, staff, and students are invited to join the PHASES Data Core (Reneé Moore, PhD, Daniel Vader, PhD, Jonas Ventimiglia, MS, and Jamie Reese, MPA) for open discussions on working with electronic health records, Medicare and Medicaid, and location-based data. From first projects to established research, healthcare and location data can lead to new discoveries and better research. Questions, works in progress, brainstorming ideas, and problem solving are all welcome!
Preparing your data for spatial linkages in research with secondary health data sources
Date: Monday, October 21, 2025
Time: 1:00–2:00 PM (ET)
Location: Virtual – Zoom | Free
Join us for an interactive, hands-on session where you will learn to identify spatial information in your data and leverage it by connecting to secondary data sources. Participants will practice using real-world examples with a focus on planning and preparation rather than technical software training. Sample data sets will be provided, but you are encouraged to bring one of your own that you would like to explore. Once you register, you will receive more details on how to prepare, and we are available at jr3755@drexel.edu to help. This is a follow-up to our introductory webinar (recording available here) and new participants are encouraged to join!
REGISTER HERE
Past Event
Autism Public Health Lecture
Autism Public Health Lecture 2026
Autism Public Health Lecture 2025
Autism Public Health Lecture 2024
PHASES Trainees
Autumn Austin, 2022-present, PhD Student, Discipline: Clinical Psychology
Hannah Register, 2024-present, PhD Student, Discipline: Clinical Psychology
Justin Yu, 2024-present, Postdoctoral Fellow, Discipline: Epidemiology
Sophie Mueller, PhD Student, Discipline: Psychology
Claire Klein, PhD Student, Discipline: Psychology
Seo Young Lee, Postdoctoral Fellow, UX Design & Informatics
Asa Ohalete, Post Graduate Student
Olivia McMullen, Post Graduate Student
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
Kylie McLean, 2023-present, Postdoctoral Fellow, Discipline: Social Work
Summer Scholars
Aïssata Koné is a rising Senior at Dickinson College majoring in Psychology and French and Francophone studies with a minor in Africana Studies. She will be working with under the mentorship of Aubrey Eason in Life Course Outcomes and Andrea Wieckowski in Early Detection and Intervention.
Alex Steffon is a rising Junior at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania - Bloomsburg majoring in Psychology. She will be working in our Modifiable Factors in Autism Epidemiology Research Area under the mentorship of Diana Schendel and Phil Smith.
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, Anisha Srinivasan, Asa Ohalete, Ashley Miller, Autumn Austin, Chele Abraham-Montgomery, Dan Vader, Diana Robins, Diana Schendel, Elizabeth McGhee-Hassrick, Fahtima Ali, Gail Ciervo Szigeti, Giacomo Vivanti, Jen Plumb, Justin Yu, Karen Lindgren, Kimberly (Kim) Young, Lenora Osborne, Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, Olivia McMullen, Patrick (Pat) Crowthers, Phil Smith, Pricila Mullachery, Rachel Vecchione, Sarah Dufek, and Zach Inkeles.
Want to learn more?
Read the Press Release