Conference
Register for the 2026 PARC Conference and/or Community Event
PARC 2026 Poster Submission (deadline 4/3/26)
The PARC Annual Conference provides an opportunity for our community to celebrate the scientific advances being made by our PARC faculty and students. Events typically include symposia, social activities, and an engaging student poster showcase (with prizes!).
As part of this celebration, PARC invites leading visionaries in the field of autism to provide both a scientific and community-focused keynote speeches.
The 2026 Purdue Autism Research Conference will be held on Friday April 10th, from 8am-6pm at the Purdue Memorial Union – East & West Faculty Lounge. Registration and Poster submission (deadline for poster submissions 4/3/26) are open now!
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.
8:00am: Registration & Breakfast
9:00-10:00am: Keynote Address – Dr. Graham Diering
Developmental Sleep Disruption – Is it a Causal Driver in Autism Spectrum Disorder?
10:00-10:15am: Break
10:15-11:15am: Symposium #1
Informing Autism Through Model System Sleep Research
Rodent Neurotype Matching and Early-life Sleep Experience
Dr. Lezio Bueno* Jr. and team
Developmental Organization of Sleep in Infant Fmr1 Knockout and Wildtype Rats
Drs. Nicholas J. Sattler* & James C. Dooley
Sleep Disruption in Epilepsy and Autism: How SCN2A Deficiency Alters the Brain’s Circadian Rhythms
Drs. Zaiyang (Sunny) Zhang* & Yang Yang
11:15am-12:30pm: On-Site Lunch
12:30-1:30pm: Symposium #2
Supporting the Transition to Adulthood
SNAPS (Start with a capital letter, Name someone or something, And tell more, Punctuation, Sentence
that makes sense) for Careers
Dr. Kate Connor*
Preparing for Life after High School
Richard Price*
Project PATH: Training Parents of Adolescents and Adults with Telehealth
Emily Gregori*
1:30-1:45pm: Break
1:45-2:45pm: Symposium #3
Advances in Autism Diagnosis from Early Childhood Through Adolescence
Integrating Observational Assessment and Caregiver Report to Enhance Early Childhood Autism Diagnosis in Primary Care
Aditi Deodhar*, Angela Paxton, Brandon Keehn, & Rebecca McNally Keehn
Screening for Autism in Schools: The Development and Validation of the School-aged Autism Screener.
Maryellen Brunson McClain*, Megan E. Golson, Jonathan M. Campbell, Bryn Harris, Andrea Lopez, Parker S. Beckman, & Britany M. Beauchesne
Predictors of First-Time Adolescent Autism Diagnosis in a Clinical Sample
Eva Kurtz-Nelson*, Elesia Hines, Cristy James, Patrick Forgey, & Debra Reisinger
2:45-3:00pm: Break
3:00-4:00pm: Keynote Address – Dr. Diana Robins
Toddler Autism Screening: A Critical Early Detection Strategy
4:15-6pm: Poster Session & Reception
6pm Poster and Travel Award Announcements
Parking: Grant St. Garage
120 Grant St, West Lafayette, IN 47906
Located directly across the street from the Memorial Union. Self park daily maximum: $10/day
Lost ticket fee: $50
Question about an event?
Please send an e-mail to PARCAwards@purdue.edu.