Dean Hartley

Autism Speaks

Senior Director of Genomic Discovery and Translational Science

Dean M. Hartley, PhD, is the Senior Director of Genomic Discovery and Translational Science at Autism Speaks. In this role, he oversees programs to advance the understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) genetics through the AGRE and MSSNG programs as well as facilitating the testing of potential treatments through the Preclinical Autism Consortium for Therapeutics (PACT).

Lauren Bishop

University of Wisconsin

Associate Professor

Associate Professor Lauren Bishop’s research uses epidemiological, advanced computational, and qualitative methods to characterize disparities in health and wellbeing in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they age. Her National Institutes of Health-funded program of research focuses specifically on autistic adults and how their unique mental, physical, and social needs can be properly understood over the life course, to inform treatment, services, policy, and best practices.  Dr. Bishop directs the Aging and Health Equity in Autism and Developmental Disabilities (AHEADD) Team at the Waisman Center, where she is a principal investigator. She is also an affiliate of the Institute for Research on Poverty, the Institute for Diversity Science, the Center for Demography of Health and Aging, and the Center for Aging Research and Education.

Sumithra Murthy

University of Illinois at Chicago

Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor

Sumithra Murthy is a Mixed Methods Researcher with a strong research and practice background in disability, family support and caregiving for people with disabilities, health disparities, and culturally appropriate interventions and implementation. Her extensive professional experiences include research management of multiple multi-year center-based research projects, quantitative and qualitative research methods, advanced statistical applications, grant writing, implementation of IRB policies and procedures, administrative operations, and mentoring students in research projects. She strongly believes in contributing to improving the lives of those most impacted by social inequities through application of research findings. Her research interests include Caregiving and Family Support for People with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities, Health and Healthcare Disparities, and Health Promotion