Establishing a coordinated scientific agenda for the autism community.
Meeting Information & Agenda
Date: July 23, 2026
Location: Virtual (Zoom link to be provided)
Agenda: Forthcoming
Written Comments may be sent to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KZD6HBV
All comments become property of the committee and may be shared publicly.
Watch videos of the March 19, 2026 meeting
Latest Announcement
The Independent
Autism Coordinating
Committee (I-ACC)
Advancing a Coordinated National Agenda for Autism Research
The I-ACC will develop a coordinated scientific strategic plan for autism research.
Recent events have made this a pivotal moment to strengthen coordination among non-governmental groups, including scientists and stakeholders with scientific expertise. This new independent consortium will promote alignment and help sustain autism research progress.
Our Mission
The I-ACC will coordinate work among non-governmental autism research funders and will fulfill the Autism CARES Act objective of developing a coordinated scientific agenda for the autism community.
In 2006, Congress passed the Combating Autism Act, which created an Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). The law requires the IACC to develop an annual strategic plan for autism research and submit an annual summary of scientific advances to Congress. For the past 20 years, the IACC has fulfilled this role.
Earlier this year, HHS Secretary Kennedy announced 21 new public IACC members many of whom propound the false narrative that childhood vaccines cause autism. Several of the new members have promoted non-evidence based, often dangerous “treatments” for autism. None, including the new chair, have ever served on the IACC.
The new Independent Autism Coordinating Committee will bring together accomplished scientific experts and stakeholders with research expertise, with the goal of accelerating scientific discovery, improving care, and positively impacting the lives of people with autism. It will create a research agenda for autism that reflects the rapid progress and growing promise of autism science, and will report annually on the key advances in autism research across the translational continuum, including basic research on genes and cells, environmental causes, early detection, therapeutics, and services.
Our Members
The Independent Autism Coordinating Committee (I-ACC) is composed of distinguished experts and advocates dedicated to establishing a coordinated scientific agenda and showcasing transformative research advances.
Eagles Autism Foundation;
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Dr. Emanuel DiCicco-Bloom
Emanuel DiCicco-Bloom, M.D., is a child neurologist and developmental neuroscientist. He advised at the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, International Society for Autism Research, and state and private organizations on research strategies and priorities. He serves as Chief Scientific Advisor to the Eagles Autism Foundation.
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Former Director, NIMH
IACC Chair (2016–2024)
Dr. Joshua Gordon
Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., is the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University. He served as the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) from 2016 until 2024, Dr. Gordon is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Tom Insel
Former Director, NIMH
IACC Chair (2002–2015)
Tom lnsel, M.D., a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, served as Director of the National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH) from 2002-2015. Since 2015, he has focused on digital health innovation in Silicon Valley, co-founding five technology companies. Dr. Insel is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
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Dr. David Mandell
University of Pennsylvania;
IACC member (2012-2016)
Dr. Mandell is the Kenneth E. Appel Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. He is trained as a psychiatric epidemiologist and mental health services researcher.
Dr. Mandell holds a bachelor of arts in psychology from Columbia University and a doctorate of science from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene & Public Health.
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Dr. Ekemini Riley
Coalition for Aligning Science;
Aligning Research to Impact Autism (ARIA)
Dr. Ekemini Riley is the Founder and CEO of the Coalition for Aligning Science (CAS) and Managing Director for the Aligning Research to Impact Autism (ARIA) initiative. She is a molecular biologist by training, with a career at the intersection of science, strategy, and philanthropy. She is focused on accelerating biomedical discovery and translating research insights into therapeutic impact.
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Coalition of Autism Scientists
IACC member (2019-2025)
Dr. Helen Tager-Flusberg
Dr. Helen Tager-Flusberg is Professor Emerita in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Director of the Center for Autism Research Excellence at Boston
University. In 2025 she founded the Coalition of Autism Scientists. She is the Past President of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR: 2011-2013).
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Kristen Essex is Executive Director of the Organization for Autism Research (OAR), a national nonprofit focused on applied autism research and practical resources for autistic people and their supporters. She has guided strategy, programs, fundraising, communications, operations, and stakeholder engagement, helping to reach more than 150,000 autistic individuals annually. She holds master’s degrees in nonprofit management and business administration.
Organization for Autism Research (OAR)
Kristen Essex
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Congressman Jim Greenwood
Former U.S. Congressman (R); Sponsor of the Pediatric Research Initiative of 1999 which created the IACC
James C. Greenwood represented Pennsylvania's 8th district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993–2005, focusing on healthcare and environmental issues. Following his congressional career, he was President and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and now works as a senior policy advisor at DLA Piper.
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President and CEO, Autism Society of America
Joseph Joyce
Joseph Joyce is President & CEO of The Autism Society of America, the nation’s largest and oldest grassroots autism organization. Joyce has also been a passionate board member and leader for multiple not-for-profit organizations including the Autism Society of America, Autism Science Foundation, and the National Down Syndrome Society. His son Matthew has Down syndrome and his son David is profoundly affected by autism.
Director, Lurie Autism Institute
Dr. Eric Morrow
Eric M. Morrow, MD, PhD is the Director of the Lurie Autism Institute at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Prior to that, he served as Professor of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry at Brown University, where he was director of the Center for Translational Neuroscience and Director of Developmental Disorders Genetics Research at Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital.
President, Autism Science Foundation;
IACC member (2006-2018)
Alison Singer
Alison Singer is Founder and President of the Autism Science Foundation. She served 3 terms as a public member of the IACC where she chaired the Workgroup on Safety and served on the Strategic Plan Workgroup. Alison has a daughter and brother with profound autism. She has an MBA from Harvard and an honorary doctorate from Emory.
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Dr. John Walkup
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
John Walkup, M.D., is Chair of the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health; Margaret C. Osterman Board Designated Professor in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry,
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He is the current president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
Dr. Dan Geschwind is the Gordon and Virginia MacDonald Distinguished Professor of Human Genetics, Neurology, and Psychiatry at University of California, Los Angeles, where he leads the Geschwind Lab and directs the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment. Dr. Geschwind’s work has helped advance understanding of autism and potential therapeutic pathways. He is also Senior Associate Dean and Associate Vice Chancellor of Precision Health at UCLA and a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Daniel Geschwind
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Stanford University;
INSAR Autistic Researchers Committee
Dr. John P. Hegarty II
Dr. John Hegarty is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. His research focuses on the development of biomarkers and new interventions to improve precision medicine for autism. Dr. Hegarty is also Co-chair of the Autistic Researchers Committee for the International Society for Autism Research, an advocate for neurodiversity and developmental disabilities, and a proud parent.
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Dr. Amy Lutz
University of Pennsylvania;
Autism Parent
Amy S.F. Lutz, PhD is a historian of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Vice-President of the National Council on Severe Autism (NCSA), and the parent of a profoundly autistic son, Jonah, 27. She is the author of three books and dozens of articles on profound autism.
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Dr. Jenny Mai Phan
George Mason University
Former IACC member
Dr. Jenny Mai Phan is a Research Assistant Professor of Bioengineering and Assistant Director of Community Engagement at the Center for MedTech Innovation at George Mason University. She directs the Behavioral Endocrinology and Neurodevelopment (BEAN) Lab, where her research focuses on hormone-brain-behavior relationships in IDD populations. Dr. Phan is an autistic scholar, community-engaged researcher, and mom of four neurodivergent children.
Dr. Kristin Sohl
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Dr. Kristin Sohl is a pediatrician and Professor of Pediatrics as well as Founder and Executive Director of ECHO Autism Communities, an international initiative focused on expanding community-based capacity for autism identification, diagnosis, and longitudinal care.. She serves on the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Children with Disabilities Executive Committee.
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Autistic Physician & Scientist, UCLA
Dr. Zachary Williams
Zachary Williams, M.D., PhD, is an autistic autism researcher with a background in quantitative psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, and data science. He is past chair of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Autistic Researchers Committee. He is a resident Physician in Psychiatry at UCLA.