Purdue Autism Research Center - Conference

The 2026 Purdue Autism Research Conference will be held on Friday April 10^th, from 8am-6pm at the Purdue Memorial Union – East & West Faculty Lounge.

This day-long conference will include a series of keynote and symposia by researchers in diverse fields related to autism – ranging from basic to applied sciences. Featured keynote speakers for 2026 are Dr. Diana Robins (Drexel University), an expert in early autism screening, detection, and intervention methods.  Her work includes developing, validating, and refining a widely used screening tool – the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT). Additionally, model system expert Dr. Graham Diering (University of North Carolins, Chapel Hill) will speak on the molecular mechanisms by which sleep modifies synapses to support cognitive functions and neural development in autism. His work integrations methods from biochemistry, proteomic, cell biology, and animal behavior.