Shown above: Dr. Jennifer Frankovich, a pediatric rheumatologist and director of the Stanford Immune Behavioral Health Clinic
For families who face sudden and severe behavioral changes in their children with autism spectrum disorder or a related condition, the experience can be frightening. Until now, no shared standards and evidence have existed to guide them through it.
That’s why The Brain Foundation and Stanford Medicine have come together to launch the Aurora Research Network (ARN), the first national effort to improve care for children with autism-related neuropsychiatric deterioration, PANS/PANDAS (pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome/pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections), and related conditions.
To launch this work, The Brain Foundation has pledged $2 million to the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology in the Department of Pediatrics at the Stanford School of Medicine—funding the creation of a centralized hub called the ARN Coordinating Center. The new center will bring together clinicians, researchers, and families to build the evidence needed for better evaluation, care, and future clinical trials for treating these sudden and severe declines in children.
The Brain Foundation’s founder, Pramila Srinivasan, PhD, spearheaded the initiative alongside Stanford Medicine researchers Jennifer Frankovich, MD, a pediatric rheumatologist and director of the Stanford Immune Behavioral Health Clinic, and Denise Calaprice, PhD, director of the Studying Youth Neuro-Immune Connections program.
The ARN aims to:
- Develop evidence-based consensus recommendations
- Build high-quality clinical datasets
- Identify meaningful patient subgroups
- Accelerate collaborative research across institutions
Momentum is already building: 21 sites have joined the network to move the field from fragmented care to shared clinical evidence.
We’re grateful to The Brain Foundation for supporting groundbreaking research and care for individuals and families affected by autism and related conditions.
