A $2.9 million, six-year partnership between the National
Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) and the Institute of
Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA) of the
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) aims to train the
next generation of researchers and uncover the mysteries of
autism – a brain disorder with no known cure. The partnership
includes $300,000 from the Fonds de la recherche en santé du
Québec (FRSQ). A Canadian first, the mentor-based programs,
principally based at McGill and Queen's universities in Canada,
take a multi-disciplinary approach to foster investigations into
the genetics underlying autism and the epidemiology of the
disorder. They will also address the importance of delivering
effective treatment options to those with autism spectrum
disorders (ASDs) and their families. “Across North America
parents and researchers are telling us about the difficulty in
finding experts in autism,” said Dr. Eric London, NAAR's co-
founder and Vice President of Medical Affairs. “There