Thursday, December 11, 2025 12/11/2025

Neural basis of social cognition deficits in youth with autism and schizophrenia

Award Number: R00MH113820
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2020
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2025

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Neural basis of social cognition deficits in youth with autism and schizophrenia - PROJECT SUMMARY Difficulties in reciprocal social interaction are hallmark features of several neuropsychiatric disorders, most notably autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD)4. While recent studies have demonstrated substantial overlap in genetic etiology between ASD and SSD5-7, little is known about common versus unique neural mechanisms that may underlie these downstream social deficits that cross diagnostic boundaries. Moreover, both ASD and SSD have also been hypothesized as neurometabolic disorders involving excitatory/inhibitory neurotransmitter imbalances8,9, but this hypothesis has not been empirically tested across these groups. Hence, it is hard to draw conclusions about the neural mechanisms underlying shared and distinct deficits in social interaction across ASD and SSD, despite the known genetic overlap between them. Thus, a comprehensive imaging study examining social deficits in youth with ASD and adolescent-onset SSD at the neurochemical, connectivity, as well as functional activation level will be crucial in furthering our understanding of these underlying neural mechanisms. Ultimately, this knowledge could provide key insights into how targeted social skills interventions may impact the organization of large-scale functional brain networks implicated in social cognition in these disorders, leading to improved outcomes. The overall objective of this K99/R00 award is to provide the applicant with additional research training and mentorship to help her achieve her long-term goal of becoming an independent research scientist. Specifically, K99 training goals include: (1) expanding applicants' knowledge about the diagnosis, phenomenology and cognitive neuroscience of adolescent-onset SSD, (2) applying advanced analysis techniques such a dynamic causal modeling to examine interaction of social cognition networks between the two groups, (3) and utilizing magnetic resonance spectroscopy to examine neurometabolic factors underlying social cognition difficulties. While the applicant has strong background in imaging research, the specialized training proposed will further expand her expertise and facilitate transition to a tenure-track faculty position. During the K99 phase, the applicant will be under the primary mentorship of Dr. Carrie Bearden, who will provide research infrastructure, co-ordinate between all other proposed mentors, and ensure that training and study goals are achieved in a timely manner. The proposed mentoring team was selected due to their relevant expertise, history of mentoring young investigators, and commitment to further the applicant's independent career. Results from the K99 phase will be used to generate models about neural mechanisms underlying each group's response to social skills intervention that will be parlayed into the R00 phase. In this phase we will apply an evidence based intervention, examining changes in brain responses following treatment in both ASD and SSD groups. This may help identify and differentiate neural mechanisms modulating treatment effects that may differ in each group, leading to better prediction of treatment response and subsequent long-term maintenance of treatment gains in each group.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = -$104 )
2026	2022	LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY	11145 ANDERSON ST STE 203	LOMA LINDA	CA	92350	SAN BERNARDINO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	5	11/24/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$104
														Subtotal = -$104

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2024	2022	LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY	11145 ANDERSON ST	LOMA LINDA	CA	92350	SAN BERNARDINO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	5	7/9/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $249,514 )
2022	2022	LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY	11060 ANDERSON ST BLDG MAGAN HALL	LOMA LINDA	CA	92350	SAN BERNARDINO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	002	5	7/1/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$249,000
2022	2021	LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY	11060 ANDERSON ST BLDG MAGAN HALL	LOMA LINDA	CA	92350	SAN BERNARDINO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	4	1/5/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2022	2020	LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY	11060 ANDERSON ST BLDG MAGAN HALL	LOMA LINDA	CA	92350	SAN BERNARDINO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	3	4/22/2022	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$514
														Subtotal = $249,514

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $249,000 )
2021	2021	LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY	11060 ANDERSON ST BLDG MAGAN HALL	LOMA LINDA	CA	92350	SAN BERNARDINO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	4	7/1/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$249,000
2021	2020	LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY	11060 ANDERSON ST BLDG MAGAN HALL	LOMA LINDA	CA	92350	SAN BERNARDINO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	002	3	9/1/2021	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	-$111
2021	2020	LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY	11060 ANDERSON ST BLDG MAGAN HALL	LOMA LINDA	CA	92350	SAN BERNARDINO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	3	6/12/2021	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$111
														Subtotal = $249,000

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $249,000 )
2020	2020	LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY	11060 ANDERSON ST BLDG MAGAN HALL	LOMA LINDA	CA	92350	SAN BERNARDINO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	3	9/15/2020	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$0
2020	2020	LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY	11060 ANDERSON ST BLDG MAGAN HALL	LOMA LINDA	CA	92350	SAN BERNARDINO	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	3	9/1/2020	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$249,000
														Subtotal = $249,000

Grand Total All Awards = $747,410

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Neural basis of social cognition deficits in youth with autism and schizophrenia

Award Number: R00MH113820

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2020

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2025

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer